Mogul DJ Ear Pollution Headphones
iFrogz
$40 to $70 online
Guest review by Devon Gilbert
The first things you notice about the new Mogul Earpollution DJ Style headphones from iFrogz are the sleek, stylish design and color scheme. These headphones are clearly meant not only to deliver great sound quality, but also to turn heads of people around you. They are portable and fold in half for easy storage.
If you are annoyed with how some headphones have twenty foot cables, you will appreciate the Mogul’s 5-footer. The large, flat, padded style of the headphones fully covers your ear and slightly conforms to the shape of your ear to deliver better sound quality and comfort. One downside to the design is that on higher volume levels, anyone within 20 or 30 feet can hear your music. Although this doesn’t matter if you are out at a loud club as a DJ, many consumers want to keep their music to themselves.
iB969 Charging Station
Company: iHome
Price: $49.99 USD
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve found that I have my electronics scattered about in my house. My iPad was being charged overnight in the den, my iPhone was being charged in my bedroom and my iPod was relegated to another room. Another part of the problem was that the outlets in the each of the rooms already had other items plugged into them, like computers, lights, etc. The iB969 Charging Station has changed all of that for me.
Five-Star Apps
by Glenn Fleishman
Peachpit Press
204 pages
$19.99 US $23.99 CAN
You are now the proud owner of an iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad. First order of business is to fill it with apps: reading, music, games, video. How do you know which apps are a hit, and which apps are better left alone?
Combing through the iTunes App Store can be quite an intimidating experience. Luckily for us, author Glenn Fleishman did the leg work of sorting and testing thousands of apps, choosing what he feels are the almost 200 “must-have” apps published in his latest book, Five-Star Apps.
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I love technology. I may not be an early adopter, but eventually I get all the latest and greatest: Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Flip Mino…well, you get the idea. Does this make me a material girl?
Yes. And no.
I have a lot of email accounts. Probably more than I should. One is personal, one for MyMac, one for work, one for junk, etc. I use Apple Mail for my personal email and Postbox (based on Thunderbird) for the other accounts that are gmail based, and Entourage for work. However, I find myself using Postbox and Entourage less and less for checking email and defaulting to my iPod Touch or iPad.
I don’t mind Apple Mail, but if there is email in the account when I check the others I just use the Touch or iPad too. Why? Because checking email on those device is SOOOOO much faster! I don’t have to wait for the program to open and download the mail. I wake up the device, look at the Mail icon, and I know if there is mail waiting for me. I open the Mail app and I instantly get access to the email in those accounts. In fact, I just used my iPod to read email and I am sitting at my iMac right now. It is just so much faster and easier.
Even writing emails on the iPod or iPad is easier and faster. I don’t mind the touch keyboard (I rarely type a long email), and I can probably type several emails in the time it takes to open Postbox and have a blank email template pop up.
Unless I need to do something the iOS device can’t and I need a desktop client, I check my email there.
I just wish there would be other mail clients for my iPod and iPad. I have tried a couple, but don’t like them. I am not a fan of the single inbox, and would like to have a separate place for my personal email to avoid sending mail from the wrong address. That would be my only complaint.
What about you. Has the iPod or iPad changed the way you do email? Leave a comment below.
Adobe Photoshop CS5 Learn by Video
Presented by Kelly McCathran, Scott Citron, and Ted LoCascio
Produced by video2brain
Peachpit Press
ISBN: 9780321719805
$59.99 US, $71.99 CN
Like many Photoshop users I upgrade to the current version when the need for the newest features becomes too tempting to ignore. The latest version of Adobe Photoshop is CS5. A bevy of extraordinary new improvements such as Content-Aware Fill, Camera Raw 6, Brushes, Puppet Warp, Refine Edge Dialog, amongst others, make this application a creative and more efficient way to process workflow.
iSkin Cases – The Touch Duo and The Vibe
Company: iSkin
Price: $34.99 USD Touch Duo, $29.99 USD Vibe
Website Links – Vibe – Touch Duo
If you are like me and can’t afford the latest iPod Touch, or there is nothing wrong with your 2nd/3rd generation iPod Touch, you can help make that iPod last longer with a great case from iSkin. Today we’ll be looking at the iSkin Vibe and the Touch Duo cases.
These cases offer remarkable everyday protection for your iPod Touch, a level of protection you usually don’t find in other products.
The iSkin Vibe:
By guest reviewer Devon Gilbert and John “Nemo” Nemerovski
Devon and Nemo spent hours listening, evaluating, and comparing these three innovative, affordable headphones with microphones, or headsets, if you prefer the term. We will first describe them one at a time before we rate or rank them.
Crossfade LP
Company: v-moda
Price: $200
Web site
Coby Vitruvian Speaker System
Company: Coby
Price: $59.99 US
Product Page
Most people listen to music on their iPods with earbuds or headphones. But sometimes it’s nice to dock the iPod into a set of speakers. Could the Coby Vitruvian Speaker System be your next purchase?
The Coby Vitruvian is made for iPod and iPhone, as well as other MP3 players. It’s compatible with iPods that go back as far as the 3rd generation, so it’s a safe bet that your iPod will work with the Vitruvian. I tested my iPhone 3GS, first generation iPod Touch, and 60GB iPod Video (now known as iPod Classic).
Soulra Solar Powered iPod Speaker
Company: Eton
Price: $180 to $200 online
Superpipe Battery Powered iPod Speaker
Company: Skullcandy
Price: $70 to $100 online
Eton’s Soulra is the most innovative portable iPod speaker/dock and audio player we have evaluated at MyMac. Charge its Li-Ion battery with the included AC power unit and play Soulra anywhere and everywhere for four hours. Flip open the built-in solar panel charger and continue trickle charging while enjoying your music. When inclement weather dampens your picnic, or when you are at the beach, fold closed the hinged solar panel and listen to the weatherproof sealed unit.
