Reviews

Review: Sennheiser's PXC 550 Wireless Headphones Should Put Bose on Notice

Tuesday October 11, 2016 8:03 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Last month we looked at Bose's wireless QuietComfort 35 noise-canceling headphones ($350) and came away with the feeling that – at least for those willing or able to test premium waters – Bluetooth-based audio fulfillment was finally a possibility. So it would be remiss not to turn next to rival premium headphone maker and well-regarded German audio company Sennheiser to see what it has to offer in the wireless noise-canceling space. Sennheiser has dipped its toes into the NC market before with the PXC 250-ii, PXC 450, and its lauded wireless Momentum series, but the firm announced its flagship PXC 550 travel cans ($400/£330) in an almost direct response to Bose's QuietComfort transition to Bluetooth, which makes comparisons here inevitable. First though let's look at the design and features of the PXC 550 headphones on their own terms.
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Review: Kanex's GoPower Watch Battery Provides Six Full Apple Watch Charges in a Small Package

Wednesday September 21, 2016 1:10 pm PDT by Mitchel Broussard
Although Apple remains conservative regarding the battery life of the Apple Watch, many users have noted that the wearable device makes it through one day with plenty of charge left over in its 18-hour estimated life. Still, third-party power banks and portable chargers have been popular mainstays in the Apple Watch accessory line, and recently Kanex launched its own charging device for the Apple Watch, called the GoPower Watch. Kanex's charger is packed with a 4,000 mAh battery and a claim that, on a full charge, it can recharge the Apple Watch up to six times with an integrated inductive charger. As a bonus, the GoPower Watch also includes a USB port, letting you charge your iPhone (or any USB-powered device) simultaneously with the Apple Watch. There's also priority charging, so your devices charge first and the battery pack second. Design Kanex's GoPower Watch meets the form and function that any successful portable battery pack needs to be used on a daily basis. Its small 3-inch square will fit comfortably in a backpack, and the quartered LED lights -- surrounding the only button on the housing -- provide quick and easy reminders of how much juice is left in the pack. The slightly raised inductive charger is surrounded by a smooth Space Gray material (admittedly, a few shades darker than Apple's definition of Space Gray), that feels sturdy despite the small frame of the GoPower Watch. Interestingly, the actual inductive charger on Kanex's device is a bit larger than Apple's own inductive charger, but its added 1/4 of an inch appears negligible and doesn't
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Review: QuietComfort 35 Headphones Prove Bose Won't Miss the Headphone Jack

Monday September 19, 2016 11:08 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
With the controversial absence of a headphone jack on the iPhone 7 now a reality, accessory companies are busily churning out wireless alternatives, and that's as true of Bose as it is of other big audio brands. Its latest QuietComfort 35 over-the-ear headphones ($350) are a wireless version of the company's flagship premium QC25 cans ($300), seen by some as offering the best active noise-canceling in the business. The QC35's retain the same established design and patented ANC smarts, so as an owner of a pair of original QuietComfort 25 headphones, I was interested to see how the new Bluetooth model compared. Design and Features The box that the QC35's come in is reminiscent of the QC25's, and the included compact travel case that the cans fold up into boasts the same assured sturdiness. You get a thinner 1.2 meter lead for wired connections, a micro-USB to USB-A charging cable, and the same airline adapter is also included. Taking the QC35 cans out though and weighing them against the wired model, it's clear the transition to Bluetooth meant the QC35's had to put on a little weight - 115 grams' worth, to be exact, for a total of 309g. So what brings the added heft?
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Review: NewerTech's NuPower USB-C Power Adapter Charges MacBook and iPhone

Monday September 19, 2016 7:20 am PDT by Mitchel Broussard
Cables and adapters outfitted with USB-C have been becoming increasingly popular as smartphones and computers alike have adopted the standard, including Apple with its 12-inch Retina MacBook that launched in the spring of 2015. Accessories such as USB drives that make file transfers easier and larger docks have proven for users dealing with Apple's decision to include just two ports on the MacBook: USB-C and a headphone jack. NewerTech's NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter is less flashy than some of the new feature-intensive products, but that's largely a positive. The Power Adapter replaces Apple's bundled 29W USB-C adapter to charge the MacBook, with the added bonus of a 12W USB-A port to simultaneously charge any traditional USB-powered device -- like an iPhone or iPad -- from the same adapter. As a replacement to Apple's power adapter, NewerTech's accessory has a slight edge in providing simultaneous charge to a second device, making it a potentially compelling alternative for Retina MacBook owners. The added visual clutter of thicker cables, however, might not be worth the $59.99 price for some people.
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Review: Philips' Latest Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Brush Connects to Your iPhone via Bluetooth

