March 2008

 by Chris Simpson

Whether you are a college student wanting to listen to music in the break between classes or a business professional who wants to streamline their hectic and busy life, the Apple iPhone can be a great asset to you. Whatever type of cell phone user you are the iPhone is a device that will be help you organize your life as well as entertain you in your time off. Like most people, however, you probably need to spend a lot of your time interacting with others.
All that is of course possible with the iPhone. Sometimes though you will want to listen to music or watch a movie and it may be more appropriate to wear headphones as you do so you aren’t disturbing others around you. You do need to be very careful about which headphones you choose though as picking the wrong ones could completely ruin your enjoyment.

Up until recently there were only a few choices available when it came to choosing a pair of headphones for a portable audio device. Many people didn’t even know they had as much choice as they had. In more recent times the technology behind headphones has moved on. You can now get headphones that vibrate along to the bass music in order to reduce the effect of background noise allowing to listen to your music more clearly. If you search on the internet for headphones you now head such a wide choice to select from that it can be difficult to know which ones you should pick for use with your iPhone.

You could do a lot worse than opt for the V-Moda Vibe Duo headphones. These are renowned for being top of the range luxury headphones. You will be able to enjoy your music in perfect clarity when you are using these. They are of the inner ear design so are very comfortable to wear and give superb sound quality. No longer do you need to carry a large, bulky set of headphones around with you. They also look great too with a minimalist all metal design.

Another good thing about these headphones is that they have a call/music control system. If you’re in the middle of a song and you receive a phone call you can easily switch between using the built in microphone to speak to whoever is calling and then switch back to the song you were listening to at the touch of a button.

These headphones really do produce amazing sound quality thanks to the integrated noise cancelling BLISS system that is built into them. Unlike a lot of noise cancelling headphones these do not require any batteries or other sources of power to work so you won’t be getting annoyed with the batteries constantly running out when you need them the most.

BLISS gives you high sound quality and almost completely eliminates any background noise. The bass produced from these headphones is also something else. If you are a music lover and enjoy listening to your music played to you at a very high quality then you really should take a closer look at the V-Moda Vibe Duo headphones.

About the Author:
Looking for the best iPhone headphones? Take a look at

The Summit Weather Radio is from The Discovery Channel Store, so you know it’s tops in its class.

Features:

Digital multi-band radio
Hand crank, solar and rechargeable battery power
AM/FM/SW/LW clock with alarm
30 preset channels let you store your favorite stations
Full charge gives 20 hours of playtime
30 seconds of cranking gives 30 minutes of playtime
Crank-level LED indicates the optimum winding speed
High performance amorphous thin film solar panel

Includes:
Rechargeable NI-MH battery pack
Shortwave antenna
AC/CD adapter
International shortwave guide

Unique self-sufficient energy technology makes this the radio you can count on anytime, anywhere! And that, readers, is a total turn on…

I haven’t totally made up my mind yet about this one. It’s the Portable Rotary Phone from SparkFun Electronics. It’s a cellphone…I promise…come on, I wouldn’t lie to you.

It’d make a pretty cool conversation piece, I guess, and an utterly original Christmas gift for someone worth the $500 - but, ummm, can you say clunky?

The Portable Rotary Phone supports tri-band GSM, has a SIM card slot and boasts a rechargeable battery. It would be good for a few laughs and, if you’re into getting lots of attention, I can pretty much guarantee this little guy will get it for you.

See SparkFun Electronics for more info.

The Creative Labs Zen V 1GB MP3 Player (White/Orange) Retail ***Free Shipping*** is as hot as it looks. This is the sort of MP3 Player people sit up and notice. It does the whole “stand out from the crowd” thing like no other MP3 Player I’ve had the pleasure of looking at - well, ever.

I think a lot of my infatuation has to do with the ridiculously hot colors. Sexy.

From the Website (ZipZoomFly.com - also sexy):

How will you deal with all the attention?
The ZEN V player was designed for people like you—those who walk a step or two ahead of the pack. So don’t be surprised when people take notice of your cool, colorful music and photo player.

Tell them you carry up to 2,0001 songs with you. Show them just a handful of the photos you’ve stored on the pocket sized powerhouse. And tell them there’s even more but they’ll have to get their own.

