Thumbs Up:

Built in amplifier, uses just one port for audio signal and power and thus minimal cable clutter, good voice quality

Thumbs Down:

Nothing in particular.

The Whiz Kid Speaks: Logitech Z 205 is 7.1 inches wide, 1.3 inches deep and 2.5 inches high. The speaker connects to the computer through USB. Logitech gives a protective case along with this speaker. The device comes with a two year warranty

Razzle Dazzle:

Logitech Z 205 is 7.1 inches wide, 1.3 inches deep and 2.5 inches high. It is quite compact and will easily fit in to your backpack.

Inside Dope:

Amongst the tons of laptop speakers that I have tested in the past, I can confidently say that hardly 1 or 2 of them have good sound quality and they are all high end notebooks. So what about the low end laptops or Netbooks? Do I have live with the tinny speaker quality for ever? Well, Logitech is here to rescue you with the Z 205. You can easily mount it on the top of you screen and with them facing you, the music will sound better than the in-built below par notebook speakers. The best thing about this device is that it is easy to carry around and store in your backpack. Considering the price and size, they sound awesome.

There are no compatibility problems with the Logitech Z 205. You can use them on both Mac and Windows through USB cable. A single USB port is occupied on your computer and both the audio signals and power is taken from here. Logitech also gives you a good looking carrying case in order to keep the speaker safe while you travel. This device comes with a two year warranty at cost $39.99. With the sound quality that they have to offer for its price, I guess this device will sell like hot cakes in the market. The speakers haven’t come out in the market yet. Logitech gave me a model for review before its official release. So make sure you check out this gadget when it comes out in the market.

Logitech Z 205’s carrying case is like a belt pouch and it is comfortable to carry it around. The speakers are easy to use and quite compact. Finally, if you are concerned about the power consumption, let me tell you that they don’t such in a lot of notebook/Netbook battery juice. You will have to sacrifice on USB port on your computer for this device. The sound quality is nothing spectacular but I was impressed by this innovative speaker idea.

While testing the Logitech Z 205 in my labs, I was pleased to see that the sound quality was better than notebook speakers. Logitech plans to release this speaker set soon in the US and Europe is its next target.

Nitty Gritty:

This is an ideal solution if you are looking for good quality speakers for your laptop.

Thumbs Up:

Affordable, good call quality, fits securely in the ears.

Thumbs Down:

Noise cancellation could have been better, call quality too could be improved, for music – the bass is a bit weak.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Bluefox Extreme BF-401 weighs 1 oz, it is recommended for use with cell phone, PC multimedia and PDA. Additional features include pause/play button and volume control. The device has a binaural behind the neck design. Supported Bluetooth profiles are Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP).

Transmission range is 30 feet. Bundled accessories are AC and car charger. Rate run time is eight hours and standby time is 140 hours.

Razzle Dazzle:

Bluefox Extreme BF-401 is around the neck headset. It is 5.32 inches wide, 5.37 inches tall, 2.5 inches thick and weighs 1.08 pounds. On the ends, there is a loop where in the earpieces cuddle nicely on the ears. They are connected to a pair of thick bases and further connected through a slim neckband. The ear pieces are quite small and do not go too deep in to the ear. They just sit at the ear opening. The manufacturer hasn’t bundled custom ear gel fittings along with the product and we still thought it was comfortable around the ear. On the flipside, the neckband is a bit stiff. Be wary of this, if you are wearing a collared garment, the neckband will catch the top of the collar.

Inside Dope:

The primary advantage of a Bluetooth headset is that you can wear it easily while you work out because they don’t come with any cable clutter. Lots of manufacturers are now giving headsets which have a sports centric design. We have also seen a Sony MP3 player based on the design where in the player is housed between the two ear modules and there is no cable clutter at all. Speaking of the design, Motorola Rokr S9 HD is the most popular in this category. Now it seems that Bluefox is trying to cash in on the popular theme with the BF-401. The headset is lightweight, the audio quality is decent and is now supports multipoint technology. The cost of this headset is $80 but it can be found cheaper online.

