Hi-Tech holiday headphone roundup

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Not all headphones are created equal so if you’re looking for some really hi-tech headphones to pop under the tree this year, then here are a few ideas that you just might find sound pretty good – pardon the pun.

Mo-Fi Powered Hi-Fi Headphones

To start off, for the devout gamer, musician or the discerning audiophile, the Blue Mo-Fi Powered Hi-Fi Headphones with built-in amplifier marries todays hi-tech with tried and true old-school technology.

At first glance they look like they would be right at home as part of a Transformer, but the robotic like look is purposeful; the formed ear cups, the multi-hinged design and adjustable headband allows the headphones to be adjusted for any head or comfort level while staying completely parallel so you block outside sound and hear the music as you are supposed to.

In fact, there’s no digital signal processing on this puppy. It has a built-in 240mW amplifier and it’s totally analog, baby! It also has three bass modes to choose from, so you can decide between passive, active or enhanced bass.  Read about all Holiday Hi-Tech Headphones at Canoe Tech Blog.

Phiaton BT-110 funky square bluetooth earbuds

bt110-manEvery time I come across a new set of earbuds or headphones I always hear from the vendors that theirs are a little bit different. Taking the opportunity to test drive the new Phiaton BT-110 wireless compact  sport Bluetooth earbuds, I have to admit that these do fit that description.

First of all, looking at them, they seem to be something you’d find as an implant on an episode of Star Trek. Rather than the typical round bodies you find on most earbuds, these are actually rectangular so they sort of cover part of your ear.

To make sure you have a good fit, you get three sets of Vulcan-style silicon ear wings, featuring their aptly named RightFit+ technology and four sizes of traditional silicon tips. Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog.

 

USB cables don’t have to be boring

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Many people find cables dull, boring and a necessary evil when a wireless solution is not an option. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few USB Lightning charging cables that are not only practical, some also have a neat funky twist to them. Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog.

Review: Sound Blaster JAM Budget Bluetooth Headphones

1 SoundBlaster JamFinding a pair of budget headphones that has both a recognized brand name and wireless is not always the easiest thing. So when I discovered the Creative Sound Blaster JAM is Bluetooth enabled, supports NFC  (near field communications) and retails for under $50 U.S., it certainly piqued my curiosity.

Sound Blaster Jam looks like a typical set of charcoal grey pre-millennium on-ear headphones fitted with a pair of traditional foam cushions except without wires.  They have an operating range of up to 15 m, a little less than typical Bluetooth, but then again, the further you stray from your music source, the more breakup you’ll probably get.  READ Full Review at G4TV Canada.

 

4 Back to School gadgets of the mini kind

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There is certainly no shortage of gadgets suitable for Back-to-School season, but here are four in the mini category that just might surprise you. How about your own personal mini 3D-printer, a nanoglass liquid screen protector for your mobile device, a bike taillight that’s also a video camera or a cool mini portable personal safe?

Tiertime UP Mini 3-D printer

If you are studying Arts or Engineering, a 3-D printer just might be the tool you need for your next school project. The good news is that they’ve become much more affordable. If you own one you won’t have to stand in line at the lab.

One that comes to mind is the Tiertime UP Mini 3-D printer. It’s as easy to use as a traditional inkjet printer and with its UP software, you can be up and running fairly quickly.  It can “print” objects from ABS or PLA (Polylactic Acid) plastic in sizes up to 120mm cubed with detail as fine as 200 microns. Its housing design will protect any pets or little ones running around the home from any potentially hot parts. It also shuts off automatically when the printing is done. Good news is it won’t take up a lot of valuable desk space if you are in a small dorm as it measures only 12.6″ x 9.4″ x 18.3″ and weighs a mere 6 kg.  It retails for $849.99 and is available at London Drugs   Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog.

Bracketron PowerFlex hybrid battery and stand

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Review: Battery packs and stands come in all different shapes and sizes but it’s not often that you find the two together. Such is the case with the Bracketron PowerFlex Stand tablet/smart phone stand with integrated battery and charger. It has a unique look and combines the ideal travel accessory with a rechargeable high-capacity power pack that you can easily take on the road, on the plane or have as a permanent fixture on your desk.

The rectangular base of the stand gives it the weight to stay in place and it’s also where the battery is housed. On the top surface is the power button and four bright green status LED lights. On the front is a microUSB 5v power-in port that’s used to recharge the battery. On the right face are two standard USB ports that you can use to recharge your smartphone or tablet. In fact, the ports are labelled Smartphone and Tablet that output 5V/1A and 5V/2.1A respectively. Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog.

iRig UA: First near-zero latency Android guitar effects processor

 

iRig UA _02Apple iOS has been the mobile OS of choice for many artists and musicians for many reasons with one factor being the inconsistency of Android devices/OSs with respect to audio latency – the time delay as audio passes through the system. So when IK Multimedia decided to create an Android version of iRig, their digital guitar interface and effects processor, instead of trying compensate for the myriad of Android flavours, they used a novel approach. The result: iRig UA, the first of its kind guitar and effects processor for Android devices with near-zero latency.  READ FULL REVIEW at CANOE TECH BLOG

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lynk: your digital vault on the go

hand-lynk-on-clip-good-IMG_0059-vrDigital attacks are becoming an ongoing daily occurrence – thinking about major breaches at Sony, Target and J.P.Morgan. But after several friends and family members were victimized by identity theft, businessman and inventor Vincent Ramoutar realized that not only are our computers vulnerable, but also our mobile devices that we not only use to make calls and send text messages but now also use for on-line shopping and everyday banking.

Read more…at Canoe Tech Blog

iPhone 6 cases for devout minimalists

SlimVault

Every new iPhone brings a subsequent onslaught of new accessories, especially cases, covers and protective housings and in so many different shapes and sizes. In fact there are so many, it’s tough to even count them. So today, we’re going to look at a few cases and protective housings for your iPhone 6 designed with the minimalist in mind – someone who likes to keep their prized possession protected but prefers to avoid adding too much bulkiness.

Read more… at Canoe Tech Blog

Square now accepts offline credit card payments

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I’m sure many of you by now are familiar with Square. It’s a service that allows businesses or even individuals to accept payment by credit card using a little dongle attached to the headphone jack of their smartphone or tablet. This type of service relies on the ability to securely transmit card information either through an Internet connection or data connection like 3G, 4G or LTE. But what happens when there’s no connection available? Read more…at CanoeTech Blog.