Ask Engadget: Best solution for Bluetooth stereo audio?

Look out! You’ve just stumbled upon this week’s episode of Ask Engadget, and we’ve got a real brain burner on our hands this evening. Before you dig in, though, feel free to blast your own question in to ask at engadget dawt com.

I recently got a new music-oriented phone (Nokia 5800 XpressMusic) with Bluetooth stereo audio (A2DP) and am trying to get some opinions on what might be the best solution out there for me. It seems to me like I have 3 options as far as general solution types: self contained Bluetooth headphones, such as the Motorola S9; Bluetooth receivers with headphone jacks, such as the SonyEricsson HBH-DS220; or transmitter / receiver pairs. My specific needs are that it supports remote control (AVRCP), has good sound, is under $100, and if the unit can bind to multiple devices that would be great. The ultimate item would somehow work with my phone as well as my PSP, but that’s probably a pipe dream. Thanks!

So, wireless audio partakers — what say you? Got any great tips? Got any horror stories? Either way, spill it below.

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Ask Engadget: Best solution for Bluetooth stereo audio? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best external hard drive enclosure?

No need to check your LCDs, folks — this is happening. This is this week’s rendition of Ask Engadget, and if you’d rather your own question be in this space next week, shoot us a good one at ask at engadget dawt com.

“Like any good geek, I have upgraded my MacBook’s hard disk many times, and have all the old 2.5-inch SATA disks sitting in a pile. I’d like to put them in a case, but the enclosures I see are either very expensive or look hideous and unreliable. I’d love to get some recommendations for dependable, fairly-priced portable enclosures; USB’s a must, but FireWire 400, then FireWire 800 then eSATA would be bonuses, as would any extra features.”

So, HDD upgraders — what kind of case (or cases) did you procure in order to keep using those displaced drives? Any great stories of success / failure? Let us know, would ya?

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Ask Engadget: Best external hard drive enclosure? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best wireless router with USB printing capabilities?

If your low-rate router fails on you, you might as well select a replacement with more utility than the one you’re burying, right? Axel sure thinks so:

“My bargain-basement CompUSA-branded wireless router is finally starting to fail on me, prompting me to buy a new one. I want to get my huge color laser printer (a Konica Magicolor 2400w) off my desk and tucked away next to the router, so I want it to have wireless USB print hub functionality. Gigiabit Ethernet and Draft-N are also necessary here, as I am eventually going to be adding media clients around the house to stream to every TV. Thanks a lot!”

So, there you have it — which wireless router will provide solid, relaiable USB printing while handling the heavy loads of high-def streaming? Think carefully, you wouldn’t want to ruin this guy’s life. Oh, and if you have a question of your own you’d like to see here, send it over to ask at engadget dawt com.

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Ask Engadget: Best wireless router with USB printing capabilities? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best external hard drive under $100?

Ask Engadget is back this week with yet another thoughtful reader-submitted question, and if you’d like your own inquiry to get some face time, just send one in to ask at engadget dawt com. Without further adieu, we’ll let Zach take it from here:

“So I need some extra storage because I’ve been going a little iTunes “crazy” lately and have been downloading gigabytes of albums, podcasts and movies. I’m looking for a reliable hard drive but at the same time, price is a key factor considering not a lot of money is available at the moment. I’m thinking 100GB or more should suffice. I don’t want to get roped into buying a crappy hard drive and have it die on me a week after using it. What’s the best one out there for around $100 or less? Thanks!”

We’ll go out on a limb here and assume he’s looking for USB 2.0 (sorry, FireWire 400), so let loose those opinions!

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Ask Engadget: Best external hard drive under $100? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best first-wave pico projector?

While many pico projectors are still in the oven, quite a few of the early ones have made their way out. We know, 720p versions just have to be around the bend, but since when did you start ditching the first-gen and just waiting around? Check Mark’s question:

“What is the best currently available pico projector? I’m looking for one that supports the greatest number of image / video formats, has the best brightness and contrast ratios, reasonable on-board storage, is good for still and moving images, and has the longest rechargeable battery life. Are there any projectors on the horizon that promise to be sufficiently better than the currently-available models to warrant me waiting for the next wave?”

