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Altec Lansing inMotion Air Universal Wireless Speakers

Filed under: Gadgets

altec lansing inmotion air wireless speakers

Spring is here and with it backyard barbecues and weekends spent lounging on the patio. The audio experts at Altec Lansing would hate for you to miss out on hearing any of your favorite tunes while you're out and about, so the inMotion Air was created to be an ultra portable and easy-to-use mobile audio solution. It uses Bluetooth technology to stream music wirelessly from your iPhone, iPad, smartphone, or other stereo Bluetooth device and if you use the included USB transmitter the range is more than 300ft.

I was able to try one out personally and found it to be a sleek and lightweight compact speaker system. After charging it for a couple hours pairing it to my cell phone via Bluetooth took just a few seconds and music playback started as soon as I hit the play button. Pairing it with my laptop via the USB transmitter was also quick and simple -- just plugged the transmitter into a USB slot and adjusted the computer audio output settings to USB.

In terms of sound the speaker puts out crisp, full audio with deeper bass than I expected considering its small size. Battery life is excellent -- once fully charged it played for an entire evening without missing a beat. I was also surprised at how loud it could get when I cranked up the volume (or more accurately when I accidentally turned it with the volume all the way up!).

Other features include a handy and comfortable carrying handle on the back, options for wired access to non-Bluetooth/non-USB devices, and a remote control (accesses basic functions in most music players, iTunes included) that tucks neatly into a slot onto the back of the speaker so it won't get lost. It's also small and light, which means it's easy to tote around (it almost fits in my handbag) and can fit into tight spaces like a bathroom.

The Altec Lansing inMotion Air is an excellent option for portable audio when earbuds and headphones just won't do. Available online for $199.95.

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Tags: altec lansing, Altec Lansing inMotion Air speakers, audio, inmotion air, speakers, wireless

Aperion Zona Wireless Surround Speakers Review

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

I tend to be very skeptical of wireless speakers (wireless anything for that matter). Past experiences with them have been often less than good. I tend to rely on a good ol' wired connections, because the promise of wireless + quality is not always met. My fears aren't always justified however, and Aperion's newer Zona wireless speakers are proof that you can be very happy with a set of wireless speakers - even if you need loud, clear sound.

The system is very straight forward, and has only a few minor quirks - but they are worth discussing. I will first mention the issues I have noticed (which aren't huge), and then share with you what I believe are the good qualities that make this a really good system.

Under certain circumstances (such as connecting the speakers directly to many television sets), you'll need to use the included remote control to adjust the volume (as well as treble and bass). Hook the speakers up to a PC or a dedicated audio receiver, and I don't think this will be an issue. Why is this a problem? Because you not only need the included remote (yet another remote...) to adjust the volume, but if you lose it, you are not gonna be in a good place. This is further compounded by the fact that aside from the remote there is no native way to adjust the volume. Again, this is not an issue for all uses of the speakers, but in my situation it was an issue. Second (and it is related to the first issue), aside from the remote there are no ways of adjusting the volume or other level on on the speakers themselves or wireless transmitter. This causes a problem if you lose the little remote or it runs out of batteries. It uses a small CR 2025 battery that you likely don't have laying around the house.

Aside from those issues I have no real complaints about the Zona Wireless Surround Speakers. In a nutshell, Aperion really thought out the product well, the construction quality is good, and the performance is impressive.

Tags: aperion, audio, audiophile, review, speakers, surround, system, wireless, zona

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Starwood Hotels Dole Out Free Internet To Their Best Customers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Paying for the internet, especially at luxury hotels is one of our biggest pet peeves. One major hotel chain is making it easier for guests to get free in-room internet access. There's just one major hook, you have to be a loyal customer. Starting on March 1, Starwood will give platinum-level members of the Starwood Preferred Guest program free internet at any of Starwood's 940 hotels including Westin, Sheraton, W and St. Regis). To get the free internet you also can't book using Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz or other, similar sites.

USA Today's Hotel Check-In reports that when you get to your room and log in you may have to click yes and accept the charge but that it will be removed as long as you're a platinum-level member. Hilton already offers its gold and diamond members free, in-room Internet access as one of their hotel perks.Hyatt also offers free Internet to its diamond- and platinum-level members. It's a great step but we're still dreaming of the day when free luxury hotel internet is available without restrictions.

Tags: hotel wifi, hotel wireless, HotelWifi, HotelWireless, starwood hotels, StarwoodHotels, wireless

The Outrageously Expensive Freewheeler Wireless Outdoor Speaker

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

It's called the Freewheeler, and it's a wireless outdoor speaker that won't do anything unexpected or special except roll around a little and 'freewheel' you out of $20,000.

Features include: wireless up to 656 ft, recharging station, and the capacity to project the quality stereo sound you'd expect from two speakers out of just the one unit. And apparently it's pretty good sized (as big as small car tire???) and that could be a pro or a con, depending on your taste.

It's got a nice contemporary design, and the "roll it around the yard" feature certainly is convenient, but I'm still not sure why the price tag is so high at £10838.74. Anybody have any idea?

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Tags: freewheeler, gadget, gadgets, outdoor, outdoor speaker, OutdoorSpeaker, speaker, the freewheeler, TheFreewheeler, wireless

Samsung FP-T5894W: Wireless Plasma TV

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

At CES, Samsung had a display that featured their newest plasma TV. The Samsung FP-T5894W is a flat panel, wall-mounted TV that is completely wireless.

Up until this point, if you wanted to have the look of wireless, you would need to pay someone to install the TV and hide the wires in the wall behind the unit, which means that you ended up with an attractive look, but that you couldn't move the TV or even attach DVD players, etc. to it without attaching additional wires. The FP-T5894W has a wireless A/V center that can be placed up to 300 feet from the screen and will communicate at 150Mbps, the 802.11n wireless standard. The screen is 58-in. with 1080 px resolution and, according to Samsung, a 10,000:1 contrast ratio.

The retail release is scheduled for September 2007. List price is expected to be $5,799.

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Tags: FP-T5894W, plama, Plasma TV, Samsung, Samsung FP-T5894W, SamsungFp-t5894w, sansung, television, tv, Wireless, Wireless Plasma TV, WirelessPlasmaTv

Samsung Wireless HDTV

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Flat panel TVs look great, sleek and far less bulky than any ordinary TV, especially if you choose a large screen size. Unfortunately, unless you have a niche in the wall carved out for the screen - which is a good idea, but can be a hassle - there will be wires along your wall connecting the cable, DVD and any other relevant equipment. The Samsung SPD-50P7HDT Wireless is a 50" flat screen that solves these problems. It comes with a wireless AV center to which all of your extra equipment can attach. The center then transmits the signals to the screen, hanging wire-free (except for the power cord) on the wall. It's only available in Korea at the moment, and is priced around $5,000.