Thursday August 18, 2016 10:48 am PDT by Juli Clover
Philips recently announced its first Bluetooth-connected Sonicare toothbrush aimed at adults, which interfaces with an iPhone to monitor brushing habits, offer brushing tips, and make sure you're brushing right. Priced at $199, the Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected takes the well-known and popular FlexCare brush and introduces iPhone connectivity through a Sonicare app that tracks everything from how long you brush to where you brush to how hard you brush. Design and Features I've used Sonicare brushes for upwards of 10 years so I'm familiar with most of the brushes and brush heads, and the FlexCare is one step down from the top of the line brush, the DiamondClean (my day to day brush). To be honest, I'm disappointed that Philips added Bluetooth connectivity to the FlexCare instead of the DiamondClean because it doesn't have quite as many features (3 modes instead of 5) and the non-unibody design isn't as nice. The FlexCare Platinum Connected next to a Diamondclean brush The FlexCare looks like your standard electric toothbrush, with a removable brush head that needs to be replaced every three months or so, a power button, and buttons for adjusting settings like intensity. Since brush heads are removable, you can share your FlexCare Connected base among several family members if you want to.
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Review: The Easy-Install SnapPower Charger Adds a USB Port to Your Outlet

Wednesday August 17, 2016 9:40 am PDT by Juli Clover
The SnapPower Charger, designed to make it easy to add USB ports to a wall outlet with no complicated wiring, originated on Kickstarter in 2015. It's basically an outlet replacement that features two standard sockets and an additional USB port, and it's meant to be simple enough to install in just a couple of minutes. SnapPower is available in three colors (white, light almond, and ivory) to match different home decor. Design wise, it looks identical to a standard outlet cover, but it features a hump at the bottom that houses a USB port for charging iOS devices. There are two versions of the SnapPower, designed to fit square or round outlets, which make up most of the types of modern outlet plates in the United States. The SnapPower works by connecting the two metal tabs at the sides of the outlet cover to the screws of the outlet, allowing for a small amount of power to be drawn into the USB port of the device.
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Sonos Review: The Play:5 is the Perfect Centerpiece for a Whole House Audio System

Friday August 12, 2016 10:03 am PDT by Juli Clover
Sonos is a well-regarded brand known for creating some of the best multi-room home speaker setups, and in late 2015, the company debuted its latest product, a second-generation Play:5. The original Play:5 (once called the S5) came out in 2009, so the new Play:5 marks a long overdue update that brings a new design and better sound. As someone new to the Sonos ecosystem, the Play:5 (paired with a set of Play:1 speakers) is the first Sonos speaker I've tested in my home. After a month breaking it in, I finally understand why Sonos is such a popular brand and is regarded as the best system for iPhone-compatible whole house audio. Priced at $499, the new Play:5 isn't cheap, but that price point includes a hassle-free user experience and impressive audio. As covered in the review below, there are some downsides to buying into the Sonos line, but its ease of use, sound, and multi-speaker pairing capabilities make it largely a win for those ready to shell out the cash for a quality sound system.
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Beoplay H5 Review: B&O's Bluetooth Earbuds Sound Great, but They're Pricey

Friday August 5, 2016 11:38 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
With the controversial removal of the headphone jack from Apple's upcoming iPhone range a seeming inevitability, audio companies are already ramping up Bluetooth headset options ahead of the devices' launch in the fall. In June, premium audio heavyweight brand Bose debuted a wireless version of its flagship over-the-ear headphones with the QuietComfort 35's. Not to be outdone, last month Danish audio big hitter B&O entered the fray with its Beoplay H5 Bluetooth buds, a pair of high-end magnetized earphones designed "for music lovers who live to move." Design and Features As with most products bearing the Bang & Olufsen moniker, the Beoplay H5 buds aren't exactly cheap at $249, but apart from the luxury brand cachet that comes with them, they promise premium performance in a compact package whatever your lifestyle, designed to segue seamlessly between a fitness routine and a daily commute, for example. The dust and sweat-proof earpieces are made of a featherweight polymer-rubber compound with a branded aluminum disc on the rear, and each bud has a neck about an inch in length, with the power/pairing LED on one ear.
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Video Review: Motorola's VerveOnes Earbuds are Truly Wireless but Come at a Cost