ZEN V is available in 1GB2, 2GB2 and 4GB2 capacities. Get yours today!

Dangerous curves ahead!
ZEN V is so tiny that it will fit into almost any pocket–jackets, purses and more. But don’t let the size fool you. ZEN V is packed with all the great features you desire.

Find your own way
Fill your tiny ZEN V with up to 2,000 songs1. Pull out your CD collection and rip your albums. Log on to the Internet and browse different music services for the songs you want. Download your favorite songs without paying for the whole album.

Plus, for a low monthly fee, you can join a subscription service and fill and refill your ZEN V with new tunes everyday.

Enjoy the show
Show off your favorite photos of friends, vacations or cool skateboarding stunts. All of your pictures will look amazing on the stunning 1.5 inch color screen. Rich, vibrant photos, album art, and menus burst to life.

Navigate all of your content with remarkable ease using the patented ZEN™ user interface. Your music and photos are all available at your finger tips.

Avoid the Burnout
No need to burn CDs to your PC then download to your ZEN. Connect to the line-in jack on your ZEN, and record your CDs, records, beats and more. The automatic track detection will even separate each song for you.

Sporty yet sexy
ZEN V is ideal for your next jog on the trail or trip to the gym. The optional armband and case fit comfortably on your arm and keep your ZEN V safe and secure while running or lifting.

Stay connected
Record notes, thoughts, and meetings using the built-in voice recorder. Sync your player’s personal organizer with Microsoft Outlook to transfer your calendar, contacts and task list so you won’t miss your important appointments and anniversaries.

Click through to learn more about the features and benefits. You’re going to want the Creative Labs Zen V 1GB MP3 Player in the worst possible way.

You know what you do when that happens right? - You buy it in the fastest possible way. Yeah, that’s pretty much my creed. That, and Coffee Cures Everything.

According to company spokesman Noriaki Tobita, a prototype Wellness mobile phone from Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. gives people a hassle-free way of keeping track of their health. It can take your pulse, check your body fat, time your jogs, assess your stress levels, tell you if you have bad breath, and even give you a pep talk. (After being told to exercise, that I’m stressed, and that I have bad breath, I’m going to need more than a pep talk, but thanks anyway.)

Kidding aside, this sounds sweet. The phone was unveiled this week at the CEATEC electronics show outside Tokyo. It has an inbuilt motion sensor that detects body movement, so it can calculate how many calories you’re burning.

The sensor can tell whether you’re walking, running, climbing stairs, or resting, and counts the calories accordingly to tally daily totals, Tobita said.

“It’s with you wherever you go, like a portable personal trainer,” he said.

From the AP (HIROKO TABUCHI, Japan):

Like Nike Inc.’s +Nike technology, the handset also keeps track of jogs, letting users set targets and keeping track of time, distance, and calories burnt — all while listening to music through headphones.

Hold the phone with outstretched arms, and it turns into a mini body fat calculator. A sensor at the top of the phone takes your pulse from your fingertip.

Worried about bad breath? Use the phone’s breathalyzer. After Tobita blew on a tiny hole on the side of the handset for about three seconds, the screen flashed, “Not too bad.”

The Wellness phone, developed by NTT DoCoMo and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., also asks questions to assesses stress levels and offers advice.

When the busy spokesman answered “Yes” to a series of questions — including “Do you feel lethargic?” and “Do you go to bed after midnight?” — a message appeared on the screen warning he was under a lot of stress.

“Don’t worry, tomorrow’s a fresh new day,” the phone then flashed. “Keep your chin up!”

NTT DoCoMo is still testing some of the phone’s other technology, including a function to keep track of meals and calculate calorific intake, as well as a networking capacity to let users share data, Tobita said.

Japan has some of the world’s most advanced cell phones, enabling users to surf the Web, check in at airports and play motion games.

DoCoMo has not set a release date or price for the Wellness phone. The Tokyo-based company’s phones are not sold overseas.

All Handhelds

Okay, the title may be a little harsh - after all, they aren’t that ugly (especially the Furby). They just aren’t quite as handsome as some of the other tech-licious products. There. Now that I’ve spared their feelings, somewhat….

