Geek News: Latest Technology, Product Reviews, Gadgets and Tech Podcast News for Geeks


BTR006 Bluetooth Audio Receiver Review

Posted by Andrew at 1:28 PM on August 6, 2012

BTR006 Bluetooth ReceiverA2DP Bluetooth rarely comes as standard in cars except on prestige marques, but most new vehicles at least come with a 3.5 mm audio socket on the audio system for plugging-in mp3 players. If you want a quick and cheap way to upgrade the car’s audio to Bluetooth, take a look at he BTR006 Bluetooth Stereo Receiver.

The BTR006 is a small plastic rectangle just a few millimetres deep (45 x 33 x 8 mm). It has only one button for on/off, an activity LED, a DC power socket and a 3.5 mm audio jack on the end of short lead. It’s a doddle to use: charge up, connect the jack into the 3.5 mm audio socket, pair with smartphone and starting playing music from your smartphone through the audio system. Simples!

Audio quality is perfectly acceptable given that it’s Bluetooth anyway and the receiver successfully paired with every device I tried it with. The receiver supports both Bluetooth 2.1 with both A2DP and AVRCP.

There’s an internal battery that’s good for 12 hours according to the spec, which is probably about right based on my experience. I get a whole week of podcast listening which means somewhere over ten hours based on weekly commute and other travel. Contrary to some reviews, it is possible to charge and use the device at the same time. The confusion arises as connecting the charger does turn off the BTR006, but turning it back on again lets the receiver charge and play at the same time.

One of the best features is that it automatically powers off when the Bluetooth connection is lost for a few minutes so the battery doesn’t run down when the car is parked and not in use. Obviously the receiver has to be turned back on, but that takes seconds to do.

BTR006 Installed in Car with Velcro

Unless there’s a convenient nook or cranny in your vehicle, the BTR006 will hang down from the audio socket, especially as the lead isn’t very long. Of course, the easy solution is to use Velcro, with a small strip on the back of the BTR006 with a matching strip on the dashboard. The BTR006 can be easily detached for charging at home or in the office via the supplied USB charging cable. Here’s what it looks like installed in my car….yes, I probably should have cleaned the dash before taking the picture.

Note that the BTR006 does not have a microphone so it’s not possible to use it for hands-free calls but regardless this is an excellent buy to play music through your car’s audio system via Bluetooth.

Available from Amazon for around £15 or $28 – just search for BTR006. Disclaimer – I bought this device personally.

LineIn by Rogue Amoeba

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 7:00 PM on July 17, 2012

LineIn I have a Roku player which I connect to my monitor and until recently I had it connected to a stereo receiver with surround sound speakers. Unfortunately my receiver blew a fuse during a recent thunderstorm and right now I cannot afford to purchase another one. I was able to reconnect my Mac Mini to an old set of Altec Lansing PC speakers setup with two front, two rear and a bass speaker. However, I didn’t know how I was going to connect the Roku to it. I was going to connect it through the Aux input, however it would require an adapter to connect RCA cables with a 2.5 mm male 4 conductor cable. This is the one cable or adapter that I don’t have. Then I remembered that the Mac Mini had an audio in connection. I wondered if I connect the Roku’s audio into the Mac Mini input if that would work. When I connected it I could see the audio was coming in under the sound preference, but I couldn’t hear the sound.

 

I wanted a simple solution that was easy to use. I Googled the problem and found a free app from Rogue Amoeba called LineIn. It is a very simple app. You simply choose whether you connect to the default input or through USB and then do the same thing for output. Then hit Pass Thru and it just works. It sounds great and is super easy to use. According to the Rogue Amoeba site it replaces the “Play input through output device option that was available in OS 9”.

Griffin and Crayola Create Kid-Friendly MyPhones

Posted by JenThorpe at 1:26 PM on April 19, 2012

Here’s something for all the parents out there. Your children love music, but you don’t love the particular music that they have become enamored with. Are you tired of hearing that same song over and over again? You may have considered handing your child your own, personal, headphones or earbuds, but this can be problematic in many ways.

Griffin and Crayola have teamed up to make the perfect solution for these types of situations. It is called MyPhones. They are fully adjustable, volume limiting, earbuds and headphones that are kid-sized. They come with a built in, always-on, sound-control circuit that caps peak volume levels at 85 decibels. Kids wearing MyPhones will hear music that is slightly louder than typical conversation but is quite a bit lower than what a typical mp3 player puts out at max volume. It helps to protect your child from hearing loss.

The MyPhones headphones come in two color combinations. Choose from pink/purple or blue/green. They come with stickers and Crayola markers which kids can use to customize their headphones to express their own, unique, personality. The MyPhones headphones are available from Target and cost $29.99.

The MyPhones earbuds come in a cute carrying case that looks like a large Crayola crayon. It snaps open to reveal 3 sizes of soft silicone ear cushions. Pick the one that best fits into your child’s ear. The MyPhones earbuds come in three Crayola colors: “Purple Pizzazz”, “Caribbean Green”, “Blue Berry”, and “Cotton Candy” (which is pink). The MyPhones earbuds are also available from Target and cost $14.99.