Tuesday August 2, 2016 2:43 pm PDT by Matt Gonzalez
For the past year, I've exclusively used Bluetooth earbuds while out and about. For me, the convenience of not being tethered to my phone outweighs any downside in sound quality, but all the pairs I've owned before haven't been truly wireless; they're always connected with some sort of cable. These are the VerveOnes from Motorola, and they're the first pair of truly wireless earbuds I've used. In the package you get the two earbuds and a carrying case for charging. It's a simple setup that affords you portability and battery life. The VerveOnes connect over Bluetooth to each other and to your phone. For the most part, while using them, the connection was strong, but there were instances where some interference was noticeable. The sound quality is mediocre. There's a decent amount of bass, but the sound is generally muddy with no real depth and the highs have a tendency to clip at higher volumes. These are a pair of earbuds for convenience, not stellar sound. After a few weeks of testing, it's hard to recommend the VerveOnes. They can be purchased from the VerveLife website for $199, but for that price, the connectivity issues and sound quality make the earbuds a hard
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Review: Standzout's Helix Dock for Apple Watch is Compact and Convenient

Friday July 29, 2016 2:02 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
While I have long used the Twelve South Forté on my bedside table to dock my Apple Watch each night, I lacked a convenient alternative for on the go until last week. Enter the Standzout Helix Dock, a compact and convenient charging solution for the Apple Watch. Helix is an Apple Watch dock made from injection molded polycarbonate plastic. It stores between a 0.3-meter and two-meter Apple Watch charging cable and Apple's official USB wall charger in a compact and convenient housing, available in clear, black, white, and a phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark color
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Review: Jaybird's Freedom Wireless Earbuds Are Tiny While Still Offering Great Sound

Wednesday July 27, 2016 1:02 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Logitech-owned Jaybird has been designing Bluetooth earbuds since 2007 and has established itself as a manufacturer known for creating quality headphones ideal for working out. Jaybird's latest product, Freedom, is the culmination of years of design refinements. The Freedom Wireless Buds are Jaybird's smallest and most comfortable yet, with a sleek sweat-proof design, multipoint pairing, and up to eight hours of battery life. As with most products, there are some downsides, so make sure to read on to find out what to expect from Jaybird's latest product. Design and Fit Jaybird's Freedom Buds are tiny, a feat achieved by moving many of the audio components from the earbuds themselves to the remote control. Jaybird sells the Freedom in a range of colors from white and black to red and blue, with the earbuds themselves made from metal with plastic accents.
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Review: AyeGear's J25 Jacket Holds a MacBook, Two iPhones, Two iPads, and More

Friday July 22, 2016 1:17 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
One of the realities of living in Toronto, Canada, about a two-hour drive from the nearest American city when traffic cooperates, is experiencing a distinctly four-season climate. Winter lives up to the stereotype of being bitterly cold, before giving way to a mild and rainy spring, and eventually a hot and humid summer. The warmth lasts for no more than three to four months, however, before the leaves turn orange in October and Starbucks brings out the Pumpkin Spice Latte. For the past three months, I have been testing the AyeGear J25 Jacket to see how it holds up to those Canadian extremes, starting with a below-freezing, snowy day in early April to a comparatively sweltering 90º day in mid July. In addition to wearing the jacket around Toronto, I brought it with me on a recent trip to San Francisco, allowing me to test its convenience going through airport security and away from home in general. Ahead, find out if the jacket lived up to the
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Review: Ten One Design's Clever 'Blockhead' Allows MacBook and iPad Chargers to Fit Behind Furniture

