JBL's OnBeat Xtreme dock

The latest entry into the high-end iOS device dock space is the OnBeat Xtreme, from Harman International’s JBL brand. The product, unveiled in late 2011 and capable of connecting with the iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad, is a powerful, high-performance device, sporting big sound and unique look.

The OnBeat Xtreme sports a black and silver-accented design, with speakers crossing over each other – the “weave design,” as JBL calls it- and the dock connecter in the middle. Any of the three iOS devices fit onto the dock, with adjustable connectors making it attachable in landscape or portrait mode. The icing on the cake is Bluetooth capability, which is not typically offered in this type of docking product.

The product is also easy to set up, and everything worked on the first try- even Bluetooth.

JBL had previously released a couple of OnBeat devices, including the original and the AirPlay-equipped OnBeat Air, although the OnBeat Xtreme is bigger and packs more features.

I tested the device with both an iPhone and iPad, and the dock performed exceptionally with both. What stands out particularly about the OnBeat Xtreme is three things: the sheer quality of the sound, the 360-degree reach of the speakers and the Bluetooth capability.

I set the device on a table in the center of a room, and the sound was big and bold on all sides, whether I was playing music from an iPod-based music playlist or hearing the pulsing soundtrack of an “X-Men” action scene from the iPad. The sound, thanks to what JBL calls Ridge tweeters and Atlas woofers, is as strong as I’ve heard on a dock of this kind.
The Bluetooth meanwhile, is an added bonus; being able to wirelessly beam any song from one’s iPhone or iPad to the dock across the room has the makings of a living room game changer.

The best high-end dock product I’d reviewed in the last year, Monitor Audio’s i-Deck iPod/iPhone Dock 200, did not feature either the circular speakers or Bluetooth connectivity.

Other features include composite output to attach the dock to a TV, a USB port, and even the ability to make hands-free speakerphone calls through the device. There’s a handle on top for portability, although the dock is a bit heavy for that.

JBL also offers a free, downloadable app for interfacing with the dock, although I found the standard iPhone and iPad music functions were more functional.

The product retails for $499.95. It’s a bit pricey, but it buys you one of the best dock experiences available.

JBL OnBeat Xtreme
Speaker dock for iPhone, iPod and iPad
$499.95
www.jbl.com

We mentioned the Yurbuds Inspire Pro Ironman Series sport headphones the other day and while we still need to spend some quality time with them before offering up a full review, we did take a few minutes to take some pictures and build a gallery. That being said, if you were interested in the earbuds after the previous post, here is a bit of a better look…

In addition to the Xperia line of smartphones, Sony also has some Xperia branded accessories. One of those is the Smart Wireless Headset Pro and we managed to get a few images while on the show floor. What can you really say here, this is an Xperia branded product and it is a headset. That aside though, the Xperia Smart Wireless Headset Pro allows the user to make calls from the headsets recent caller list and it displays text messages, email, caller names, media titles and more. The headset can also be used as a portable MP3 player or radio and according to the folks at Sony – features “superior” stereo sound.

CES has plenty of goodies being shown off, some big and some small and it seems that we have seen plenty in terms of fitness related tech this year. And of those items just so happens to be a set of earbuds. But not any set of earbuds, a pair that is designed for those who work out and work out hard. And nicely done, these headphones not only feel durable and comfortable, but they are loaded with cool features. That being said, the pair that we are referring to are from a company called yurbuds, the model is in their Ironman series and are called the Inspire Pro.

Some of the features include how they are both sweat and water resistant, provide “exceptional” sound quality, have an ultra soft comfort fit and “twist lock technology.” Anyway, the folks from yurbuds were kind enough to provide a set for us to review so you can expect more on just how well they perform at a future date. But before we go, lets comment on that twist lock technology, this was described to us as how the earbuds go into place – they actually go over (just outside) your ear and then twist into place. And from the brief time we have used them, that appears to actually work well. But again, a proper review will be coming at a future date.

Additionally, as you can see in the above image — these earbuds have inline controls and a microphone. The inline controls feature three buttons that can be used to control your music and any phone calls. The mic is also a dry-mic so you should not have to worry about excessive sweat and/or a little rain.

Lastly, for those curious, the Inspire Pro headphones are priced at $59.99 and are currently available for sale. Also worth noting, if the earbuds are not your style or you are looking for a similar set without the inline mic, yurbuds has some other options available.

Via [yurbuds]

ClarityOne held a press conference at CES 2012 on Tuesday to announce its latest earbuds and headphones. This time ClarityOne is improving on its original product (which I enjoyed) by eliminating audio distortion. ClarityOne says it spent the last 12 years creating what it calls the PureSound Processor. This processor combats distortion by using a second coil to repel an electromagnetic field that is created when a single coil is present. 

The new ClarityOne earbuds will come in five colors – Chrome, Gunmetal Gray, Cobalt Blue, Electric Orange and Hot Pink. The price of the earbuds will also vary depending on the features they may or may not have. For example, a pair of ClarityOne earbuds without any additional features such as player controls, volume controls and answer/end call controls costs $109.99. The other two models sell for $129.99 and $149.99.

ClarityOne also has over-the-ear headphones with the same PureSound Processor built in. They also come in a variety of colors and include a few accessories. The two models will cost $279 (without volume controls) and $299 (with volume controls).

