Reviews

The Wi-Ex zBoost

The good folks at Wi-Ex have been asking us to review their zBoost devices for a while now. We kept declining because we felt we couldn't do it justice in a metropolitan environment. Like many cities, cell towers in the Philly area are quite plentiful. It's sort of like Johnny Towerseed spent time here. Fortuitously, we were contacted by a friend in the Tucson, Az. area who was suffering from 'cellus signalus diminimus', commonly known as poor signal strength. It seemed like a perfect fit. We welcome Terry Van Wie as a guest contributor with his review of the zBoost from Wi-Ex. Terry is the ideal tester for this product, for as you will see in the images below, he lives well outside the beaten path in a place where cell towers are as rare as waterfalls. - The Editor

Desert, Mountains & zBoost...A love story

By Terry VanWie

Life with a cell phone in the boondocks is an interesting endeavour. You're talking to your wife on the phone and the conversation is mostly "what did you say?", and "Huh?". This does not promote good communication, which we all know is a key to a good marriage. When you do get good reception, it usually entails holding an arm over your head and a leg pointing due south, after which...you don't move. Hopefully you complete the conversation before the wind shifts.

When we heard about a device that zBoostpackage2 would boost cell reception without a lot of hassle, it sounded too good to be true. Upon receiving the Wi-Ex zBoost YX545 SOHO and opening the box, my first thoughts were, nothing this small and simple could possibly work.

The installation instructions were clear & easy to follow. outdoorantennainst1 Placing the external antenna had several simple options. They did say the antenna could be set next to a window indoors, but I chose the edge of the roof to have the clearest view of the mountains where the nearest cell tower is located (about 15 miles as the buzzard flies).

zboostcontents1 After reading the instructions it seemed the hardest part would be setting up the ladder to get to the roof. The unit comes with 50 feet of coax so there was plenty of cable.

Setting the unit up is as simple as:

mounting the external antenna

running the coax cable

picking a location for the base unit

plugging in the coax and power supply to the base unit

After that....you are ready to go. installedinside1 The zBoost started working immediately. The strength bars jumped up. Yes, the reception was fantastic, immensely improved clarity and no more holding an arm over your head to talk.

As far as the technical aspects, there's only 3 things you need to know. The zBoost YX545 SOHO:

Increases indoor signal coverage-up to 3000 sq ft
Supports multiple users simultaneously
Compatible with all U.S. carriers and mobile devices using 800 & 1900 MHz (except Nextel/iDEN or 4G, 2100MHz phones)

I have had the unit up and running for 2 to 3 weeks now and it is working great. It has not only improved the reception in the house but also in the back yard, where we spend a lot of time. There is no maintenance or upkeep on the unit, it sits in the corner and does its thing. An interesting side effect is that my wife and I don't seem to spend as much time yelling.

↑ These images tell the whole story! ↑

Simply put, the zBoost from Wi-Ex does exactly what it claims to do. What more could you ask?

The Wi-Ex zBoost YX545 SOHO retails for $399 and can be found online for under $250.

Pandigital Novel 9" Color Multimedia eReader

Details: Written by Lee Coty, Contributing Editor

It's a Book, it's an eReader, It's a Super-eReader

When the 9" Color Multimedia eReader from Pandigital^TM with Android Operating System arrived at our offices it caused a small skirmish to break out. Everyone wanted to test it. I, having no shame, played the disabled card and got it.

Pandigital 9

As an avid reader, I wanted to see if the product was just another eReader with a big screen or something more. It's definitely more, so much so that it caused confusion with my expectations. It's name, the Pandigital^TM Novel makes me think eReader, but its caption, a 9" multimedia eReader, is much closer to the truth.

You see, it has a 9" full color touchscreen display, a stylus for ease of navigating and Android OS 2.1 enabling the download and use of numerous APPs. This kept making me look at this as a full tablet. It's not....but it's awfully darn close. By the way, it is only 1/2" deep and weighs 20.5 ounces making it comfortable to hold.

The eReader's 9" TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display) touchscreen has a 480 x 800 pixels resolution. While not the highest resolution on the market, we found it more than adequate for the tasks we gave it. The G-Sensor easily goes from portrait to landscape mode. The 2 GB internal memory is enhanced by an SD (Secure Digital) card slot that can handle up to 32GB which is certainly enough to hold books and much more.

SleepPhones™ from AcousticSheep

Details: Written by Lee Coty, Contributing Editor

To Sleep...Perchance to Dream...

We returned from the CEA Line Show having seen some interesting and innovative products. Among them, a simple but effective aide for a common problem we all face at one time or another – trouble sleeping.