On the right earpeice’s base, there is the battery and control of the headset. The latter consists of two rocker button; one for controlling the volume and for power while the one located at the back relates to controls of the music player. You can press both as well. There is a tiny LED indicator on the volume controls front. At the bottom, you have the power port on the right earpeice’s base. The controls are quite small but still we could press them easily because they were raised adequately above the surface.

We used the iPhone 3G for testing the Bluefox Extreme BF-401. The audio quality was up to our expectations but the bass got a bit diluted because the earbuds didn’t seal the ear completely. However, if you are going to use this set for running or working out, you won’t have much problems. You can hear the ambience noise clearly too, since the buds don’t seal the ears completely. This is good since you will be able to hear the ambience noise clearly.

Call quality of the Bluefox Extreme BF-401 was mixed. The audio quality on our side was good and we could hear our callers clear and loud without any static. But our friends, on the other side, said that there was a bit of background noise in spite of the noise canceling capability of the headphone. They heard echo even when we were in quiet office. When we went outside, the people on the other side said that our voice was a bit muffled and our sentences were cut off in the end. This wasn’t observed consistently though and call quality in general is quite good.

Bluefox Extreme BF-401 has multipoint connectivity which means you can connect this device to more than one Bluetooth compatible device. This headset lets you connect just two devices (there are some multipoint devices which supports up to five devices at a time). For this device, you can connect to a cell phone and a music player at the same time. The player will automatically stop playing music when there is an incoming call and the playback will resume when you cut or finish the call.

This headset is A2DP compatible and supports AVRCP which lets you control a music player through its onboard control. Some handsets don’t fully support AVRCP. For instance, iPhone doesn’t le you change the tracks, you can just play/pause music.

Other features on the Bluefox Extreme BF-401 include capability to reject, end and answer calls, last number redial, support for call waiting, and transfer the calls from headset to the phone and vice versa. The rated battery life of this device is seven hours for music, eight hours for talktime and standby time is 5.83 days.

Nitty Gritty:

The design will make it clear that this device is made for use while working out in gym. We would recommend this to fitness freaks.

Thumbs Up:

Attractive looks, design is well thought, pen operation is extremely fluid.

Thumbs Down:

Doesn’t come bundled with mouse or Bluetooth adapter, schmutz is very visible on the grip of black pen, buttons could have a better tactile differentiation, mouse feels a bit awkward, while configuring it needs more real time feedback, plastic panel is glossy and attracts a lot of fingerprints.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Inside the package:

• Intuos4 pen tablet
• Intuos4 mouse
• Intuos4 Grip Pen
• Pen stand
• Ten replacement nibs (1 flex nib, 5 standard nibs, 3 hard felt nibs, and a stroke nib)
• 2.5m USB cable
• Nib extractor
• Quick Start Guide
• Installation CD (includes electronic user manual and software for tablet driver)

System Requirements:

Microsoft® Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.4.8+, Windows XP (SP2), Windows Vista. Other requirements – powered USB port, color display, DVD/CD drive, & broadband connection for downloading the bundled software

Razzle Dazzle:

Wacom Intuos4 Wireless’s looks have been radically updated. On the sides, there is a shiny plastic black control panel and it is matte black. There are 8 dynamically labeled programmable ExpressKeys and a programmable four function dial Touch Dial like an iPod. Usability wise, this device is far better than its predecessor. The pen come with a better responsive tip sensor and it also supports 2,048 sensitivity levels as compared to its predecessor’s 1,024. The response curve is tweaked for this device and this increases the sensitivity of the pressures that are lighter. Overall, it gives you a fluid feel.

Inside Dope:

It’s been almost a year since Wacom launched Intuos4 series, an excellent graphics tablet and now they have come up with wireless Bluetooth for the same. You will have to pay $50 more for this as compared to the USB sibling. This device is an excellent option for illustrators or artists while they are traveling. We will also recommend this to people who hate lurking wires.