Read [GadgeTell @ CES 2012]

During the Audiovox CES 2012 press conference, much was discussed about how certain devices can improve the lives of the elderly. One of Audiovox’s executives said the number of elderly people that enter assisted living facilities is decreasing because of higher costs in a downed economy.  This led Audiovox to create new hearing aides and a charm that lets caretakers know where their loved one is and how they’re doing at all times. Audiovox also announced the iRemember Daily Assistant, a simple device that reminds you to complete certain tasks.

The iRemember Daily Assistant isn’t necessarily being marketed towards the elderly. iRemember is really something anyone could find useful in some way. It’s essentially a voice recorder that files what you say into Notes, Groceries and Family categories. It has 2GB of built-in storage as well as inputs for a microphone or headphones.

This device works independently. You won’t need an app or computer to use it. It’s as simple as devices get these days.

Read [GadgeTell @ CES 2012]

The Monster ClarityHD Micro is a small stereo speaker that works over Bluetooth or 3.5mm headphone jack. It’s hard to ignore it’s similarities to the Jambox in that manner, though Monster does make a few changes. Monster’s Micro has a malleable personality, which means you can change the faceplate on the device to suit your style. It also means that you can change the voice that speaks to you. The voice is there because it needs to answer you when you use voice commands for making calls or asking it to play music.

The ClarityHD Micro has a built-in omnidirectional microphone for those voice commands or for phone calls. For music playback, it has “advanced AAC and apt-X digital processing,” which is supposed to give it a better sound. If the one unit doesn’t give you enough sound, there’s even an option to use two of them for even better stereo sound. However, that will get a bit expensive as each unit will cost you $219.95 when it comes out in March.

Read [Monster (PDF)]

At this year’s CES, I’ll be only traveling with the essentials. I learned from my last CES trip that bringing too much stuff can really bring down my mobility and comfort. Advances in technology has also made me more reliant on using single devices to handle multiple tasks.

1) Toshiba Satellite – I’m calling this girl ol’ reliable at this point. It’s past time for an upgrade, but until then, this laptop is the single most important thing I’ll carry around.

2) HTC Sensation 4G (not pictured) – This phone will perform many duties while I’m at CES. It acts as my phone (duh), my back-up live blogging tool, primary point-and shoot camera, secondary camcorder, portable internet (while tethered), navigator, calender and much more. I’m hoping the majority of the CES crowd won’t be using T-Mobile’s network so I get more data for myself.

3) Samsung Camcorder – This camcorder is nothing fancy. It takes decent video, it’s light and holds a good charge.

4) Energizer Energy-To-Go Battery Pack – I think having a back-up power source at CES is essential. I will use this battery to give my phone and camcorder extra juice. It’ll only be used when there is no other alternative for charging.

5) ClarityOne Earbuds – I reviewed these earbuds a while back and found them to be really good. These earbuds will be used on the plane to drown out noise, and possibly double as earplugs.

6) Sandisk 2GB flash drive – It’s small, portable storage. Why not?

7) Pencils, Pen and Memo Pad – Believe it or not, some things are easier to do without using technology.

Third Generation iPod Touch – The iPod Touch will mostly be used for in-flight entertainment. I good long podcast distracts me from the three and a half hour flight I have to endure.

Read [GadgeTell @ CES 2012]

AT&T is running a discounted sale of the Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth speaker. Said accessory is currently being sold for only $149.99 which is $50-off from its regular price of $199.99. If you’re looking to spice up your living room with good music coming from your Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, the Jambox Bluetooth Speaker may be a good device to have. According to AT&T, the speakers have an output capacity of 85 decibles which is loud enough to fill up even the largest rooms. In addition, the Jambox is powered by a pair of proprietary, highly sophisticated acoustic drivers which produces extreme high (tweeter) and low (woofer) frequencies coming from a single, ultra-small dome speaker. This music accessory also works in concert with moving-wall passive brass radiator and airtight enclosure that delivers highs and lows. In other words, the Jambox Bluetooth speaker should produce good quality sound. The speakers supports most Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones and media players. The discounted price is running for a limited time only. But the product site doesn’t say until when so you better hurry up and grab yourself one of these devices if you have a need for a Bluetooth speaker right now.

Via [AT&T]

Black Friday fell on a Wednesday for shoppers of Newegg.com. The online retailer of just about all things electronic started its Black Friday sales Wednesday evening. If you’re in the market for some hardware and accessories such as headsets, routers and speakers, Newegg would like to sell you a few things.

Every item that is a part of Newegg’s Black Friday qualifies for free shipping from the satellite speakers to the $4 earbuds. Some items will sell out more quickly than others, so it’s best not to take too long in pulling the trigger.

The items we listed here are not all that Newegg has to offer. These are just the featured sales. If you dig a little deeper into the site, you’ll find deals on computers, cameras, television and a whole lot more. Have fun.

• GARMIN nüvi 1450 LMT 5.0″ GPS Navigation W/Lifetime Map & Traffic Updates – $129.99
• ViewSonic VFA720W-50 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99
• Polk Audio RM 95 5CH Satellite Speaker System – $179.99
• Logitech 980445-0403 Supra-aural Premium Notebook Headset – $22.99
• Linksys WRT310N Wireless-N Gigabit Router – $29.99
• Polk Audio RM 7 Satellite B High performance Satellite Speakers – $29.99
• Recertified: Logitech Harmony 300i Infrared Universal Remote – $16.99
• Belkin BoaBuds Flexible Speakers – $19.99
• Creative Circumaural Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Sigma Headset – $39.99
• BELKIN F5U237v1 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Hub – $19.99
• TRENDnet TEW-671BR Concurrent Dual Band Wireless N Router – $29.99
• Lenovo G570 15.6″ Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit laptop – $379.99

Site [Newegg]