At the end of the day, sleep is what I want but thoughts and ideas are what I get. My answer is to meditate. I found that to get to that place of total relaxation it helps me to have the right soundtrack as a guide. Recordings with a binaural tone do the trick for me. It is, however, quite awkward – to try to sleep with earphones stuck in my ears. lavender SleepPhones

AcousticSheep, LLC, a Pennsylvania eco-friendly and socially conscious company introduced SleepPhones™ Pajamas for your Ears. Developed by Wei-Shin Lai, MD a family physician that experienced problems going back to sleep after late night patient calls. Her husband suggested listening to binaural beat frequencies that drive brain activity into a specific brain state. This, however, can only be achieved using stereo headphones.

The dilemma – how to listen to the sounds comfortably all night? Let’s face it, even really good earbuds or earphones can become a little bothersome when worn for 8 hours while trying to sleep.

Having a similar situation in that I enjoy listening to meditation music at night to get me and keep me asleep, I have gone through many sets of earbuds and earphones. I was looking forward to using the SleepPhones™.

The SleepPhones ™ came in an eco-friendly paper bag labeled with a sleeping lamb wearing headphones. In the bag is a 21” soft stretch fleece band in a lovely lavender color (don’t worry guys, it also comes in grey and black) with pockets for two 32 Ohms 20kHz speakers and a 48” cord with a ⅛” stereo plug that plugs into your MP3 player, IPod or almost all audio devices.

The system is useful for drowning out other noises such as snoring (his not mine) or ambient traveling ruckus. It even plugs into the audio channel on an airplane, assuming that your airline still provides music (or anything else for that matter). Pull the headband down over your eyes and presto – a sleep mask.

The headband is snugly and comfortable, which will be great in cold weather. The only issue I had was how warm the headband is during the summer. [Note to AcousticSheep: maybe something in an open netting or weave for warmer weather?]

As for acoustics, surprisingly good. Excellent in fact. The compact speakers are full range and when snuggled comfortably on your ears, deliver a clean, precise sound experience.

Packaging on our review set was definitely geared to the female demographic. Besides all of the cuddly sheep imagery, the contents even included a lovely aromatic sachet. This might not scream ‘manly’ to your guy, but be careful, if he tries them you may have a hard time getting them back. My husband gave them a whirl and couldn’t stop talking about how good the acoustics were….and he’s very fussy about his tech.

My testing of the SleepPhones was a very positive experience. They deliver not only excellent audio but also exceptional comfort.

Sheep everywhere should take note!

I would give the SleepPhones product 4 out of 5 sheep…uh stars. The only thing that would make it better were if it were wireless….but that would add to cost!

The company calls them Pajamas for yours Ears; I say they are a Lullaby For Your Mind.

SleepPhones™ available in lavender, grey or black. - $54.95
SleepPhones System includes a Natural Sound CD with binaural technology and a lavender sachet. - $64.95

Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700

Details: Written by Lee Coty, Contributing Editor

A recent news broadcast blared a headline warning us against TSS - Toasted Skin Syndrome. We laughed and thought the reporter was just doing a lead in for some video we’d end up seeing on YouTube™. Further research revealed a real condition as reported by NHS on 10/01/2010. Apparently that warm and toasty feeling you get on the top of your thighs when you use your laptop is exactly that! It’s warm alright, and it's slowly toasting your legs!

Although I spend most of my computer time at my desktop PC, I rely on my laptop to continue working when I’m mobile or need to get out of my wheelchair and get more comfortable.

We received the Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700 to review and I grabbed it. I wanted to see how it would meet my needs. I wasn’t expecting much… – OK.. yes I was.

Given my physical challenges I spend the vast majority of my time seated. When I can’t work at my desk, my lap becomes my desk. To me a lap desk is a must and therefore I tend to be a bit discerning (picky?) when it comes to things like usability, comfort and convenience for potential hours of use. The Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700 gives me what I need and more…with one small exception.

Let’s break it down.

Three Fine Mice and a Dongle

Details: Written by Brad Pransky, Editor

Sometimes the tech we look at for both desktop and portable applications is absolutely cutting edge technology. Other times it's a new take on an existing product class or an incremental increase in capability that puts a sharper edge on the tech warriors' Swiss Army knife. In this issue we're going to look at two such sharper edge tools; travel size wireless mice from HP, and the Clear™ USB WiMAX adapter.

Anyone who has a mobile component to their workday has experienced two things while working with their laptop. First is a desire to have something a little more convenient to use than the touchpad, and second, the ability to take a fast Internet connection with them wherever they go.

Road Mice

Hewlett-Packard has a great line of accessories that are often overlooked. This is probably due to their prominence in printers and computers. However, along with the big tools that we use everyday they also make a great line of little ones. One such product line is their wireless portable mice. We took three of them for a spin.

