Hasta La Gadget!

Here you are Sony’s latest Android Tablet, the Xperia Tablet S! Announced during the IFA 2012 The Xperia Tablet S is a nice 9.4″ Tablet sporting a 1280×800 IPS screen and runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3, The Xperia Tablet S comes in 16, 32 or 53GB and runs on a nice Quad Core NVIDIA Tegra 3 CPU. Other specs includes the usual GPS, Gyro, Compass, SD Card Slot and a nice 8Mpix rear facing camera and a 1Mpix front facing one! The Xperia Tablet S will be available in WiFi …

Today Nokia announced that it has teamed up with JBL to introduce a new line of speakers meant to be paired with the Lumia. The full name of this new line is called “JBL PlayUp Portable Wireless Speaker for Nokia,” and they appear to be real attention-getters. In a post on Conversations with Nokia, the company’s Ian Delaney went through what we can expect from these PlayUp speakers, starting right off with the eye catching color and the similarities users are bound to see between these and the Play 360° speakers Nokia began offering last year.

The PlayUp speakers certainly are reminiscent of the Play 360° speaker, but we’re thinking that the color has more to do with that than anything else. As you can see in the image above, the speakers come in four colors – cyan, black, white and bright yellow. On the outside, we’ve got “specially created double-shot plastic” which makes for a more durable speaker, and though we don’t get many specifics about the speaker’s innards, Nokia says that this bad boy is capable of a maximum output of 89dB. In other words, this tiny thing (its dimensions are 118 x 118 x 128mm and it weighs 760g) can get pretty loud.

You’ve got a pretty big range when it comes to frequency response, which comes in at 85Hz – 22kHz (-6dB). Users can connect their phones through Bluetooth or, in the case of next-generation Lumias running Windows Phone 8, through NFC. Of course, Nokia isn’t about to leave anyone out in the cold, so if you’ve got a phone that doesn’t have Bluetooth or NFC, you can connect your device to the speaker through a 3.5mm jack. To top things off, we’re told that the battery lasts for 10 hours before needing a recharge.

There isn’t a solid release date for the PlayUp speakers yet, but Nokia says that they’ll begin shipping “before the end of the year.” While we don’t know the release date, we do know the price – picking up one of these will set you back €149, which is around $187. The PlayUp speaker is only the first product of Nokia’s partnership with JBL, and we’re told that more is on the way in the future. Stay tuned.

Nokia and JBL announce new portable NFC speakers for Lumia is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Logitech acquired Ultimate Ears awhile back to take advantage of its experience with professional audio, and now it’s leveraged some of that institutional knowledge to create a UE line of headphones aimed at consumers. First up, there’s the $100 UE 4000 on-ear model that comes in three colors: black, blue and magenta, plus a detachable cord with an in-line mic and audio controls compatible with iOS devices. The UE 6000 model takes things up a notch with an over-ear design that folds up for easy storage on the go, has an in-line remote, plus it adds active noise cancellation technology for $200. Then there’s the UE 9000 Bluetooth wireless cans that also have ANC and a full suite of on-ear controls for iPhone or iPad, which can be had for $400. Lastly, there’s the $400 UE 900 in-ear headphones sporting a quad-armature design and two sets braided cables — one with in-line controls, and one without. All of the UE models start shipping in the US today, and will be available in Europe next month. We got to try on and try out all of Logitech’s new gear for a brief listening session awhile back, so join us after the break for our impressions.

Continue reading Logitech unveils lineup of UE headphones for in, on and around your ears (hands-on)

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video

Logitech unveils lineup of UE headphones for in, on and around your ears (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now more than ever, people want their music on the go. Logitech is looking to tap into that market by announcing a new line of Logitech UE products aimed directly at those who take their music seriously. This new line includes everything from earphones to portable speakers to headphones, so hit the jump to find out more about them.