This solves the problem of having to share your earbuds with your child. But, how will you protect your iPod Touch from potential damage that can occur while your child uses it to play music? Griffin and Crayola have you covered here, too!

How about a colorful Crayola Classics Case? Each one has the familiar design that you see on the paper that covers a Crayola crayon. These protective shells come in a variety of Crayola colors including: “Purple Pizzazz”, “Cotton Candy”, “Caribbean Green”, “Blue Berry”, and “Radical Red”.

Color Clickers is something different. It combines a protective polycarbonate shell with 28 interchangeable color stripes. Your child can pull these off and rearrange them as often as he or she wants to. Both the Color Clickers and the Crayola Classics cases are priced at $24.99 and are available through Griffin.

New Neumann Microphone Capsules

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 10:59 AM on April 18, 2012

Neumann Microphone CapsuleNeumann is introducing two new microphone capsules the KK 204 and KK 205 for the Sennheiser 2000 Series at NAB (National Association of Broadcast Show).  The KK 204 capsule has a cardioid pattern. Which means the sensitivity pattern is heart shape. It suppresses the sound originating from 180 degrees to the rear. The KK 205 has a supercardioid pattern which maximize the sound coming from the front and minimizes the sound coming from the rear.

The KK 204 and KK 205 both have foam-lined grill to ensure smooth sound. They also offer excellent resistance to feed back. They are both built to dampen any popping sound the speaker may accidental produce. They come in black and nickel finishes. They are robust and easy to service.  A nylon bag is provided which can carry the capsules, a handheld transmitter, battery packs and other accessories. These capsules are made for microphones that are used for vocal or speech.

Neumann work with sound goes back to the early 1900′s with its founder Georg Neuman.  Neumann has been around as a company since 1928 and is based in Germany. It has won a number of awards for product designs and innovation. It is represented in over 50 countries worldwide by Sennheiser.  You can find further details about these microphone capsules at the Neuman Website.

Sennheiser SKP 300 G3

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 5:23 PM on April 17, 2012

SKP 300 G3You have a wired microphone, which is perfect for a studio set up, but what happens when you want something wireless that is where Sennheiser comes in. Sennheiser has been making high quality products and solutions for recording and producing sounds for over 60 years. This year at the NAB(National Association of Broadcasters) show, they are introducing the SKP 300 G3 plug on transmitter the newest addition to their EW 300 G3 series.

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This transmitter allows any XLR–3 enabled microphone to become a wireless microphone. It has its own phantom power allowing it to work even with a condenser microphone. If combined with the Installed Sound Sector application and the EM 300 G3 rank mount receiver it can create a speaker podium without visible cables or wires. It is powered by two AA batteries or the BA 2015 Accupack. The transmitter is available in eight frequency range and synchronizes with its receiver by an infrared link. It can also be used along with the EK 100 G3 camera receiver by video journalist. You can find technical specs at the Sennheiser Web site. The SKP 300 G3 will run around $529.95 and is available starting in April.

New MXL Microphones at NAB

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 9:30 PM on April 15, 2012

MXL NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) is this coming week April 16 through April 20 in Las Vegas. If you are attending it, you will want to stop by booth #C6419 to take a look at the new microphones that MXL will be showing off. They have three new microphones they will be emphasizing, the BCD–1 Dynamic Microphone, the MXL BCC–1 Condenser Microphone and the FR–310 Microphone for video.

The BCD–1 Dynamic Microphone has the traditional look and sound of a classic broadcast microphone. It produces natural vocal tones. It has side reject, the microphone picks up the voice in front of the microphone and rejects noise coming in from the side. This is great in a noisy room. This microphone is great for recording voice over application. It will have an MSRP of $249.95 and have the following specs.

  • Polar pattern: Cardiod
  • Dynamic
  • Frequency Response: 40 Hz–15-kHZ
  • Sensitivity:–54 dB re 1 V/Pa
  • Impedance: 600 ohms
  • Size: 157.5mm x 50.8mm / 6.2 in. x 2.0 in
  • Weight: 1.25 lb. / 567g
  • Metal Finish: Black

The MXL BCC–1 microphone is a condenser microphone. It is a side address broadcast microphone, which makes it perfect for voice over work or interviews in a controlled studio environment. It has a high level of sensitivity so it picks up even the quietest sound. It has a base roll over switch to give more clarity to lower voices. It will sell for $349.95 MSRP and will have the following features.

  • Condenser broadcast mic
  • Small-diaphragm capsule for detailed, accurate recordings
  • Tuned grill that eliminates internal reflections
  • Bass roll-off switch
  • Built in shock mount

The final microphone they are going to be showing off will be the FR–310 video microphone. It mounts on either a camcorder or DSLr camera using a shoe mount It produces a tighter and clearer sound recording. It is a shot-gun microphone and shuts out sound from the side and back. It targets sound in front of the camera by picking up patterns. The gain can be adjusted to pick up sound close up or far away. It has a bass roll off switch to remove low-frequency noise. It also has an integrated wind screen. It will have an MSRP of $149.95 and have the following specs.

