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Hands-on with Envizen's portable DVD player with DTV tuner
You probably haven't heard of Envizen, but it's one of several off-brand companies putting out new digital portable TVs to replace all the obsolete analog units that were toted to sporting events or kept around for emergencies when the power went off. As implied by its name--the Envizen Digital Duo Box Pro ED8850A--this model is actually two products in one: a portable DVD player and a portable DTV.
The ED8850, which costs around $150 online, looks and feels like your typical inexpensive portable DVD player. To put it politely, there's nothing sexy or slick about it. That … Read more
HP ProBook 5310m (Core 2 Duo SP9300 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Windows 7 Professional) Quick Take
Editors' note: The HP ProBook 5310m is currently under review, but here are our initial impressions of this sub-$1,000 ultraportable.
At first glance, it would be easy to label the HP ProBook 5310m a late 2007 MacBook knock-off. The all-black casing made from aluminum and magnesium alloy and the chiclet-style keyboard certainly support that judgment. However, the ProBook is a laptop aimed at business users, not consumers. It's also something we've been longing to see: a powerful, sub-$1,000 ultraportable with a 13-inch screen and a long battery life.
The ProBook is very stately looking. … Read more
Quad-core chip makes sense for Apple laptop
If the speculation about a new MacBook Pro is on the money, the step up to Intel's quad-core mobile technology would have a profound impact on this vaunted line of Apple laptops.
So, why would Apple adopt a Core i processor in a laptop? The short answer is OS X Snow Leopard. The new operating system is designed to be better at wringing more performance out of multicore processors--and the Core i chips pack four cores.
The long answer is the Core "i" chips themselves. The Core i, a.k.a. "Nehalem," is a brand … Read more
B&N to sell Plastic Logic Que along with Nook
Plastic Logic and Barnes & Noble announced on Tuesday that Plastic Logic's Que proReader will be sold through Barnes & Noble's retail stores and on B&N's Web site in 2010. The Que is Plastic Logic's long-awaited e-reader that is not set to be officially unveiled until January 7 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, but both companies continue to promote the device vigorously as Barnes & Noble gets set to launch its Nook e-book reader in November.
While Plastic Logic has yet to show a full profile image of the Que, it … Read more
JH Audio in-ear headphones: Worth $1,099?
If you have ears, prepare to open them now.
I've just reviewed a bunch of contenders for the world's best full-size, over-the-ear headphone: Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, Grado PS-1000, Sennheiser HD 800, Stax SR-007Mk2, and Ultrasone Edition 8 headphones--and all boast higher MSRPs than the JH Audio JH 13 Pro in-ear headphone.
Sure, full-size headphones can be used with iPods and MP3 players with varying degrees of success, but they're a lot more of a hassle to lug around than the JH 13 Pro. Honestly, I prefer the sound and comfort of over-the-ear models compared with in-ear headphones. Then again, the JH 13 Pro is a very different type of in-ear design, it uses six drivers--two woofers, two midranges, and two tweeters--to lower distortion compared with other in-ear designs. It's a difference I can hear.
The JH 13 Pro's resolution of fine detail is extraordinary, drums sound more realistic than I've heard from any other type of headphone. The JH 13 Pro is "fast," cymbals' shimmer and sparkle the way they do in real life, and when a drummer whacks his sticks against the drums' metal rims, the sound is more realistic. Dynamic oomph and slam are the best I've heard from an in-ear headphone.
The JH 13 Pro's bass goes deeper than any in-ear headphone to date, but it's the way these headphones decode palpable bass textures that's highly addictive. Electric, acoustic, and keyboard basses sound more different from each other with the JH 13 Pro. Switching over to Monster's excellent new Turbine Pro Gold in-ear headphone ($299) is startling, the Turbines sound mushy and muddled by comparison. The Monster has more mid-bass fullness, which some listeners may prefer. I do not.
The JH 13 Pro's midrange clarity is radically better than any in-ear 'phones I've used to date. Its bass, midrange, and treble are better balanced and accurate than what I'm used to from in-ear designs. … Read more
Google Voice app gDial Pro updates for WebOS
Back in September, we tested out a Google Voice app for Palm WebOS phones called gDial Pro. The free gDial Pro just recently updated to version 0.8.9, and is available now in Palm's App Catalog. While gDial Pro still isn't quite as integrated into the Palm Pre as Google's native Google Voice app is for Google's own Android platform, it remains a good option for Google Voice users on Palm's comeback platform.
In addition to fixing some dialing bugs, the developer made a ton of other user interface adjustments, including changing the wording … Read more
The 411: No smartphone without a data plan
This is the 411, my Q&A column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have the same questions, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.
I'm looking into purchasing a new phone and possibly upgrading to a smart phone with AT&T. The hitch is … Read more
Can Astak's EZ Reader Pocket Pro compete with the big boys?
You may not have heard of Astak, but it's one of several non-name-brand companies that are jumping into the e-book reader space with a range of new models, including the 5-inch EZ Reader Pocket Pro.
While this model is smaller than the Amazon Kindle, which has a 6-inch screen, we actually like the size of the Pocket Pro and other 5-inch nontouch-screen e-readers, such as the Sony Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300). This model, like the Sony, has a list price of $199, so it makes sense to compare the two units, especially since both models have Adobe Digital Editions … Read more