Wacom Intuos4 Wireless is powered by lithium ion battery which is replaceable and charges through USB. You need a driver on your computer for this and has to be charged before you use it wirelessly. Setting up the Bluetooth is easy, you switch on the device and press the “I’m here” button. You computer will then detect the device and treat it like a mouse.

Wacom Intuos4 Wireless has a power saving feature up its sleeve, the device goes in to sleep mode after thirty minutes of inactivity. The driver puts an icon on the status are which gives you the battery juice information. However, when connected through USB, you don’t get this. Battery life is rated at 18 hours by the manufacturer but it doesn’t include continuous usage. You can also charge the unit through USB. We were a bit wary of charging the battery. The manual says if it remains in side the tablet for too long (a week or more) with low charge with the power switch on, the internal protection circuit inside the battery is activated as the battery is discharged with the available current. If this happens you wont be able to charge the battery anymore. Replacement batteries cost $39-$49.

We also had some problems with detection. We had to use Bluetooth Setup Assistant on the MacBook Pro with OS X 10.5.8. There was a problem on Windows Vista too (Business, 64-bit) we had to run an install several times even after the device was detected. Apart from that, this device is similar to the wired model which we reviewed ago. Operation is smooth and there are no hiccups which we are used to seeing on Bluetooth keyboards and mice.

The manufacturer says that the life cycle of the tip is increased to twenty million strokes and on the tablet’s edges; the signal to noise performance is also improved. We didn’t test this, but 6D Art Pen’s newer version is now cylindrical and when upright, it rotates uniformly.

Apart from redesigning the tablet, the product line is also configured to four sizes, small, medium, large and extra large. We got the medium one in our labs for reviews. They are bigger than what we saw on Intuos 3’s counterparts and apart from the size accommodations, they are all similar. For instance, the small unit doesn’t have LED labels close to the ExpressKeys and has a single USB jack and the extra large comes with captured USB cord.

The ExpressKeys are defaulted to Ctrl, Alt, Shift or equivalent buttons on Mac. Use can also use them for scroll/pan, display toggle, jumping the cursor within the two displays. The Precision Mode shrinks the mapping of screen to tablet to a smaller area for working with pixel level editing more in Photoshop CS4. It brings up onscreen cheat sheet of the functions which are currently assigned. There is also a Radial Menu which is a user programmable onscreen menu for operations of single functions. It has presets for operations like paste, cut and copy. There are also media controls for video and music. There are 4 presets for TouchDial – canvas rotation, brush size, cycle layers and auto scroll/zoom.

It is not easy to get around used to the Wacom Intuos4 Wireless quickly. We watched the tutorial on the disc and also the demo but even after that, it took some time for the acclimation. I had to use the documentation for help but after a while things went fine.

Nitty Gritty:

Wacom Intuos4 Wireless is improved upon as compared to its predecessor and it now comes with Bluetooth.

Inexpensive price tag, solid built, decent sound quality, useful accessories

Thumbs Down:

It is not comfortable to wear the earphones for long time. There is noticeable microphonics due to cable movement. The low end can be overpowered for some songs.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

The MeElectronics M9 sound-isolating earphones are dynamic wired ear-buds. It has 20-2000Hz response bandwidth, 16 Ohm impedance, and 0.4 in diaphragm. The magnet material is made up of Neodynmium.

The connector set includes 1×3.5mm stereo headphones – mini-phone. MeElectronics is providing one year limited warranty with the M9 earphones.

Razzle Dazzle:

The MeElectronics M9 sound-isolating earphones come in two colors: black and silver. It is 1 inch wide, 0.5 inch deep and 0.5 inch tall. The cables are made up of clear plastic.

Inside Dope:

It is very difficult to find a cheap headphone with good sound quality. That’s why it is a pleasant experience to review the $19.99 priced MeElectronics M9 sound-isolating earphones for Apple iPhone and iPod. It has solid build and provides good sound quality. We like that the M9 earphones are shipped with case and cable wrap. However, it does not provide the richest sound. Still the MeElectronics M9 remains a good combination of acceptable audio quality, useful accessories and good design. It gives little jewelry appeal with its clear plastic cables. However, it is not comfortable to wear them for a long time. What’s more – you may notice some microphonics due to cable movement even while listening the music tracks.

