Entries from Manifest Tech Blog tagged with 'Accessories'
Blue Microphones Yeti USB Multi-Pattern Mic
(with Brian Dixon) USB provides a handy interface to easily add speakers to your laptop, as with products like the Logitech Clip-on USB Laptop Speakers (see earlier post), and Altec Lansing Orbit USB Portable Speakers (see earlier post). But you...
Sound ID 510 Bluetooth Headset with iPhone App
Bluetooth headsets are getting smarter, and while it may not be obvious why you might want more intelligent devices hanging in your ear, hear me out... Bluetooth headsets certainly have become more sophisticated with audio processing to work amazingly well...
Altec Lansing inMotion Compact Speakers
iPod owners have lots of choices for accessories, especially to share their music with portable speakers. You can plug in to the headphone jack to connect an external speaker like the Altec Lansing Orbit-MP3 Portable Speakers (see earlier post). Even...
Aliph Jawbone ICON -- Simply Better
The Aliph Jawbone line of Bluetooth headsets has been a stand-out since its 2007 U.S. introduction, combining leading noise reduction with aggressive styling. And the new Jawbone ICON is another significant step forward, not only boosting the noise reduction technology...
Plantronics Explorer 395 Simple Bluetooth Headset
Plantronics has a strong line of Bluetooth headsets, each designed with a clear focus on a particular the type of user. For example, the Plantronics Voyager PRO is an over-ear design designed for comfortable long-term wear, for on the road...
Cyber Clean Your Keyboards, and Other Icky Surfaces
Digital bits seem so pure and clean, but our electronic devices can get seriously icky from our sticky fingers -- Have you really looked at your PC keyboard or mobile phone keypad lately? Enter Cyber Clean -- a sticky lime-green...
Quirky Cordies Cable Organizers
The Quirky Cordies cable organizer is a simple and clever idea -- a spiral made from weighted but flexible rubber that can sit on your desktop to keep all those loose cables organized, including power cords, USB cables, cell...
AcousticSheep SleepPhones - Personal Sleep Headphones
Do you sleep best with some background sound from music or radio or TV, but don't want to disturb your bedmate? You can try wearing headphones -- until the first time you roll over on your side. And it's not...
Plantronics .Audio 476 DSP - Foldable USB Stereo Headset
Audio headphones used to mean fat padded ear muffs and thick coiled cables. Today's styles can be much more minimalist, complimented by impressive audio processing. Case in point: the Plantronics .Audio 476 DSP foldable USB stereo headset. This is an...
Kensington Pocket Booster and 4-Port USB Charger
I'm continuing to appreciate the Kensington line of portable batteries and chargers for iPods and other portable devices (see earlier post). For example, the Kensington Rechargeable Pocket Booster is a clever option for having an auxiliary power boost on the...
Kensington Wall and Car USB Chargers
Kensington has quietly developed an interesting line of portable batteries and chargers for iPods and other portable devices, including models for travel, car, and international travel. Many of these models supply power through a standard USB connector, so they can...
Android 2.2 - A Tasty Treat
Time for a tasty frozen treat -- Google announced the details of the upcoming release of Android 2.2 at last week's Google I/O developers conference. This is the seventh platform release since Android 1.0 was launched in September 2008....
Logitech Clip-on USB Laptop Speakers
Today's laptops and netbooks are loaded for everything -- to use for work and play, from editing office documents to enjoying music and video. And these notebooks work well for personal viewing, to pass the time on an airplane as...
Logitech Portable Lapdesk
The Logitech Comfort Lapdesk is a great design for long-term notebook use at home, even stretched out when sitting on a bed (see earlier post). But what about when you're on the go, and still need a stable platform and...
ColcaSac Fleece Sleeves for MacBook / iPhone / iPad
Doesn't your MacBook (and iPhone and iPod) deserve to sleep in comfort? Maybe nestled in a fleece-lined sleeve made of natural, sustainable materials including burlap and hemp -- like the ColcaSac naturally protective sleeves for MacBooks and portable devices. The...
Demoing Smartphone Apps with a Webcam
I've been having a lot of fun this year giving talks and demos about smartphone apps, especially on the Apple iPhone and Google Android. The trick for demoing smartphones, of course, is to find a good way to let the...
