Jul 03
Curious how Ouya measures up
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Jul 02
Razer gives us this pint-sized powerhouse — a near-ultrabook gaming PC in a case that measures just 20mm thick.
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Jul 01
No one’s going to argue that e-cigarettes aren’t a marked improvement over their analog predecessors, but there’s got to be a better way to get your fix than by inhaling aerosolized, nicotine-infused polypropylene glycol. The Ploom 2 is that better way.
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Jun 30
Deciding which console to buy in amongst all the buzz about next-gen gaming isn’t exactly an easy task, and everyone’s got an opinion. Today, let’s try to sift through the noise, and take an in-depth look at the three contenders.
Jun 29
Going Viral Prior To Hitting Newsstands, Bert & Ernie Outed In ‘The New Yorker’
Posted in: Today's Chili
On the heels of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision rulings that married same-sex couples were entitled to federal benefits and clearing the way for same-sex marriage in California, Sesame Street’s romantic relationship between Bert and Ernie was graphically outed on The New Yorker’s magazine
cover. One week prior to the official date this issue will hit
newsstands, the sexual orientation of the puppets which has long been
the fodder for late-night TV hosts exploded on social media channels.
Jun 28
… It was love at first sight between Nukkles and the Martians, but I was not sure it was love at first listen. So,
I put them to the test…
Jun 27
Boombot Rex Makes Good On Kickstarter Promises With Durable, Siri-Friendly Bluetooth Speaker
Posted in: Today's Chili
Sometimes I refer to Kickstarter as the “land of broken dreams,” especially when I’m looking through my backer history and noting how few projects actually delivered, and how disappointing were most of the ones that did. The Boombot Rex does not fall into either of those categories, thanks to an experienced team that sent me a review unit of the shipping product a couple of weeks ago.
- 6 hours battery, 1 hour charging time
- 85mm x 80mm x 54mm
- 3.5mm aux input
- Bluetooth
- MSRP: $119.99
- Product info page
The Boombot Rex has a design that isn’t quite like any other Bluetooth speaker out there, with a pretty much hexagonal shape that can be easily palmed, only a little bit larger than a hockey puck. It’s extremely portable, and that’s sort of the point: The Rex has a clip built into the back, and it’s meant to be the speaker you reach for when you set out on an adventure, thanks to weather resistance and a general hardiness that comes in handy while hiking, camping, biking, fighting pirates or whatever else.
The surface of the Rex is coated in a matte, rubberized ABS plastic housing, which is both durable and pleasant to touch, and there are a number of colorways to choose from. We got the “Savage Green” edition, given TC’s penchant for green things, and while the vibrant colors make it look a little like a child’s toy, the feel of the speaker suggests tremendous durability, as it’s completely solid and there’s no errant rattling or anything else going on. The clip is perfect for securing it to some board shorts, and there are flaps to keep mud, dirt and water out of the speaker’s three ports.
The Rex has a built-in speakerphone, and the noise cancelling tech used make it good for that purpose. It can also call up Siri with a long-press of the center button (between volume up and down) on the top of the speaker, and in my testing the iOS virtual assistant was as effective as when used from the phone itself. It’s perfect for a device meant to help you enjoy music and also stay connected while you’re doing activities where earbuds or headphones would hamper you.
It works really well. I can’t believe the sound that comes out of this diminutive speaker. It’s not on par with something like the Big Jambox, but it’s very capable with its dual drivers, especially considering its other advantages, even when biking through a forest on a fairly fast wooded path. And its durability works, too. I used it in light rain, and fell off my bike a few times with it on, and the Rex didn’t skip a beat, which is more than I can say for my shins.
Battery life is about what Boombot advertises for the Rex. It isn’t anywhere near the longest in the category, but it does the job, especially for active outings. As a set-and-forget option for camping trips, I’d have appreciated a lot more reach, maybe say double the time the Rex puts out.
Speakerphone functions work great on this unit as mentioned, though, and the Siri integration is actually really handy for quickly checking stuff like the weather forecast or for making calls without ever having to take your phone out of your pocket, which can really come in handy if you’re caught in the rain or, I dunno, sliding down the side of a mountain.
An active lifestyle is an oft-used marketing strategy, for electronics in particular. But the Rex actually is a good device for people who regularly expose themselves to the elements, it isn’t just posturing as one. And even if your desire to live a little more extreme is more aspirational than anything else, the Rex is a solid option in a portable Bluetooth speaker in any circumstances, that at least offers you the option of getting out of the office once in a while.
Jun 27
The best ultra-portable computer just got better — with a new processor and some much-improved battery performance.
