Your's Web Tech Power Blog's: Nov 12, 2011

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Latest Posts on Coolest Gadgets

OnLive brings video games to your home, disc-free
Pioneer SE-CL331-Y Water-resistant Earbud Headphones
Marshall Major and Minor FX Headphones
Swivl automated mobile device
Itzbeen Baby Care Timer
Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive

OnLive brings video games to your home, disc-free

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 07:15 AM PST

I have been on pins and needles all week as I finally got a chance to try out the OnLive. The OnLive is a cloud-based gaming system that allows the user to play the latest video games on your TV, PC, Mac, iPad, or Android tablet.

Not since I got the Atari 2600 in the early eighties have I been more excited about playing video games. The set up is simple, but I had to move my Wi-Fi access point closer to my TV in order to get it to work. The OnLive system comes with a base unit that connects to a television via HDMI, and then connects to a router.

From there, the user logs in and orders specific video games via an included wireless controller. The controller looks like a PS3 or Xbox 360 controller, and the gaming fun begins.

I found that it didn’t take very long to set up, and for the most part, the games played well. Sometimes there were network connection problems that would result in things getting very pixelated, but overall, I was pleased.

The games cost about $49.99 for the most popular ones, but they don’t seem to have the newer ones on the catalog. I believe that Arkham City is available for pre-order, but I am pretty certain that it is available in the store now.

All in all, I think the big three gaming companies need to follow the the OnLive business model and make it so the latest video games can be available for purchase without stopping by the store. Until then, you might want to check out the OnLive if you don’t have a PS3 or Xbox 360 as yet. You can get all the games that are available for both systems, but not a lot for Wii games.

Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ OnLive brings video games to your home, disc-free copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Pioneer SE-CL331-Y Water-resistant Earbud Headphones

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 07:05 AM PST

We have reported on waterproof gadgets before, such as the Mi-Sport waterproof headphones. This is apparently Pioneer’s contribution to the waterproof headphones industry with the SE-CL331-Y water-resistant earbud headphones.

Apparently, Pioneer expects someone else to make a water-proof MP3 player or smartphone, but I suppose that you could always buy one of those waterproof protectors for your music-playing device.

Anyway, the SE-CL331-Y earbud headphones are really designed for the “active music” listener. I am assuming that refers to those who love to run in the rain or those who exercise so much that they are positively soggy with sweat. Yes, they are IPX5/IPX7 water-resistant, and is good for rain, snow, sweat, or dust. In other words, they are designed to survive life, which is what we need out of any pair of headphones in today’s market.

They have an “active, ergonomic design with 4 interchangeable ear tip sizes”, as well as a carrying case. So how do they sound? Well, I didn’t dip my head in the bathtub to listen, but I will attempt to describe the quality as 9mm noise-isolating drivers.

If you want to get into this deal, you should be able to purchase the SE-CL331-Y water-resistant earbud headphones in yellow, white, blue, and pink for a price of $59.00 at the Pioneer website.

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Pioneer SE-CL331-Y Water-resistant Earbud Headphones copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Marshall Major and Minor FX Headphones

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST

I received something in my Inbox this morning about Marshall’s FX headphones, and I thought they were definitely worth reporting on. Yes, the Marshall has a legacy that is bigger than “We Are Marshall”, and I would like to report on the Marshall Major FX and Minor FX.

The Major FX are the cushioned headphones that you can see in this picture, and they can “rest lightly upon your ears”. The Major FX are completely collapsible, and the earcups fold up into the headphones and the cord gets wrapped around that. There is a 6.3 mm adapter for use with the amplifier, stereo, or anything with the 6.3mm dock.

As for the Minor FX, it is the in-ear model for the company. The fabric cord of the Minor has a microphone and remote for use with an iDevice, and it is also tangle resistant. I believe that the Major FX has a microphone and remote as well.

You should be able to find out the specs on the Major FX and Minor FX headphones from the official Marshall web site. The Major FX is about $140.00, while the Minor FX costs about $80.00, both with a one year premium replacement warranty. It is also available on the Apple store as well.

Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Marshall Major and Minor FX Headphones copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Swivl automated mobile device

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 05:30 AM PST

Swivl – the name itself is very modern and forward looking, and I am happy to say that it is already available for pre-order. Just what is the Swivl? It is rather hard to tell at first glance, but this is in essence, an automated mobile device which will allow you to capture your movements on your mobile device, without having to keep your hands occupied. All you need to do is to let it hold your iPhone, iPod touch, Flip camcorder or even GoPro camera, where it will then follow both horizontally and vertically in order to maintain your presence in the frame.

This is made possible thanks to the inclusion of a sensor marker inside. As long as you own a device like an iPhone or Android handset that is under 11mm in thickness, it is good to go, while there is also a tripod option to mount pocket cameras like the Flip and GoPro. The Swivl is slightly biased towards Apple devices though, since it can be juiced when docked. Place your pre-order for one now at $159.99, where it will ship in North America from early next year onwards.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Swivl automated mobile device copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Itzbeen Baby Care Timer

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 05:00 AM PST

First time parents have plenty to think about – who does what chore, whose turn is it to get up and attend to baby, the whole works! The key to making sure you have a happy, healthy baby would be consistency, and what better way to inculcate that quality in a new set of parents than with a little bit of extra help in the form of the £24.99 Itzbeen Baby Care Timer? Yes sir, there are four easy-to-use timers available so that you have an idea on when the last nappy change happened, not to mention feeding or sending the little one off to sleep. As to how the fourth timer is used, it depends on you – perhaps you can designate it as Xbox time?

All it takes is one touch of the individual buttons, and the timer will begin in earnest. Heck, you can also opt to set alarms so that you don't miss anything. A nightlight is built in at the top for it to cast a glow in a dark room, and the backlit LCD screen is handy whenever you wake up groggily and need to see the readings there, fast. It will run on a trio of AAA batteries and is good indefinitely as long as your baby does not throw it down to the floor, thinking it is a toy.

Conference Calendar – The global conference and expo finder.
[ Itzbeen Baby Care Timer copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive

Posted: 11 Nov 2011 04:30 AM PST

If you are rocking to a Mac machine, then chances are you would have plenty of media stored on it, let alone data of your work and what not. Well, making a backup is always important as you can never quite tell when disaster in the guise of Murphy will strike, so choosing the right kind of backup medium is always important. Iomega’s got your back this time around with the eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive, where this new Mac-oriented hard drive range will offer plenty of storage alongside unprecedented durability, as it can withstand drops and still travel easily in a pocketbook or briefcase while looking dressed to the nines.

When combined with the recent launches of the Iomega Helium portable hard drive and the Iomega Mac Companion hard drive, Iomega;s new line of portable and desktop hard drives for Mac users seems to be complete. All three drives will come formatted in HFS+ for compatibility with Mac computers the moment you unbox it, making them the perfect addition for Mac owners, regardless of whether they are rocking to notebooks or desktops.

Coming in 500GB and 1TB capacities, the new black Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive will feature a couple of FireWire 800 ports as well as one USB 2.0 port that delivers fast performance and versatile connections. Not only that, you will also be able to keep your heart in your mouth since it will feature a Drop Guard Case that helps protect the drive from drops of up to seven feet in height – that is more than two meters when you think about it. Forget about lugging around a power adapter, as the eGo Mac Edition will not need any external power supply to keep it going. After all, each purchase comes with a trio of cables – USB 2.0, FireWire 800 and a FireWire 800-FireWire 400 adaptor.

As for the new Iomega Helium portable hard drive, it will also come in 500GB and 1TB capacities, sporting a solitary USB 2.0 port and a durable aluminum case. It also needs no power supply and will be equipped with one USB 2.0 cable.

Shared features include 256-bit AES encryption, the Iomega Protection Suite, Iomega QuikProtect for simple scheduled file-level backup, and MozyHome Online Backup for convenient online backup of up to 2GB free. Regardless of which model you pick up, it will come with a three-year warranty.

Coolest Gadgets UK – For all your UK centric tech and gadget news.
[ Iomega eGo Mac Edition portable hard drive copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]