Let’s jump right in with the Logitech UE Boombox and the Logitech UE Mobile Boombox. Both allow you to connect smartphones and tablets through Bluetooth – the Boombox can support up to 8 devices connected through Bluetooth, and it can handle three connected at once. The Mobile Boombox can only handle two devices connected at once, but its advantage comes in its rechargeable battery. While both come with a rechargeable battery, the Mobile Boombox can go for 10 hours, whereas the Boombox is only quoted for six hours of use. You’ll be getting better sound quality with the Boombox, as it Logitech says it comes with “eight custom-tuned drivers,” but the trade-off is that the Mobile Boombox’s smaller form makes it easier to use on the go. There’s also price to consider, with the Boombox coming in at $249.99 and the Mobile Boombox priced at $99.99.

If the boomboxes aren’t quite your cup of tea, the company is also offering the Logitech UE Smart Radio. Using “one simple, unified interface,” users can access their favorite Internet radio stations, music services or their personal music collections on PC or Mac, and it even comes with a color display that shows the track name, album art and station information. Users can also save their favorite stations to access them quickly in the future, and connect an iPhone, iPad or Android device to use it for navigation. The Logitech UE Smart Radio comes with a six-hour rechargeable battery and will set you back $179.99.

Next up, we have a rather expensive set of earphones – the Logitech UE 900 Noise-Isolating Earphones, to be specific. The earphones’ “four-armature speakers and a three-way crossover in a
universal fit” allow for excellent sound quality, and the earphones come with two detachable cables, one of which includes a mic and controls. To make sure the sound you’re hearing is as clean as possible, the earphones also feature five silicon and three Comply Foam tips. You better be ready to shell out a lot of cash for these, though, as Logitech UE has given these a price of $399.99.

In addition to these new earphones, Logitech UE will also be launching three new sets of headphones. The Logitech UE 9000 Headphones are the most impressive of the bunch, but they’re also the most expensive. The headphones feature Bluetooth connectivity, meaning that you can listen wirelessly, but there’s also a cord included in case you run out of juice during an extended listening period. Touch controls allow you to answer calls, switch between songs and change the volume, and Logitech’s “high-resolution drivers” are present to ensure that sound quality is top notch. Featuring around-the-ear cushions made of memory foam and articulating joints, the Logitech 9000 Headphones come in at $399.99.

If you want a good set of headphones but don’t want to shell $400 for them, Logitech has you covered there too. The Logitech UE 6000 Headphones feature a fold-up design, plush around-the-ear memory foam cushions, UE sound signature and active noise canceling technology. The UE 6000 sports a price tag of $199.99, which is a little more manageable than the $400 the 9000 demands. Even cheaper still are the Logitech UE 4000 Headphones, complete with Logitech’s high-sensitivity drivers, plush memory foam cushions in an on-the-ear design, and – like the 900 earphones – an on-cord mic and controls. They also fold up when you’re not using them, and come with a travel pouch to store them in. Expect to pay $99.99 for these bad boys.

Logitech says that all of these products should be available beginning in September, which as you may have already noticed is right around the corner. Since all of these products are compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, you’ll be able to find them at Apple Stores across the country. Are you planning on buying any of these new products?

Logitech UE announces new line of products for music enthusiasts is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s been quite a while since we last heard from JayBird, but now it’s back with another set of Bluetooth in-ear headphones for fitness activities. Unveiled and available today, the new Freedom Sprint ($130, pictured right) joins the ranks of the company’s Freedom JF3 headset ($99) — it’s essentially the same Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR headset, albeit with 40-percent less of a footprint for the earpieces (33 x 16 x 8 mm vs. 44 x 19 x 9 mm). The petite size naturally means a smaller internal battery (rated for 4.5 hours, compared to the original’s six), but JayBird let us know that the Sprint is acoustically identical to the JF3. While size is the main focus, there are also a few other improvements being toted in the Sprint — it sports a micro-USB port for charging (changed from mini-USB), a softer cable between the buds, an inconspicuous notification LED, enhanced call quality and the multifunction button has been repositioned to the top of one of the earpieces (the JF3’s is on the outside). Sounds like the Sprint could be the $130 ticket if Bluetooth, small size and a secure fit are your main concerns for a pair of in-ears. You’ll find more images in the gallery below and further details at the source link.

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Wearables

JayBird intros Freedom Sprint: the JF3 Bluetooth stereo fitness headset gets 40% smaller originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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