The MeElectronics M9 sound-isolating earphones comes with three standard sized and a double-flanged silicone tips. It has flexible and thick cord that bodes well for long-term usage. This cable feature rarely comes at such a low price. The cable connections are reinforced at the gold plated plug and at the earpieces. The slider at Y junction prevents the tangles. Both of these things give long term durability to the M9 earphones.

The main surprise is the accessories supplied with M9 earphones. It includes zippered carrying case with internal pocket, dual-pronged airplane adapter, shirt clip, and cable wrap.

The MeElectronics M9 earphones provide excellent audio quality better than its price tag. The low end gives little muddy sound occasionally, but still remains good bass. The mids are not smooth as you expect from a high-end earphone. The high-end voice comes lastly, that means classical song does not the expected average quality. The highs are not overly sharp and brittle.

Nitty Gritty:

Overall, the MeElectronics M9 sound-isolating earphones are a good choice in budget. If you are looking to hear the better listening experience, especially for the classical songs then you may have to spend at least $30 or $50 more.

Useful additional accessories inside the box; inbuilt call answer and playback control; fine passive sound isolation; well-balanced and clear audio; super-slim tiny earpieces.

Thumbs Down:

Expensive price tag; tangle-prone and thin wire.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Klipsch Image X10i headphones is wired stereo in-ear buds compatible to iPhone 3GS and iPod. Its response bandwidth is 5-19000 Hz and sensitivity is 110db. Its audio inupt details are 360° omni-directional.

The additional features are 50Ohm impedance, in-cord volume control, noise isolation, and bass-reflex. The connector set is 1×3.5mm 4-pole headset jack – mini-phone.

The items includes inside the box are 6.3mm stereo adapter, 5 pairs of ear tips, carrying pouch, and cleaning tool. Klipsch is providing two year limited warranty with Image X10i headphones.

Razzle Dazzle:

Image X10i headphones has similar design to that of Image X10. It weighs 0.4 ounches and has Anodized copper color. The headphone features tinny and super-slim ear-buds. Its cord is about 48 inches long and ends into a gold-plated plug. The cable begins from both earpieces and has module to control both iPod and iPhone. The earpieces are avail in shape instead of being circular, which helps us to fit them easily in ears.

Inside Dope:

Audiophiles are those persons who are very serious to get the best audio quality. Klipsch is one such manufacturer to provide the great headphones for great audio quality. Now, this company has launched new product – Image X10i headphones that costs $350. If you are a listener of high-quality and lossless songs/music tracks, then you will go for new – Klipsch Image X10i headphones. The “i” is suffixed in the end of product name to indicate that it works as playback control for iPod and iPhone.

Klipsch has included five sets of outlined silicon ear-tips – three standard sleeves sizes and two double-flanged tips sizes. The standard sleeves are available in large, medium and small. We like that these standard sizes will match the ears of almost every person.

One ultra-thin cable descends from each earpiece of Klipsch Image X10i headphones. This is very flexible wire and Klipsch tries to make it durable by its proprietary method. As the wire is tangle-prone, so we have doubt on its long lasting durability. The Y-cable has a module with inbuilt volume controls, call answer button, and microphone. As already said, it works are playback control for both iPod and iPhone. You will find a clip beneath the module to affix the mic close to the mouth.

The ear-buds of Klipsch X10i headphones fit easily in your ears. They fit easily in our ears while testing. The X10i provides fine passive sound isolation. We received better and impressive sound quality with little and acceptable cable noise. The ear-buds provided the most well-balanced audio and clean music with good bass without tendency to distort or overpower music.

All the music portions including classical, jazz, pop, dance, and hip-hops were played back without any problem. We overall received a fantastic performance from the X10i headphones.

Klipsch X10i headphones provide the excellent audio quality, but target some customers that can afford luxury ear-buds with extensive price tags.