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Jun 26
Google’s algorithms have hopscotched their way across the Internet for
years, always trying to keep one step ahead of those so-called Black Hat
SEO mavericks. Those are the digital CSI technicians whose forensics
are used to investigate the crime scene of websites whose Page Ranks
(PR) have taken a a brutal beating. This occurs usually after a Google
algo shift, the likes of a Panda or Penguin update.
Jun 26
Cambridge Audio’s Minx Air 200 Earns The Crown For Best Home AirPlay Speaker
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you’re a high-end audio fan, you’ve probably heard of Cambridge Audio, the London-based firm that makes some of the best equipment in the business. The brand is currently undergoing some changes that involve targeting the growing number of users who are looking for wireless in-home and portable speaker solutions. Hence the new Minx line of devices, which borrows its name from Cambridge’s affordable home-theater speaker range, but adds goodies like AirPlay and Bluetooth.
The Minx Air 200 is part of this new effort. It’s a large home speaker that packs in AirPlay, Bluetooth, two 2.25-inch drivers and one 6.5-inch subwoofer, as well as direct access to up to five preset Internet radio stations without requiring a connection to an iPhone, smartphone or computer. The Minx Air 200 is a beast of a networked speaker system, and at $599 it compares price-wise to other higher-end options like the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air or the Libratone Live Speaker.
- AirPlay
- Bluetooth
- 3.5mm and RCA wired input
- 802.11 b/g
- Ethernet
- 200W amplifier output
- MSRP: $599
- Product info page
The Minx Air 200 is somewhat sober in its design choices if I had to pick one word to describe it. It’s white plastic, with a light gray front grill and metallic rim bordering the front grill. Unlike some of the competition like the Zeppelin, the Minx isn’t trying to draw too much attention to itself. The arc of it adds a little bit of design flare, but mostly this is a speaker that strikes you as subdued, and that’s just fine. The Air 200 isn’t bad looking, it just is. Which sets the stage for it to live or die based on its performance.
You’ll be able to connect to the Minx Air no matter what type of device you’re trying to use as your music source, and the AirPlay connectivity is solid (the protocol seems to have come a long way in terms of stability, which is a bonus for Cambridge, who are relative latecomers to the market). And Ethernet support is a hugely welcome addition if you’re the type that can’t even fathom the idea of an occasional drop-out. It’s probably not going to be much use to most looking for a wireless speaker, but the fact that it’s there at all is excellent.
Preset Internet radio stations is another huge advantage for the Minx Air 200. With the Minx Air app, you can change settings on your device and cycle through 10 preset stations. Minx sets these up automatically, but you can change them within the app. Best of all, you can switch between five presets on the Air 200 itself with hardware buttons, giving you access to Internet radio without any kind of connected device required. That’s a huge advantage versus the competition when it comes to features.
True to its audiophile roots, Cambridge has also included advanced audio signal-boosting technologies, including built-in digital to analog converters (DACs) and AAC decoding, as well as tech designed to maximize the quality of Bluetooth stereo streaming to CD-quality standards.
All those claims of better sound bring us to the money question: Is the sound actually better? Yes, yes it is. Put simply, this is the best-sounding AirPlay speaker I’ve reviewed, and the best-sounding Bluetooth one, too. AT $599, it isn’t cheap, but in this case you definitely get what you pay for. Bass performance is impressive, as is max volume, though even Cambridge admits this won’t go as loud as some of the competitors in the interest of preventing any kind of distortion even at the top end, something competitors aren’t necessarily as concerned about.
Cambridge may be trying to move into more mass-market products, but the Minx Air 200 still demonstrates the company’s audiophile roots. Audio clarity is great, even from streamed online sources like Rdio being streamed once again over the local network. The connection doesn’t seem to suffer from excess network traffic, either, and Bluetooth connections are likewise solid (with the usual limits on proximity), and sound quality also shines there. If you’ve been making do with even something as good as an Audyssey Audio Dock Air, you’ve been missing out. And that’s what Cambridge wants to do with the Minx line: Show a generation that hasn’t been particularly focused on audio quality what a difference it can make when someone pays attention to that above all. Mission accomplished.
This is an excellent choice for an AirPlay/wireless home speaker. A battery would be nice, as there’s a handle for easy enough portability, but in its category, it’s still by far the best choice at the current price, and probably a better option than some of the more expensive ones out there. Cambridge Audio may have waited and let its competitors get a head start in this category, but the wait paid off: The Minx Air 200 is a polished, well-designed piece of audio hardware that confidently tops the competition.
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