Friday June 24, 2016 12:52 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Created by Ten One Design, the Blockhead is a simple plug designed to rotate the orientation of the MacBook or iPad Power Adapter so it rests flush against a wall or power strip when it's plugged in. There are, occasionally, some products that are so simple and intuitive that you look at them and wonder why they didn't already exist -- the Blockhead is one of those products. Made from blue plastic, the Blockhead replaces the snap-in plug portion of the official chargers for Apple's lineup of MacBooks and iPads. There's not a lot to say about the design of the Blockhead. It's similar to the official AC wall adapter that can be snapped out of a MacBook or iPad Power Adapter, but its plugs are oriented in a different direction. Made of an attractive blue ABS plastic instead of white plastic, the Blockhead is otherwise functionally identical to Apple's own power adapter bits.
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Beoplay A1 Review: This Bluetooth Speaker Sounds Even Better Than It Looks

Friday June 17, 2016 1:11 pm PDT by Tim Hardwick
Last month, B&O PLAY announced the Beoplay A1, the latest portable Bluetooth speaker in its family of luxury home audio products. B&O PLAY is a brand subsidiary of Danish high-end audio and video manufacturer Bang & Olufsen, known for its principled attention to design (which some say inspired Apple). We decided to take a look at the A1 ultraportable speaker to see if the device justifies its $249 price tag, which places it at the premium end of the Bluetooth speaker market. Design Taking the A1 out of the box, the first thing that strikes you is the compactness of the unit relative to its weight. At about 1.3 pounds (600 grams), it's not the lightest ultraportable speaker by any means, but its beautifully minimalist 'hockey puck' design feels disarmingly slight, partly thanks to designer Cecilie Manz's decision to embed the power, volume, play/pause, and pairing controls around the rim, with the attached leather strap adding a touch of surfer appeal. The polymer base has a suede-like finish that ensures the 2-inch (51 mm) tall A1 sits happily on most surfaces, and its 5-inch (133 mm) diameter means it's possible to grasp the grilled dome from above and pick up with one hand. The unit sits snugly in the larger pockets of a raincoat, but trying to fit it in a light jacket pocket may present more of a challenge.
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Review: Promise Technology's 'Apollo' Offers Private Cloud Storage for the Whole Family

Tuesday May 24, 2016 7:00 am PDT by Juli Clover
Cloud-based services like iCloud and Dropbox are useful because they make documents, photos, and other media easily shareable and accessible anywhere, but there is a downside -- that content is stored offsite on an unknown server not under an individual user's control. With Apollo, a new personal cloud device launching today, Promise Technology aims to combine the cloud's ease of use with the security of local storage. The Apollo, Promise Technology's first consumer-facing product, is also the first network-attached storage option for families and small businesses, designed specifically to allow for multiple individuals to share dedicated storage space. The Apollo, priced at $299, is being sold exclusively through Apple.com and in Apple retail stores starting on June 7. Design and Specs Apollo is a 4TB network-attached storage device, which plugs into a router to connect to a home (or small business) Wi-Fi network. The Apollo is compact and sleek looking, with an aesthetic that easily matches Apple's own line of devices. Made from a clean white plastic, the Apollo measures in at 5.6 inches by 7.5 inches and it is 2.4 inches thick with a rectangular shape. As seen in the photo below, it's not much taller than an iPhone 6s Plus, and it's similar in size to many home cable modems and routers. It includes a Gigabit Ethernet port, a USB 3.0 port (for plugging into a computer and for attaching an additional hard drive for backing up the Apollo), 1GB RAM, a 1GHz Marvell ARMADA 380 CPU, and the aforementioned 4TB SATA hard drive. In my testing, the Apollo was
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Review: Ultimate Ears' UE Roll 2 Features Louder Sound and Longer Range

Tuesday May 24, 2016 12:01 am PDT by Juli Clover
Ultimate Ears today added to its speaker lineup with the launch of the UE Roll 2, a successor to the original UE Roll. The UE Roll 2 looks like the current version of the UE Roll, but it has been upgraded with a longer Bluetooth range and louder sound. I own an original UE Roll, so Ultimate Ears sent me a UE Roll 2 for a comparison review ahead of the new speaker's rollout. When it comes to design, the palm-sized UE Roll 2 is physically identical to the original UE Roll. It features the same flat, circular design with a bungee cord in the back and a flap to cover both a microUSB port used for charging and a 3.5mm audio-in jack. Original UE Roll on left, UE Roll 2 on right The UE Roll 2 isn't the most portable speaker out there due to its size (it's not going to go in a pocket), but because it's flat, it fits well in a purse or a backpack. It weighs about a half pound, so it's not going to add a lot of weight if you need to travel with it, and with the stretchy bungee cord, you can attach it just about anywhere.
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Review: ZENS' Apple Watch Power Bank is Pocket-Sized and Ultra Portable Thanks to Built-In Charging Puck