Go on, early adopters — help this guy out. Do you dig your current pico PJ? Has it lived up to the hype? After sharing your input, feel free to toss us an inquiry of your own at ask at engadget dawt com.

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Ask Engadget: Best first-wave pico projector? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best rugged, waterproof point-and-shoot camera?

In the spirit of winter, we felt that Ben’s recent question about a camera fit for the slopes was just perfect. And if you’d like to toss out a warm and fuzzy question of your own, just send one to ask at engadget dawt com and keep tuning in.

“I’m going skiing over spring break, and I’ve been reading a lot on some of the newer waterproof, rugged cameras. There are just so many out there to choose from, I was wondering what you guys thought about some of the better ones.”

So, what camera should Mr. Ben procure in order to have worry-free shooting days at the slopes? He probably wouldn’t mind one that withstands minor bumps and bangs either, ’cause we all know what inevitably happens the first time down a new double black.

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Ask Engadget: Best rugged, waterproof point-and-shoot camera? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Feb 2009 04:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Which MID should I get?

Thanks for tuning in for this week’s edition of Ask Engadget — a place for you, the reader, to have your deepest, darkest gadget-related question shot out to the world. If you’d like to get in on the action, just send an inquiry to ask at engadget dawt com; for now, however, why not give Charlie’s question a once over?

“I’m looking for a MID. Preferably one that’s 5- to 7-inches in form, and ideally one that runs Linux. All I want to use it for is some web surfing, maybe a bit of audio / video, and a little RDP / SSD stuff for work and home. I’m not too picky, just need some solid suggestions.”

Well Charles (can we call you Charles?), we’re pretty certain our readers can help out here, and if you don’t mind us saying so, OQO’s Model 2+ was pretty striking at CES.

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Ask Engadget: Which MID should I get? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best flash / HDD-based camcorder under $400?

With CES over and done with, there’s really just one thing left to do: wait for all those wares that were announced to actually ship. To that end, we reckon this question is particularly timely being that a whole slew of camcorders were introduced in Vegas. Feel free to suggest an oldie-but-goodie, though.

“I am currently in the market for a new digital video camera. I currently have one of those ancient cameras that use tapes, and I haven’t decided between an HDD or flash-based one just yet. I’m looking for something small and compact with USB connectivity, and I’d like to stay under $400 if possible. Any help would be really appreciated.”

Thanks for the question, Patrik. We presume those little pocket camcorders are out of the question due to their awful low-light performance, yeah? Yeah. Oh, and if any other reader has a question they’d like hosted up, send it in to ask at engadget dawt com.

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Ask Engadget: Best flash / HDD-based camcorder under $400? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best totally awesome $500 to $1,000 laptop?

We’ve had ample discussion on laptops catering to this and that, but what about the hordes of individuals who just need a perfectly capable, perfectly average machine to get work done with? We’ll let Karl spell it out:

“I need a new laptop, mainly for browsing, programming, AutoCad, and a bit of low-stress gaming. I’ve been checking out options from HP and ASUS, but everything just starts to run together after awhile. I’m looking to spend between $500 and $1,000, and it just simply needs to work. Any opinions?”

Oh yes Karl, we’re sure there will be opinions. And after you’ve dropped your own, feel free to send over a question that’s been nagging you to ask at engadget dawt com.

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Ask Engadget: Best totally awesome $500 to $1,000 laptop? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: Best outdoor GPS device?

We’ve had discussions surrounding those petite navigators that stay safely within the confines of your vehicle, but it’s about time we broke it back out for the argonauts in attendance. We’ll let Tyler take it from here:

“I’m an avid hiker, and I’m looking to get a new outdoor-centric navigator that can withstand the elements and last a good while without a charge. I’m particularly interested in getting one with extra features like a trip logger and multimedia player, but obviously I’m trying to spend the least amount while not sacrificing usability. Any other outdoorsy individuals have any advice?”

Once you’re back in from the tent, why not give this some thought and chime in? After that, feel free to send in a question of your own at ask at engadget dawt com.

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Ask Engadget: Best outdoor GPS device? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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