Nitty Gritty:

If you can afford extensive price tag and needs the best quality music from your iPod/iPhone, then you can buy new – Klipsch Image X10i headphones.

V-Mode Remix Remote earphones has secure fit and stylish design. It offers great bass, integrated microphone and remote control for Apple iPod and iPhone.

Thumbs Down:

It is not comfortable for every person. The audio quality is not completely clean and balanced.

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

V-Moda Remix Remote earphones are manufactured mainly for use with Apple iPod and Apple iPhone. It consists of 34 inches cord, integrated controls and microphone, 13 inches Y-cable and two ear-buds.

Accessories supplied inside the package are carrying pouch, numerous silicon ear clips and removable clip.

Razzle Dazzle:

V-Moda Remix Remote earphones has sleek and stylish design. It has standard gold plated plug encased in L-shaped rubber- housing.  The housing looks like hose spray nozzle and is more rugged as compared to that of most earphones.

Inside Dope:

V-Moda is one of the most reputed companies to manufacture low profile and stylish ear-buds. The company has launched its latest product – V-Moda Remix Remote earphones for $99. This earphone offers inbuilt microphone and remote for controlling iPod and iPhone. It can withstand wear and tear. The audio quality of Remix Remote earphones is clean and balanced, but not the best amongst other competitors in its cost. For your Apple iPhone and iPod, V-Mode Vibe II earphones is a decent choice.

34 inches thick rubberized cord follows the housing of V-Moda Remix Remote earphones. The cable splits at plastic module housing the integrated iPod controls and microphone. There is a 13 inches Y-cable after the plastic module, which leads to two ear-buds.

V-Moda Remix Remote earphones is available in Nero color that features chrome accented black color. The overall design from engraved ear-pieces to gun like plug looks sleek, but the cable connection seems little flimsy. We received secure fit, but barrel-shaped and large aperture earpieces provided uncomfortable pressure on our ears after continuous listening up to one hour. We also received some distortion occasionally. The overall sound quality was acceptable.

You will receive good sound isolation and low oomph from V-Moda Remix Remote earphones. During some silent segments, you will get noticeable sound from cable rubbing against your body. It is noteworthy that V-Moda Remix Remote earphones are a better choice than the one supplied with your iPhone or iPod.

Nitty Gritty:

V-Moda Remix Remote earphones does not provide completely balanced and clean sound. If you do not need crystal clear playback, then you can purchase Remix Remote earphones. However, we will recommend you to purchase V-Moda Vibe II for your Apple iPod and Apple iPhone that provides better bass, more features and stylish design.

Thumbs up: High quality audio performance, efficient noise cancellation, comfortable.

Thumbs down: Expensive, could be a bit more robustly built, no Bluetooth.

Inside the trunk:

• Design: Over-the-ear
• Color: Silver
• Weight: 0.5 lbs

THE WHIZ-KID SPEAKS: This one from BOSE comes in after the QuiteComfort 2 and the QuiteComfort 3 and surely makes the best even more better. This time BOSE has tried to reinvent its own baby, the noise cancellation feature, to probably punch the ones who tried to copy its invention like Creative and Sennheiser right in the face… and surely this ones going to hurt bad. BOSE has left no stone unturned in making this one an absolute masterpiece.

As far as the designing is concerned this almost looks familiar to the QC 2 with hardly any difference. BOSE sticks to its iconic design with the over the ear design with earcups which can easily be swiveled around and put into the elegant case that comes along with it. With the headphones in it, the case hardly becomes any thicker than a CD case. And just for the convenience of frequent travelers this comes along with a “high/low” switch.

Though in the QC2’s even when the noise cancellation feature engaged, they had soft cushions which protected the users ears from the ambient noise. Also the QC2’s had the noise cancellation microphones only on the inside. In contrast, the QC15 has the noise cancellation microphones both on the inside and the outside which by the claims of BOSE increases their effectiveness. A few users might feel like they are traveling in a train in a tunnel because of the noise cancellation quality, this is just because there is some pressure created on the eardrums. A few might even find it annoying but once the music starts plugging in that feeling vanishes. And just incase the user finds it increasingly annoying, BOSE offers the 30 days- money back surety.