Tuesday May 10, 2016 1:32 pm PDT by Juli Clover
ZENS' Apple Watch Power Bank is a compact Apple Watch charging solution that's one of the first to come with a built-in Apple Watch charging puck, eliminating the need for bulky, complicated cable winding systems used in other Apple Watch stands and docks. Because the charging puck is included in the body of the Power Bank, it's one of the smallest Apple Watch charging options available, and with an included 1,300 mAh battery, it serves as the most portable Apple Watch charger available for travelers. The Power Bank is cube shaped, measuring in at about an inch and a half wide and just over an inch tall. It's small enough to fit in jacket pocket (it'll fit in a pants pocket too, but the shape is bulky) and it doesn't take up a lot of room in a purse or a backpack.
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Review: Twelve South's New 'TimePorter' is a Handy Travel Storage and Charging Solution for Apple Watch

Tuesday May 3, 2016 10:35 am PDT by Juli Clover
Earlier this month, Twelve South announced its latest product for the Apple Watch, a travel tote and portable charging stand called the TimePorter. Starting today, Twelve South is launching the $50 TimePorter and has begun accepting orders for the accessory. Just ahead of the TimePorter's launch, Twelve South shipped a TimePorter to me so I could share an early hands-on look at the product, which, in a nutshell, is one of the more useful Apple Watch travel accessories that I've used. When it comes to size and design, the TimePorter looks a lot like a standard eyeglasses or sunglasses case, with the same general shape and dimensions. Covered in soft leather in either black or white, the TimePorter measures in at about six inches wide and an inch and a half tall and was comparable in size to some of the sunglasses cases I had on hand.
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Review: Pryme Vessyl is an iPhone-Connected Smart Cup That Isn't Smart Enough

Monday May 2, 2016 2:03 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Mark One's Pryme Vessyl is an iPhone-connected cup that's designed to track your daily liquid intake, making sure you're at your optimal hydration level. According to Mark One, hitting an ideal hydration level can increase your energy level and improve your mental balance. Paired with an accompanying app, Pryme Vessyl calculates a user's hydration needs based on height, weight, activity level, and other factors, making sure that intake level is met by measuring each sip of water or liquid through accelerometers in the cup itself. Hydration needs change from day to day, so the goal of the Pryme Vessyl is to make sure users are getting enough hydration as activity level shifts. The idea is to drink all of your liquids -- coffee, tea, water, juice -- out of the Pryme Vessyl to get an overall picture of liquid intake and track any deficits.
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Review: Griffin's BreakSafe Cable Provides Handy Magnetic USB-C Charging, but With a Few Drawbacks

Friday April 29, 2016 12:00 pm PDT by Mitchel Broussard
Although Apple recently refreshed its 12-inch MacBook lineup with a faster SSD, new sixth-generation Skylake processors, and longer battery life, the Retina Macbook's USB Type-C input remains the notebook's single port, apart from a 3.5mm headphone jack. Similar to the launch of the first generation device in 2015, many fans lament not only the inability to use traditional USB 3.0 inputs without carrying around an adapter, but the safety issues present in a charging cable lacking Apple's trusty MagSafe technology. To that end, at CES this year Griffin Technology introduced a third-party solution to the lack of a magnetic charging cable on the 12-inch MacBook, called the BreakSafe Magnetic USB-C Power Cable. The $39.99 kit comes with a six-foot cable and small metal dongle, which is about 3/4 of an inch long. Setup is simple: the cable is capped by a USB-C output, which users plug into Apple's packaged-in wall outlet brick. The dongle is plugged into the USB-C slot on the MacBook, so users can then charge the notebook using BreakSafe's quick-release magnetic connection. Similar to MagSafe, BreakSafe's purpose is largely to prevent the MacBook from tumbling down off of furniture -- or kicked along the floor -- when something snags the charging cable connected to a wall outlet and the computer itself. The messaging is focused on computers (and charging power only, as data and video are not supported), but the company does note that the idea transfers to USB-C supported smartphones and tablets as well.
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