Griffin PowerDuo Reserve USB Charger Collection
I've been working the theme of USB-based chargers that help simplify the task of keeping all your devices charged, especially portable chargers for use on the go (see previous posts). You may still need specific USB adapter cables, but at...
Griffin Air Curve Passive Acoustic Amplifier for the iPhone
I've been having fun demoing the Tunebug Vibe "SurfaceSound" speaker -- which boosts the sound from your iPod or other portable player by reverberating the sound though flat surfaces (see previous post). But any such external speaker needs charged up...
iGo powerXtender - Portable Battery-Powered Charger
I covered the iGo Charge Anywhere last month (see previous post) -- a convenient and lightweight portable charger with two USB connectors. Plug it in to an outlet to charge up the internal battery, and then bring it along to...
iGo Charge Anywhere - Portable USB Charger
More portable devices are using USB chargers and cables, which simplifies the hassle of tracking and packing power adapters when you're on the go. You can get far, for example, with a USB-to-iPod cable for your Apple devices, plus a...
Quirky - Crowd-Sourced Product Development
The Internet has allowed isolated individuals to expand from their local perspective and sell products all over the world. If you have stuff to sell, then you can use eBay as your online marketplace, with some 88 million active users....
Phubby - The Wrist Cubby
According to the Federal Reserve, small businesses have created 64 percent of America's new jobs in the past 15 years and employ about half of the nation's private-sector work force. But it's the ingenuity and persistence of these individuals that's...
Tunebug Vibe - SurfaceSound Portable Speakers
Do you want to be able to share the music from your iPod or phone, but don't want to have to lug around external speakers (see previous post)? Then check out the Tunebug Vibe "SurfaceSound" speakers for around $69. Instead...
Miccus BluBridge Mini-jack - Bluetooth Music Transmitter
Bluetooth wireless gives you the freedom to enjoy your music on the move with wireless headphones, and share with others with a wireless speaker (see previous post). But not all media players support Bluetooth, including the Apple iPods (though the...
Miccus BluBridge Mobile Stereo Speaker
Bluetooth wireless has been a big hit for mobile phones, with Bluetooth headsets for talking on the go while your phone remains safely and comfortably in your pocket or bag. But Bluetooth audio is not just for voices -- mobile...
Newton MoGo Talk - Thin Bluetooth Headsets
To wrap up this mini-series on different approaches in Bluetooth headsets, here's the Newton MoGo Talk, a headset the folds amazingly flat for storage, along the same lines as the Mogo Mouse designs (see previous post). The trick with this...
BlueAnt Q1 Voice Controlled Bluetooth Headset
Another company that has been developing interesting Bluetooth headsets and speakerphones is BlueAnt Wireless, which is based in Australia (a blue ant is a somewhat unique and unusual flower wasp that is native to Australia -- see Wikipedia). The BlueAnt...
novero TheFirstOne Bluetooth Headset
In comparison to the low-profile design of the Sound ID 400 (see previous post), the novero TheFirstOne Bluetooth headset is designed as a "premium earpiece," with a "stylish sleek shape and white facade, brushed with subtle silver accents." And...
Sound ID 400 Bluetooth Headset with Remote Microphone
If you don't have a Bluetooth wireless headset for your cell phone, or have not checked out the new products lately, they are definitely worth a look. The noise reduction technology has improved, so you can have intelligible conversations even...
Projector in Your Pocket - 3M MPro120
Portable media players are great for personal use, but aren't so helpful for sharing the fun -- with small screens and at best tiny speakers. And even laptops are not great for viewing by more than a few people. What...
OrigAudio Folding Recycled Paper Speakers
Small portable speakers make music much more fun, whether to listen better to your laptop, or to share the sound from your iPod or phone without requiring earphones. But even small speakers take up space on the go, especially if...
Wireless Recharging: Powermat and Duracell MyGrid
The downside of all our portable gadgets is all the different power adapters and cables that we need to keep them charged. The problem does get easier when your devices use standard USB ports (see previous post). Yet if everything...
Verilux HappyLight for SAD Gray Days
It's gray and overcast and drizzly here in New Jersey, and it's going to be like that a lot over the next four months or so, at least when it's not snowing. All these gray days can wear you down...