While on the move this one proves to be quite efficient because the battery life is pretty decent. There is hardly any chance that your music would leave your side while you are on the run. It has a battery life of 35 hours with a AAA battery which is fitted into the  earcup on the right side. For those who still prefer the rechargeable option the Q3’s are always there to the rescue. I personally am a fan of the standard alkaline batteries just because of the fact that you don’t have to carry your charger everywhere you go to.

Since these are over the ear, expect a kind of a moist feeling below the cushions. Also it gets a bit difficult during the hot days to stick onto the cushions. It gets a tad bit too uncomfortable. For all those who love their short naps when on the run, there is good news because the cord can be easily detached and the earcups can be easily used to ward off any kind of noises on the way.

Coming down to the sound quality… the sound quality offered by the QC15 is far more superior than its other siblings. Its comparatively smoother and makes up for the bass mess that the QC2 was peculiar with. The bass and treble are far more crisp and nice. The audio is highly clear. Though at times this offers some sound distortion at the high-maximum volume range, at most of the times the sound is pretty much articulate. However I must add that not many hip hop fans will like this one. But then again its all a matter of choice.

Nitty- gritty: Well when I was handed over this pair my first reaction was “I want to listen to my entire collection with this one.” LOL. Sounds like a kid been given a chance to try all the pizzas in town with a new topping. Anyways moving ahead… this one is the most improved noise cancellation headphones I have come across and is also amongst the best. Like I always maintain that BOSE offers stuff at high prices and this one is no small bargain either. They are anyday better than the $350 QC3 headphone which surely doesn’t match upto this one in anyway. I would recommend this one to all the travelers who are seeking refuge from the noise in the surroundings with added high comfort levels.

Thumbs up: comfortable holster make, fine finishing, comfortable placing of the on/off button.

Thumbs down: Kind of clunky, takes long to charge.

THE WHIZ-KID SPEAKS: Imagine… you have an urgent meeting to attend but are stuck in the traffic and you iPhone conks off because of low battery. Well I guess most of us are quite familiar with this kind of a helpless scenario. And now for all those people who ve been harrowed with such experiences and for the few who want to avoid such situations totally the Case-Mate brings in some much needed relief. You can charge your iPhone while on the move using this snug charger.

This one has a soft pleasant plasticky feel too it which doesn’t make it feel cheap or tacky in anyway. It’s basically combines the conventional holster along with a chargeable battery. This one measures 4.4 x 2.0 x 0.5 and slides in with much ease into the pocket. Also it could be easily hooked onto the belt with the help of a 180 degree rotating swivel ratchet. It weighs around 3.2 ounces making it a bit clunky and along with the iPhone it weighs around 7.9 ounces. That’s pretty much bulky, but then that’s just some price you have to pay for anywhere charging.

Also the iPhone could be charged using USB and to support this there is a USB port on the right of the holster. There are also three LED’s on the face of the charger which help you monitor how the charging is progressing. It hardly took me around 2 hours too fully recharge my phone. If the LED is red then it means that the device is still charging, if its orange it means that the charge of the battery is below the 50 percent mark and the green light indicates that the phone has been fully charged.

Well this one quite doesn’t live upto the expectations when it comes to reviving a dead iPhone. It almost took like 15 mins to revive my iPhone whereas the Case- Mate’s other competitors like the RichardSolo 1800 could do this job in like a minute and a half. But here again the RichardSolo takes around 4 hours 45 minutes to totally charge itself and the Case-Mate hardly took like 2  hours 30 minutes to be precise to charge itself.

Nitty- Gritty: This one is quite slow when it comes to reviving dead iPhones and I genuinely wish the manufacturers could do something about it. However, the solid build of the Case-Mate and snug designing makes it quite comfortable to carry around. If all you want is to just keep your cell  charged when your travellling then this one could be your pick.