First up was the baby of the group, the WE789AA Wireless Optical Mobile Mouse (a mouthfull), or as we refer to it in a more accurate technical parlance, 'the little blue one'. It's a compact but very comfortable 3 button optical mouse that operates on the 27 MHz frequency. It's by far the simplest out of the box solution you can get. It is literally plug and play. No fuss, no extra drivers, no re-boots. Just plug in the USB receiver, press the mating button and go. The receiver is a very thin, about the thickness of a quarter. It slides into a 'dock slot' on the underside of the mouse for storage and travel. It's small but comfortable in your hand, has rubberized sides for grip and control, a scroll wheel and dual sensitivity settings (1250 cpi & 1750 cpi) for the optical sensor. It works perfectly on all surfaces we tried. Power is supplied by 1 AA battery, included!

This little guy is a real bargain on line at Amazon for about 20 bucks!

The middle child, the WE791AA, is also a wireless optical mouse, however this model operates on the 2.4 GHz frequency. The purpose here is to operate on frequency with less interference and greater range. This model sports the same optical sensor capabilities, including dual sensitivity settings, on a 4 button platform. It also incorporates the illuminated scroll wheel and operated flawlessly in all our testing. Power again is supplied by one AA battery, also included!

We found this mouse on Amazon.com for under $30.

The big brother of the group is the VK482AA 2.4 GHz wireless laser mobile mouse . This is a five button device, also symmetrical in design with rubberized sides. This makes it easy to handle for both right and left-handed users. It also sports the illuminated scroll wheel with four-way tilt and click. The laser sensor is as accurate as any of the larger desktop models we have used. The feel and heft of this model is a bit more substantial probably due to the fact that this mouse requires two AA batteries, also included! In any case it acquitted itself as well as any desktop model during our tests. We found this one at Amazon.com for under $45.

Both 2.4 GHz models use a micro receiver that is small enough to be left in a laptop's USB port without real fear of damage or loss. They also store very nicely under the removable top cover of the mouse which we are told comes in a number of colors and styles.

Super Dongle

We've all seen those annoying map commercials from Verizon and AT&T touting their 3G coverage of the country. These ads are focused primarily on 3G bandwidth available for smart phones and similar devices. The folks at Clear ™ were kind enough to send us out one of their USB WiMAX adapters to test. It is a combination 3G and 4G capable USB dongle for your computer.

Simplicity and Speed

Every once in a while a manufacturer gets it right... that thing we call the OOBE, or 'out of the box experience'. It is almost as important to the end-user as the product's actual performance. It's the technological equivalent of a first impression. It very often sets the tone for our acceptance and comfort level with new technology. Clear™ went the extra yard to make this experience as simple and efficient as possible.

The WiMAX adapter came packaged in a small logo emblazened white box with everything you needed to get started. Included was a WiMAX adapter, a velour carry case to protect it, a USB thumb drive, a USB splitter cable and a handy clip/base to allow you to position the adapter conveniently when attached to the cable. Along with these items are packaged a few fold over "get started guides" with simple to follow directions.

The Install

Installation was simplicity itself. With your laptop or net book powered on, you insert the supplied thumb drive into an available USB port and let it do its thing. It automatically installs all necessary software and with a click of the mouse you're in 4G land. To complete the process you follow the directions to set up your account for the 3G access and you now have Internet access and surprising speed just about everywhere.

Lightning in a Dongle

The speed is what surprised us the most. When we ran speed tests on our 4G connection we were getting download speeds that were about a third as fast as our cable broadband. Honestly, I didn't expect anything better than dial-up speeds. I was pleasantly surprised.

Operating in the 4G world is just about as good as your average WiFi connection. We found that in day-to-day computer tasks such as Web searches or browsing, e-mail and text or audio chats , bandwidth was more than adequate. We also tried making video phone calls on Skype. We expected the audio to work without a problem and it did. What was even more impressive was that the video worked as well. It wasn't moving a full 30 frames per second mind you, but 12 to 15 FPS was not out of the question. When I informed the colleague on the other end of the video call that I was on a Clear 4G connection he questioned my veracity. I thought it was pretty cool too.

According to the folks at Clear and Sprint (they both use Clear's 4G network), 4G service offers download speeds between 3 – 6 Mbps with bursts of up to 10 Mbps. That falls in line with the results we mentioned above.

The separate 3G service offered by Sprint offers average download speeds of 600 Kbps – 1.4 Mbps. Our tests verified that with download speeds of 1.2 Mbps.

4G networks are just rolling out. Clear and Sprint, as mentioned, share the same network, so anyone in either of these providers markets will get the benefits of 4G as it develops. All in all, I would strongly recommend this is as another asset for the road warrior's toolbelt.