Dexim iPhone / iPod Accessories for Power and Video
Apple's iPod and iPhone lines are great products, but we always want to do more with them, which has lead to a proliferation of third-product accessories, from docks to cases to chargers to external audio/video connectors. Dexim has introduced some...
SteadePod - Quick and Easy Steadying for Cameras and Camcorders
Today's cameras are getting smarter, to try to make a good shot no matter how informal we are at shooting with them. But as cameras get smaller and lighter, the biggest issue is simply holding them steady enough to get...
Duracell Power Reserve Chargers For Portable USB Power
The Duracell Power Reserve line of portable chargers are rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries packaged in several sizes to provide additional power on the road for portable devices, from cell phones to media players to even some digital cameras. These...
Miccus ChargeBlock for iPod / iPhone
Miccus makes wireless audio products for consumers, including the BlueBridge line of Bluetooth connectivity devices. But this post is about the simple and sleek Miccus ChargeBlock compact charger for Apple's iPods and iPhones that don't believe in removable batteries....
Energizer Energi To Go - Rechargeable Power Packs for Cell Phones to Laptops
Why is it so hard to build portable electronic devices that use a standard power / data plug? After all the "U" in USB stands for Universal, and lots of products do fine with it -- Bluetooth headsets with micro...
Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard -- Curvy and Sleek
Another example of Microsoft's hardware design ingenuity (see previous post) is the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 -- It's thin, light ... and curvy. The keyboard is only a few millimeters thicker than a AAA battery at the back,...
Microsoft Arc Mouse - Fold Up to Pack Up
Microsoft is a huge company, operating in an astoundingly broad range of business segments, including the Windows operating systems for PCs, servers and development tools, business Office suites, online information and services (Live to MSN), and entertainment and devices (Xbox...
Business Card Mice -- The MoGo Presenter Mouse
Choosing a mobile mice for travel requires trading off size and comfort -- squeezing the bulk and weight versus fitting well in your hand for prolonged use (see previous post). But what if the bulk of the mouse could disappear...
Jack It Up: Verbatim Easy Riser Adjustable-Height Mobile Mice
It's interesting that we ended up interacting with computers by dragging a block around on a table. It just has turned out that sliding a mouse around is more comfortable than lifting up your arm to touch the screen, and...
Lensbaby "Selective Focus" Lenses
Another updated product at PhotoPlus is the Lensbaby line of special-effect lenses, now with swappable optics. The Lensbaby idea is a wonderful hack, in the positive sense of the word. It lets you achieve "selective focus" by mounting the lens...
Joby Gorillapod Flexible Tripods and New Gorillatorch
The Joby Gorillapod line of flexible tripods was refreshed earlier this year, tweaking the original set of four models The Gorillapod Original is for holding compact digital cameras (up to 11 oz., $21), the Gorillapod SLR is for lightweight...
Noise-Reduction Bluetooth Headsets: Wrap-up
The bottom line from our mini-series on Bluetooth headsets is that noise-reduction technology is the real deal, pulling your outgoing voice from the surrounding ambient noise without significant distortion. The technology has improved, typically with dual microphones, dampening of wind...
Bluetooth Headsets 4: Jabra BT530
Compared to some other sexy designs, the Jabra BT530 is a wonderfully straightforward headset, especially good for occasional use. It has dedicated single-use buttons, instead of requiring memorized multi-tap sequences. There's actually a separate power slide switch on the...
Noise-Reduction Bluetooth Headsets 3: Plantronics Discovery 975
The Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth headset is another interesting design approach from Plantronics, albeit not quite as different as the Voyager PRO (see previous post). The idea is to pack the electronics in a square-ish base unit, with the...
Noise-Reduction Bluetooth Headsets 2: Plantronics Voyager PRO
Compared to the Aliph Jawbone (see previous post) and other in-ear Bluetooth headsets, the Plantronics Voyager PRO is a very different beast. It's an over-ear design, with the electronics in a pod that rests behind the ear, and a...
Noise-Reduction Bluetooth Headsets: Aliph Jawbone Prime
While some technologies may be over-hyped, the introduction of noise-reduction technology in Bluetooth headsets is the real deal. These headsets can work amazingly well with mobile phones, especially in noisy environments like on city streets or even when standing near...
Altec Lansing Orbit USB-Powered Portable Speaker
Are you a laptop person, or a smartphone kind of person? Can you keep connected well enough on the small screen, or do you tend to lug a laptop around with you for the full experience? The laptop gives you...
Protecting Your iPod nano - Griffin iClear Cases
Apple's iPod designs are beautiful objects, particularly the iPod nano -- so clean and slim and graceful, and in happy vivid colors. It's almost a shame to actually use your nano, and risk getting it roughed up or scratched from...
No-Dongle Wireless - Verbatim Go Bluetooth Wireless Mouse
Mice are better without their tails -- Going wireless lets you get untether from your computer and get rid of those clumsy and tangled wires. Systems like the new Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX even support keyboards and multiple mice to...
Logitech Performance / Anywhere Mouse MX -- Work on Glass
Who needs a mouse pad? Cordless mice are wonderfully handy for using your laptop around the house and on the road. And wherever you set up, laser mice can work great on a variety of unusual surfaces, from the fabric...
Altec Lansing BackBeat Pro Reference Earphones
(with Brian Dixon) Altec Lansing has a long history in advanced audio and, as a division of Plantronics, has expanded its consumer electronics line to include home audio and home theatre, computer speakers, docking audio for portable devices, and a...
Ultimate Ears 700 Noise Isolating Pro Earphones
(with Brian Dixon) Ultimate Ears designs custom in-ear monitor earphones for professional musicians with wildly different styles -- and claims to be used by 75% of the world's professional touring artists for live performance (see the gallery of Ear Art...
Loud Enough Volume Limiting Earphones for Kids from Ultimate Ears
(with Brian Dixon) Crank it up! We like our music loud -- and when we use earphones out in public we need to turn it up even louder to drown out all the outside sound. But continuous exposure to loud...
Altec Lansing Orbit-MP3 Portable Speakers - Share Your Music -
You can carry your entire music collection on your iPod, or even on your mobile phone, and that's great when you want to put on earphones and enjoy by yourself. But what about letting other listen so you can share...
Belkin Micra Cases for iPod nano
You love your iPod nano -- the style, the size, and especially the vibrant colors. You'd like to protect it from dirt and scratches, but don't like the idea of bulking it up with a traditional case and covering the...
PPC Locking HDMI Cable
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a format that really seems to work -- Increasing display quality by moving audio/video interconnects for digital TVs from analog to digital, and collapsing 5 or more cables (red, green, blue, audio, left, audio right)...
LaCie USB (and FireWire) Speakers
My final example of LaCie's fun designs for accessories (see previous posts) are the LaCie Bus Powered USB Speakers, recently reduced to $29.99. These are stylish speakers for PC or Mac that conveniently plug in to your computer's USB port...
LaCie Data/Share: Dual USB Card Reader / Storage Drive
The march of progress in portable storage is creating interesting new problems -- Our growing collections of fingernail-sized memory cards with multi-gigabyte capacity challenge us to find convenient ways to access and carry all that digital data. LaCie continues to...
LaCie Design: Hubs and Flat Cables
I've used LaCie external hard drives and storage devices for many years, based on functionality, performance, and a flair for design (see previous posts). That same emphasis on design comes though in LaCie's line of interesting and fun accessories. For...
PakSeat Backpack with Built-In Seat
The Deltess PakSeat Backpack is a clever design from a local company that solves the problem of finding a good place to rest when you're out traveling. -- It provides both a clean and dry place to sit, and support...
ezGear ezSpace UFO Surge Protector
Tired of cramming oversized power adaptor "bricks" into multi-outlet strips? The ezGear ezSpace UFO is an elegant solution -- with sloped sides to handle 6 power adapters, and with room to get your fingers in to plug and unplug devices...
Verbatim TuneBoard Speaker Keyboard
Verbatim is not just a storage company anymore. You may know its CD, DVD, and tape media, or flash memory and USB drives, or portable and external hard drives, or associated storage accessories. But Verbatim also offers a variety of...
New Fit Earbuds for the Aliph Jawbone
The Aliph New Jawbone Bluetooth headset continues to set the standard in noise reduction with its adaptive "Noise Shield" technology (see previous post). However, the trick to the Jawbone design is the Voice Activity Sensor -- a small nub...
Logitech Comfort Lapdesk
The dirty little secret of notebook computers is that they run hot -- A cute little "laptop" sitting on your legs will also singe your skin, and a hefty "desktop replacement" notebook will crush your legs in the bargain. Ouch!...
Wireless Power: Powermat and WildCharge
How many different power adapters do you have for your portable devices? How many do you need to pack for a trip? There's been some movement to using standard (mini) USB connectors for power, but too many of our devices...
Solar Chargers - Solio and HYmini
Solar power can be a nice solution for keeping small portable devices tanked up when on the go. But instead of trying to trickle charge your devices directly from a solar panel, a better solution is to combine the...
OtterBox Cases for iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry, etc.
More and more of our lives have converged into our electronic devices -- MP3 players and smartphones, iPod and iPhone, BlackBerry and Palm. Yet these now-indispensible devices are rather fragile, just glass and plastic that is one drop away from...
Monster Outlets to Go 3 USB Power Strip
Why is it that even today's business hotels -- with road warrior amenities like a combo alarm clock / iPod dock, and executive desk with zillion-button speaker phone and Ethernet cable -- still don't provide enough power outlets? After a...
Energizer Power & Play Chargers for Game Controllers
Having fun with your new gaming systems? Those wireless controllers are fun, but can eat up batteries, especially for enthusiastic gamers. So you may want to use rechargeable batteries, with a charging station to store your controllers like the Energizer...
Nextar Christmas Ornament Digital Photo Frame
Digital photo frames were a big hit for last year's holiday season. For this season, the Consumer Electronics Association again lists them in the top 10 CE accessories that consumers expect to purchase as gifts. You can get big photo...
3M MPro110 Micro Pocket Video Projector
Usually I try to explain why a new product is interesting, and set it in the context of the market, but the heck with that -- this is just too amazing -- The new 3M MPro110 Micro Professional Projector is...
Logitech diNovo Keyboard for Notebooks
Logitech has introduced both PC and Mac versions of its Logitech diNovo Keyboards for Notebooks. These are thin and stylish wireless keyboards designed for easier typing and more efficient one-touch functions while you're using your notebook at your home...
Joby Gorillapod Flexible Tripods
The Joby Gorillapod line of flexible tripods is both fun and practical for getting your camera on a firm foundation for a great shot. Bend the legs as crazily as you need in order to get a solid set-up,...
Aliph New Jawbone Bluetooth Headset
The Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset, introduced way back in December 2006, set a new standard in noise reduction with its adaptive "Noise Shield" technology (see previous post). For example, I tested the Jawbone while standing between cars on a train...
JVC Gumy Air Earbuds
JVC has updated its line of popular and inexpensive Gumy earbuds. The original Gumy (HA-F130) is available in fun colors for only $9.95 -- a tasty snack impulse buy to pick up at the checkout counter. The new JVC Gumy...
Plantronics Discovery 925 - Designer Bluetooth Headset
Plantronics may not have a particularly sexy company name, but it has been producing innovative headsets for mobile phones, cordless phones, and computer audio. And its acquisition of Altec Lansing in 2005 added strength in portable and powered audio systems....
MyLife-MyArt Photo Paintings
Digital photography means instant access to all your photos -- on your PC and the Web, and carried along on your mobile phone or PDA and/or media player. But sometimes it's nice to have special photos in a tangible, physical...
Monster Cable-It Cable Management Kit
I've been doing some cleaning up, but even in this wireless age I've got a mess of wires running around my office. Yes, I could wrap or tie them, but then I'll need to pull one wire out and have...
Cricket Laptop Stand
The Cricket Laptop Stand from Innovative Office Products is a clever portable and adjustable way to get your laptop (or tablet PC) up off the desk for a more comfortable viewing height. It collapses and folds up to 8...
Adesso Flexible Keyboard
Adesso specializes in input devices, including keyboards, mice, touchpads, and tablets. You don't typically think of a keyboard as a travel peripheral, but Adesso has an interesting option that allows you bring a full-size keyboard along on a trip, so...