The monstrosity above (and the velvet gloves come off) is the Microsoft Zune Player from 2006. Touted as the “iPod Killer,” the Zune Player featured great sound and an integrated music store/manager. It didn’t have iPod’s sex appeal and it also never had a shot.

For the top 10 Ugliest Tech Products in History, click the link. Don’t snicker at the Furby though, he’s sensitive.

by Korbin Newlyn

There has been quite a bit of public debate that a cellular phone antenna can be hazardous to your health. We will take a look into the particulars and determine whether these rumors are grounded on any kind of truth.

Are Any Harmful Effects Present? If Yes, How To Avoid Them?

When automobiles were first created (despite the fact that the greatest potential speed was approximately 20-30 Km/hr) individuals were of the belief that anybody who would utilize them on a regular basis would develop terrible diseases and will result in death. Nowadays, the speed of an automobile passes 200 Km/hr and individuals who drive them (or travel around in them) are all right.

Likewise, it is true that a cellular phone antenna gives off a particular amount of electromagnetic waves; additionally they utilize radio signals to broadcast sound. Although it is reliable information that excessive exposure to either (or both) are certainly hurtful, the amount given off by a cellular phone antenna throughout short regular voice communications is not truly enough to create a long lasting harmful impact.

The alert of the health hazard had begun when the Stewart Report had showed that radio waves (from cellular phone antennas) do in truth go through the human body. The report especially cautioned about exposure to small children and suggested that they would be better off not using this device or, at any rate, very minimally because the radiation can damage and limit the formation of brain cells.

One can definitely not do without a cellular phone or the cellular phone antenna. Nevertheless, we can certainly take some steps to cut down the radiation effects to as minimal as possible. Here are a 5 different suggestions:

1. Children should truthfully not use cell phones unless in desperate emergencies. Whenever they have a need to talk over the phone, they had better from normal landlines.

2. Whenever you purchase a cell phone pay particular attention to the SAR (specific absorption rate) element - the smaller the SAR factor is the more beneficial it is for you because the radio emission is to the lowest degree possible.

3. When carrying around a mobile phone, keep the device as distant from your body as possible can. Transport it in pouches, handbags or the like so they can come in contact with the body solely during use.

4. Keep your voice communications as short as you can. This is a beneficial recommendation for the pocket also. Short conversations are not capable of emitting enough radiation to injure the body. If the conversation needs to be long, switch often between one ear and the other one so there is no continual exposure.

5. Cut short the use of the cell phone to a minimum as possible when the reception is bad, as the cellular phone antenna will attempt to boost its power and therefore the radiation to acquire the signals will increase as well.

About the Author:
Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of home electronics. To learn more go to Cingular Cellular Phone advice and at Cell Phone tips.

The iSymphony R-Speaker Portable Amplified Speaker System is a much sweeter-looking audio system than a lot of the robotic-looking ones on the market. This one looks like it followed an actual design rather than looking like it was molded in a box your Aunt Clara had her meds delivered in.It’s available at Walmart.com for less than $40. Shipping charges give you the blues? N/A this time - they offer free “Site to Store” shipping - which, personally I think all companies should do. As if they don’t have trucks headed in that direction all the time anyway, right?

From the Website:
 The iSymphony R-Speaker Portable Amplified Speaker System is a compact round stereo speaker for iPod, other audio players or your PC. You won’t need a headset — simply connect the R-Speaker to your preferred device, and enjoy your music while you work or play.  [click to continue...]

The Canon PowerShot A570IS 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom is available online at Amazon for a ridiculously low price.  But that’s not all, if you order one before March 31, 2008, you’ll receive a unique coupon code for a free 8×8 photo book (a $29.99 value) from Shutterfly.

Manufacturer Description
Even when the kids can’t sit still and the light is less than ideal, the amazing, the PowerShot A570 IS lets you capture life’s special moments — perfectly. Optical Image Stabilizer Technology keeps images crisp even when you’re zoomed way in. The ISO 1600 and High ISO Auto settings reduce blur when the lights are down low. Plus, the A570 IS is packed with easy-to-use creative and convenient features you’ll love.

Click through to take a closer look at the Canon PowerShot A570IS 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom!