Hasta La Gadget!

Hear that? That’s the sound of a million new products being introduced here in Vegas… in glistening 7.1 Dolby surround sound, no less. Turtle Beach has just ushered out its new flagship device, the Ear Force PX5. Designed for use with Sony’s PlayStation 3 (but perfectly usable with the Xbox 360 or any other audio source), this here gaming headset is wireless in nature and is the company’s first to incorporate dual radios — one for surround sound, and another for chatting on the PlayStation Network via Bluetooth. This is also the first of its kind to incorporate customizable presets; there’s a DSP chip that lives inside, and the bundled software interface allows you to program voice prompts, custom EQ, compressors, Bass Boost, etc. Then, those settings are saved right on the headset, enabling your CPU to take a breather while the cans themselves handle the math. Moreover, the BT feature can be used to accept mobile phone calls or listen to audio streams, and if you needed any more reason to invest, it also supports voice morphing. You heard right — it can be programmed to disguise a gamer’s voice, which is partially awesome, and partially the worst thing ever to happen to online chat. Hop on past the break for the full feature list, and look for this one to land in the Spring for $249.95.

Continue reading Turtle Beach adds dual radios, customizable presets and voice morphing to 7.1 Ear Force PX5 gaming headset

Turtle Beach adds dual radios, customizable presets and voice morphing to 7.1 Ear Force PX5 gaming headset originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It just wouldn’t be CES without a gaggle of new products from iHome, now would it? Kicking things off in this year’s line of audio-related gadgetry from the company is the iDM12 (shown above), a rechargeable portable Bluetooth speaker that’s described as something like a mini-soundbar. It’ll stream tunes from any Bluetooth-equipped phone or PMP, but naturally, it’s being aimed at iPad, iPhone and iPod owners. Moving right along, there’s the iDM15 rechargeable portable BT speakers. Here, you’ll find two diminutive speakers that can stream in a similar fashion as the iDM12, but with the addition of speakerphone support. Lastly, the iDM70 ‘Sound Sleeve’ is both a protective shell and a speaker setup for your iPad; it relies on rechargeable NXT flat speakers to improve the audio experience, but mum’s the word on price. You’ll find these guys, as well as the iD9, iD28 and iD85, on sale “later this year.”

Continue reading iHome intros iDM12 micro-soundbar, iDM15 Bluetooth speakers and iDM70 ‘Sound Sleeve’

iHome intros iDM12 micro-soundbar, iDM15 Bluetooth speakers and iDM70 ‘Sound Sleeve’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Two portable speakers clamber into the ring, each boasting big, beautiful sound for their diminutive size. Both cost $200. Both have the same technology inside. The Jawbone Jambox and the Soundmatters foxL v2 with Bluetooth each want to be your wireless audio wunderkind, blasting music and taking Bluetooth calls. At best, you’re only going to buy one. Which speaker should you choose? Following our Jambox review, we got our hands on a foxL and put the two head to head, and after the break you’ll see which one came out on top — both literally and figuratively.

Continue reading Jawbone Jambox vs. Soundmatters foxL v2… fight!

Jawbone Jambox vs. Soundmatters foxL v2… fight! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We learned a lot this year; from the origins of liquimetal and toasted thighs to the technical reasoning of ISO and CDMA. Check out the best explanations Gizmodo had to offer in 2010. More »

Boxwave’s keyboard case for the iPhone 4 looks to be just about perfect for the person who loves their iPhone, but still pines for the hard keys of their BlackBerry. They’ll also need big pockets – not because the case is particularly expensive, but because it adds quite a bit of thickness to the already chunky iPhone. Boxwave doesn’t list the size, but from the photos, it appears to double the iPhone’s depth.

The keyboard itself is a landcape slider combined with a snap-on case which leaves the front of the phone clear. It’s a Bluetooth model (battery life, 45 days) and has a row of numbers up top as well as the standard QWERTY. You also get a home button and a search button, especially handy as it means you don’t have to reach up to the touch-screen to swap apps. What you don’t get is a proper spacebar, but there are both shift and caps-lock keys.

Despite the bulk, this fat accessory manages to be fairly elegant, and has cut-outs for the camera and all the edge-switches. Finally, the case charges via USB.

Like I said, it’s perfect for the keyboard-lover who has defected to an iPhone. But how many of those are there these days? I have a feeling that the people who simply cannot use an on-screen keyboard will just stick with a BlackBerry, or move to a keyboard-equipped Android phone. After all, who really wants to double the thickness of an iPhone 4? $80.

Keyboard Buddy iPhone 4 Case [Boxwave via iLounge]

See Also:

• IPhone Case Adds Vestigial QWERTY-Slider Keyboard
• Keyboard-Dock for iPhone Has Media Keys, Controls PC, Mac
• Fat QWERTY Keyboard Turns iPhone 4 into Giant Plastic Slab …
• Ultimate Keyboard Smackdown: iPhone Vs. Stylus Vs. Chiclets …