Belkin USB Hub and Mini Surge Protector
USB is not just about data connections any more -- it's also becoming the standard way to power up your portable devices as well. When you plug in to your computer to sync with a MP3 player or PDA,...
Belkin Washable Mouse and Mouse Trap
I enjoy covering digital media -- software and home electronics and portable devices -- but it's also fun to take time out for more prosaic accessories and peripherals. So let's start with the humble computer mouse, now available in sexy...
Digital Foci Keychain Pocket Album
Even in the age of Web video, we still love sharing photos. And digital photo viewers make great gifts, with customized photo shows. But aren't such dedicated devices obsolete in this age of convergence, when you can carry your favorite...
Parrot 7" Photo Viewer
Digital photo viewers were tremendously popular gifts last Christmas season, as consumers were met with a flood of products from a huge variety of companies, some new to this kind of product. Unfortunately, some of these products were rushed to...
Quik Pod DSLR Handheld Convertible Monopod
The Fromm Works Quik Pod is a clever little extension rod for getting your camera up, under, or over to shoot away from your body -- or to turn the camera around to shoot you and a friend on location....
ZAGG invisibleSHIELD Protective Film
Is your portable media player getting banged and bruised as you carry it around? Is the beautiful "brushed metallic" surface looking bruised, or accumulating ugly finger smudges? Or, worse, did a key in your pocket scar the screen? You can...
Altec Lansing SoundBlade Bluetooth Speakers
Wired speakers like the Altec Lansing Orbit-MP3 (see previous post) work great for plugging in to MP3 players and music phones to share the fun. But these devices are going wireless with Bluetooth, so why bother with plugging in? I've...
Altec Lansing Orbit-MP3 Portable Speakers
With today's portable media players, you can store and organize all your favorite music and videos in a handheld device. And while headphones and earphones are great for enjoying your music collection on the go, sometimes also you want to...
Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro Headphones
(with Brian Dixon) Earphones are convenient and easy to carry, but you still give up a lot of performance compared to higher-quality headphones. Or maybe not ... Ultimate Ears develops custom molded professional ear monitors for professional / touring musicians...
Gibson Robot Guitar
I don't play the guitar, but I have to say that one of the coolest things at the recent CES conference was the Gibson Robot Guitar, which was demoed in a big tent out in front of the Convention Center....
SoundTech LightSnake Audio Cables
The SoundTech LightSnake audio cables are cool, and sensible. If you need to capture analog audio -- for example from a microphone, or a guitar or other instrument -- these are a "soundcard in a cable." Just plug one...
JVC Bi-Metal and Air-Cushion Headphones
(with Brian Dixon) Headphones are a great luxury when you travel -- They deliver better sound, provide over-ear coverage for sound isolation from your fellow passengers, and even can add active noise cancellation technology to reduce the hiss of air...
JVC HA-NC250 Noise Canceling Headphones
(with Brian Dixon) The JVC HA-NC250 Noise Canceling Headphones are JVC's new top-of-the-line model ($199 list, $139 street price) -- both with better performance and better comfort than the earlier HA-NC80 model. The soft earpieces provide good sound isolation, the...
Merax Mini USB Strap
Another fun photo accessory is the Merax Mini USB Strap -- it's a wrist strap with integrated Mini-USB cable, for around $10. The strap is the thin plastic USB cable, which loops to a length of around 5 1/2...
Merax One Shot Photo Studio
Shooting photos of small objects is tricky, for example for posting on auction websites -- Unless you have a photo studio available, you're always challenged to get good lighting, fighting shadows and glare, and struggling to position and stabilize the...
Logitech MX Air Cordless Laser Mouse
Computers are for work, and for play -- "lean-forward" to engage in focused work, and "lean-back" to relax and enjoy entertainment. But we do both of these activities on the same machine, so we need interfaces that supports both kinds...
AirDrives: Outer-Ear Stereo Earphones
And now for something different in earphones -- the AirDrives "Outer-Ear" Stereo Earphones. These don't insert into your ear like earbuds, or cover your ear like headphones -- instead they hook over your ear, with the speaker hanging outside...
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