Entries from Manifest Tech Blog tagged with 'Accessories'
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...
Digital Holiday Trends 2007: Portable Media and Accessories
It's holiday shopping season again, and time to explore the trends and new possibilities in portable electronics and associated accessories. This first installment focuses on portable media and accessories, looking at trends in these areas, and some sample products that...
Noise Reduction -- Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset
I've just blogged about a couple of Bluetooth headsets with noise reduction technology -- along with other interesting features: - Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth Headset - BlueAnt Z9 Bluetooth Headset Both do a nice job of noise reduction,...
Stereo Headsets -- Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth Headset
Wireless headsets for mobile phones are so mono -- designed for only voice calls. But mobile phones are becoming music players -- to sync, download, and stream music in full-up stereo -- which demands that your second ear come into...
Noise Reduction -- BlueAnt Z9 Voice Isolation Bluetooth Headset
Bluetooth headsets for mobile phones were originally about getting rid of wires, but now they have become our lifelines, as we go though our day's activities chatting away. But it's noisy out there in the world, especially when trying to...
Parrot PARTY - Stereo Portable Bluetooth Speakers
The Samsung BS300 Bluetooth Portable Speakers (see previous post) are wonderfully small and portable for trips (the same size as portable media players), and put out a respectible 2W of output -- good enough to be heard across a quiet...
Samsung BS300 Bluetooth Portable Stereo Speakers
MP3 players and even mobile phones are great for enjoying personal music through earphones, but sometimes it would be nice to share the music with others, or just enjoy our collection playing in our own room. You can use a...
Audio Accessories Trends
We're entranced by video -- sucked in to TV shows and movies and now short clips on YouTube -- but we're also seeing a flowing of music and audio -- with MP3 players and mobile phones and libraries of albums...
Eye-Fi - Wi-Fi SD Memory Card
In these days of wireless communications, why are we still physically connecting digital cameras to access our photos? Tired of finding and connecting the proper USB cable, or chasing down a compatible memory card reader? Your problems are solved, with...
Sony Bluetooth Wireless Transmitter / Receivers
Bluetooth is not just for wireless audio between your mobile phone and in-ear headset. It is being built in more and different kinds of devices, and you also can use standard peripherals to add wireless capability to existing components. There's...
Trek-Tech TrekPod Adjustable Hiking Staff / Tripod
I've found monopods tremendously useful for informal shoots -- They're much easier to collapse and carry than a full tripod, and I can just sit in the audience at an event and shoot quietly with my camcorder on a stick....
Joby Gorillapod Super-Flexible Camera Tripods
Want better, clearer photos without handheld shake -- but don't want to lug around a clumsy tripod? Even a mini-pod won't work well in the field, with rough ground and irregular environments. Instead, try the Joby Gorillapod, with flexible bendable...
Turbo Charge - Squared
Got the low power blues? Is your cell phone battery indicator blinking on its last bar? Need more juice, but out of time to stop by an outlet for a pick-me-up? What you need is portable power -- batteries, plus...
Plantronics .Audio 480 Virtual Phone Booth Headset
With its acquisition of Altec Lansing, Plantronics has developed some interesting new devices combining its expertise in lightweight communications headset products with enhanced sound and music capabilities. The Plantronics .Audio digital computer headset line ranges from lightweight stereo voice headsets...
LG Portable Navigator
GPS has gone portable, with handheld units like the LG LN735 Portable Navigator. It's not quite pocket size at 4.3 x 3.2 x 0.7 inches and 1/3 pounds, but it's easy to carry and easy to fit in the...
Sennheiser CX 400 Earphones
Sennheiser continues to introduce interesting new earphone designs, in its CX series of in-ear headphones, in Classic, Street, and Style lines, and in an array of fun colors. You can pick the style and features that you prefer: - The...
Power from Audio Jack: Inflight Power Recharger Cable
Have you ever been trapped on an endless journey -- the eternally-delayed airplane flight, or the bus ride to forever? Your only solace is to lose yourself in your favorite music from your portable player -- but then the batteries...
Portable Power - Instant ChargeNgo and Black and Decker Power to Go
If you're on the go, say at a wedding, it's good to know you have spare power for your electronic devices -- camcorder and camera, mobile phones, and maybe even a game machine for when the reception drags on too...
Solio Hybrid Solar Chargers
Better Energy Systems is expanding its line of Solio Hybrid / Solar Chargers. These combine a high efficiency solar panel with a large capacity integrated battery -- so you can leave the panel charging in your room, and then top...
Energizer Chargers: DUO / Dock & Go
Energizer has introduced some interesting new approaches for battery chargers. The Energizer DUO USB Charger is powered through its attached USB cable, or with the included USB wall charger. It's a bit large for travel use, and the prongs on...
Energizer Energi To Go Instant Cell Phone Charger
Does your cell phone or PDA run low on power after a busy weekend away? Need a quick boost of power on the go? Even if you're carrying a power adapter, you can't always to stop by an outlet to...
USB Power Adapters - Belkin and MDI SynCharger
Many portable media players, cell phones, and other devices like phone headsets use USB connections to synchronize with computers, and to recharge over the same cable. But sometimes you don't have a computer handy to recharge your device, or you...
Sony Travel / Wireless Speakers
Continuing with Sony audio accessories ... Portable music players are great for personal use, wired to a headset or wireless to a Bluetooth headphone. But sometimes you want to share the music, or just listen without having to wear earphones....
Sony Wireless Bluetooth Headsets
It's the best of both worlds for mobile music fans -- A multi-use stereo headset to listen to your music, that also has an integrated microphone for hands-free mobile phone use. These take advantage of two upgraded Bluetooth specs: A2DP...
Turtle Beach Ear Force AK-R8 Surround Headphones
(with Brian Dixon) Whether you're a dedicated gamer who loves the excitement of chasing through virtual worlds, or a movie fan who enjoys playing DVDs on your widescreen PC, it's the power of 5.1 surround sound audio that gives the...
Reaching for the Shot: Quik Pod from Fromm Works
If you've ever found yourself stretching too far for a great shot over a crowd, or getting dirty trying to shoot a hard-to-reach area, then the Quik Pod from Fromm Works can offer you relief, and for under $30....
Convenient Audio Books: Playaway Ready-to-go Audio
Audio books are a great idea for making productive use of your traveling or exercise time -- or just for escapist entertainment. But buying books on tape or CD gets expensive, borrowing from the library may restrict your choices (or...
JVC In-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones
Following up on my earlier post on the JVC Noise Canceling Headphones with folding over-ear design (model HA-NC80), JVC has released its first In-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones (model HA-NCX77, $79.95). These are rated to cancel up to 80% of the...
Aliph Jawbone Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headset
Bluetooth headsets for mobile phones let you talk without wires, but at the cost of a possibly noisy connection for the person listening to you -- After all, you're talking out the side of your mouth to a tiny microphone...
JVC Noise Canceling Headphones
Earbuds and headsets, earphones and headphones -- listening has moved beyond delivering sound to also cutting out unwanted noise. You can block some sound with in-ear buds or over-ear pads, and then go further to add in active noise cancellation...
Feed Subscription
If you use an RSS reader, you can subscribe to a feed of all future entries tagged 'Accessories'. [What is this?]