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Since the introduction of Apple’s new iPod lineup on September 1st, there has been a lot of commentary on the internet about the new iPod nano. While most people seem to view it as a worthy update that creates a very nice, focused music player, some people are upset with Apple for removing features that were in the previous generation of nano. I think they are wrong to perceive the changes negatively. Apple’s decision to go against conventional wisdom and remove features from the new nano makes sense, in my opinion.
v-JAYS over-ear lightweight clear-bass folding headphones
Company: JAYS (of Sweden)
Price: $98 US (not available until approximately November, 2010)http://www.jays.se/products/headphones/v-jays.html
Martin Taylor enjoys listening to music. But he doesn’t like headphones, any of them, because “they always color the sound in a way that is unnatural.” I asked him to help test the new v-JAYS from Sweden. He was impressed. (He is a MyMac reviewer, The Other Martin Taylor, not the famous jazz guitarist although our Martin does play a Taylor guitar. He also owns a Martin.)
“Bass is very strong and clear, Nemo,” he said. “Much more than I’ve heard before. These must be expensive headphones.” Not especially, I told him. They are priced under $100.
What about design, construction, and fit? “Really lightweight and comfortable,” said Martin. “I could sit and listen with them all day, both for pleasure and at work. The folding earpieces aren’t essential, but they’ll help with packing and travel. Is there a case provided?” No, I told him.
AmpTune — Dual Dock Stereo Speakers + Charger for iPhone/iPod/iPod touch
Company: Macally
Price: $70 MSRP ($51.22 U.S. from Amazon.com—good value!)
http://www.macally.com/
Audiophiles: stop reading now. This product is not for you.
Normal music listeners: pay attention. You may overlook this unusual speaker system, which would be a mistake.
AmpTune, just released from Macally, is a small, compact, versatile, affordable, portable or powered way to hear music and view iPhone/iTouch videos with style and innovation. A handy remote control unit allows users to switch tracks and adjust volume, plus a couple of other tricks, from across the room. Audio quality is concentrated on the midrange spectrum, but by setting your player’s equalizer to Bass Booster the audio response is fine for typical listening situations.
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Audio Hijack Pro
Company: Rogue Amoeba
Price: $32.00
rogueamoeba.com
AUDIO IS STILL KING Continue reading »
Without question, we have all observed the rapid movement towards video within and without the internet. Sadly, most video content producers are running up against bandwidth limitations which the ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are working feverishly to improve. While bandwidth does present a problem for video content, there exits no such limitation for those who wish to produce and consume audio content. With the advent of the iPod, iTunes, and RSS (Really Simple Syndication), the foundation upon which podcasting was built, the production, distribution, and acquisition of all types of audio content has grown exponentially.
IDR350m Increased Dynamic Range Earphones with mic and tapLine™ control
Company: Scosche
Price: $54.99
http://www.scosche.com/
There are a lot of choices when it comes to earphones for your iPhone, iPod, or iPod Touch, so a company needs to do something just a little bit differently to get noticed, and the $49.95 IDR350m earphones from Scosche are worth a look.
I do not ask much from a set of earphones. They need to have good sound quality, play music fairly well, eliminate some outside noise, and be comfortable. Some might say they even need to look good. But that is about it. But these went a little further
So lets have a look at each of these requirements one at a time:
Mophie Radura iPod Cases
Company: Mophie
Price: $20.00
http://www.mophie.com/
I prefer iPod cases that are clear. I love the look of iPods in general and think it is a shame to cover them up with a case that hides the unit. Mophie’s Radura cases fit my iPod case criteria.
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Download the MP3 here, or better yet SUBSCRIBE in iTunes
A large cast this tackles the question: is the iPod generation killing Hi-Fi? Does high fidelity have a place in todays world of small MP3 players and online music stores? Also, All Over the Mac chats with Anne Bowden, and Sam Levin hits us with a new Cool Mac Picks. If all that was not enough, we have a new contest! Listen for your chance to win a $120 Essential Jacket from SCOTTEVEST.
Our MyMac.com rankings blend objective quality with subjective personal experience. Your audio signal mileage may vary a lot from mine. If you can try before you buy, or return/exchange if not completely thrilled, you’ll eventually be satisfied by one of these units.
Three FM iPod car adapters:
iTrip Auto SmartScan FM Transmitter and Car Charger for iPod
Company: Griffin Technology
Price: $80
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/itripautoss
Download the show here, listen above, or rock it with iTunes
With Mac OS 10.5 right around the corner, Tim, Nemo, Russ, Tommy, and Guy chat it up. Also, the new iPods are discussed. David Cohen also returns with a new Fenestration.
As always, we would love to have some feedback. Send us an email here, or simply call 1-801-938-5559 and leave a message.
Links from the show:
Microsoft Office 2008 Site
Mac Mojo Blog
Whoomp! Earbud Enhancers
Company: Comply / Hearing Components
Price: $20 US
http://www.hearingcomponents.com
If the Apple earbuds that are included with your iPod or iPhone sound tinny, or if they let in too much ambient noise, or fall out of your ears while you are actively using them, Comply™ / Hearing Components has a solution. Whoomp!™ Earbud Enhancers are angled foam tips attached to a form-fitting earbud cover, with improved bass response, sound isolation, and in-ear stability. At $20 for two sets, how good can they be, and how bad?
Whoomp! ships in two sizes, with two pairs per package. You can order them in a package with four standard, four slim, or two each standard/slim. A very nice black fabric/leatherette zippered case is included, along with ear placement and fitting instructions.
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