  • Three-position gain switch
  • Bass roll-off (high pass filter)
  • Standard hot shoe mount
  • Up to 500 hours per AAA battery
  • Integrated foam widescreen

MXL is a division of Marshall Electronics. MXL is a leading manufacturer of consumer and professional audio products, for both recorded and live productions. If you are unable to attend NAB you can find more information about their product at their website.

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Six Ways That Sound & Light Bend Your Brain

Posted by AndrewH at 9:56 AM on April 11, 2012

In a culture fascinated with the supernatural, it’s refreshing to see that tangible science can trump even the most fantastic effects Hollywood can conjure. Wandering around the Internet this morning, I followed a thread of videos through YouTube depicting some amazing effects sound and light can have on liquids and solids. Or, more accurately, how our eyes can be “tricked” into seeing things that might not really exist as they seem.

Check out these six mind-scrambling videos and see how sometimes the weirdest things about life happen right in our brain and not on the big screen.

Personal favorite (and the one that started this early morning foray into YouTube)? The Static Water video. Read the comments on the video for explanations on why this happens. Enjoy!

At The Gadget Show Live

Posted by Andrew at 4:00 PM on April 10, 2012

Gadget Show LiveThe Gadget Show Live bills itself as the UK’s largest consumer electronics event and they’re not kidding. While not on the same scale as CES, it still takes over halls 7 through 12 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. It’s also miles to walk from the train station just to get to the entrance…

The Gadget Show

The day started off well….I met Jason Bradbury, one of the show’s presenters in Starbucks and blagged some free mobile broadband from him (thanks!). We had quick chat about the state of mobile broadband and he thought that Three’s MiFi was the one to get.

Jason Bradbury

Inside the show, there was just gadgetry and gaming everywhere. Check out the Xbox zone with row upon row of Xboxes.

Lots of Xboxes

Certainly 3D TVs were popular but I’d say that audio, and wireless streaming in particular, was definitely the flavour of the month. All the big hitters – Bowers and Wilkins, Sonos, Denon, Phillips, Sony were showing off audio solutions in one shape or form. And the single most common product were the portable vibration speakers – I must have seen about ten different variants.

VW up!

Personally, the best “product” was a test drive in Volkswagen’s new city car, the up!. In this particular test drive, I had drive into a wall. No, really…only the car detects the wall and automatically applies the brakes. It’s a low speed system that works up to about 15 mph and is really intended to prevent those minor fender-benders in slow moving queues.

Quite a few car audio specialists at the show too, including Kenwood and this tricked out VW Scirocco. The matt silver paint was eye-catching.

Kenwood VW Scirocco

On a smaller scale, Jumbo were showing off the modern versions of classic children’s games that are now available for the iPad along with complementary game accessories. I’ll be reviewing the games later on.

Goose

That’s about it as a summary of the day – it was a lot of fun but tiring walking around. I have about 20 interviews from a range of companies that I need to get on-line as well, so expect those to trickle out over the next week or so.

 

 

AfterShokz Bone Conduction Headphones for Sports

Posted by Alan Buckingham at 11:15 AM on February 19, 2012

Many of you are probably familiar with bone conduction sound technology, which has been around for a few years, but has previously been associated with Bluetooth headsets for making hands-free calls on your smartphone.  Now, AfterShokz has finally succeeded in bringing the technology to music headphones.

The new headphones are designed mainly for sports.  They boast a healthier environment because they go over, instead of in, the ears and reast on your cheekbones.  This means you aren’t closed off from the world while you’re running, biking, or whatever.  That’s important because you certainly need to hear that horn beeping behind you.  The membranes are waterproof, meaning they can easily be cleaned, which is again important for athletes because of sweat.

There are three different models of the AfterShokz, one of which has an inline microphone making it suitable for phone calls as well.  The models begin at $59.95 for the Sport, and go up slightly for the Mobile and Gaming models.  There is also a Bluetooth model in the works.  You can learn more in the video below and by visiting AfterShokz.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine.

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SoundMatters foxL Pocket Speaker

Posted by Andrew at 11:06 AM on February 19, 2012

Soundmatters foxL speakerSoundMatters show off to Jeffrey and John their range of small speakers, suitable for travel and the home.

First is the world’s best pocket-size speaker (allegedly), the foxL. Weighing a little over a pound, the smart idea was to incorporate the battery into the speaker itself and use it as the bass driver. The foxL comes in three versions; wired, Bluetooth and Bluetooth with the Apt-X codec for CD quality sound. Priced at $149, $199 and $229 respectively.

New later in the year is a mini sub-woofer which delivers 25 watts to give a big sound from a small package. It uses two parallel metal plates to push out the lower frequencies. Expected in late spring or early summer it will retail at $149.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Andy Smith of Geocaching World.

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