WDGW – Week of March 12th, 2012, Netcast 1356

A different kind of Dock for your device.

There are all sorts of iPhone/iPad stands on the market. Many add speakers and charge your iOS device. The Divoom adds a different kind of dock. It’s a universal stand for iOS and Android devices, but it doesn’t charge them. It does however add great sound. Besides stereo speakers built into the base, the IFit-2 contains a rechargeable battery. Fully charged Divoom says it can deliver up to seven hours of audio. There are no visible switches on the face of the unit, which is a bit of a drawback. The blue LED power light, on/off switch, audio in port and mini-USB port for charging the battery are on all the back. The problem with that layout is that it’s really easy to leave the IFIT-2 powered on when you’re down playing your tunes because you don’t see the power light. The sound however is outstanding, especially for its size. The stand comes with a short mini-USB cable which you use to charge the internal battery. You can charge the IFIT-2 via your computer, or use an AC power adapter. The charging cable is included, but not the AC adapter. (If you'rel ike me, you probably have a few lying around. Or even laying around.) The IFit-2 supports an iPhone, iPod or iPad. I used it with my Droid 4 and my iPod Touch. (Not at the same time, or course.)  It seems a bit small to work with an iPad, but the photo on the box does show it holding an iPad. There’s a pass-through hole on the base of the stand where an Apple dock connector can be threaded, but it only works in the portrait mode. (Remember, this does not charge any device.) On my Droid 4, the 3.5mm headphone jack is at the top, so the audio cable to the jack has to come around the side where you'll see it. What makes it easy to overlook these minor shortcomings is the price.  Although the MSRP is $59.95, it’s available on Amazon for about $27.00. When shopping be aware that there is an IFIT-1. This is about the newer IFIT-2. My unit is black, but the company website also shows it in white.

Company website: http://www.divoom.com/iFit-2.asp

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Video of the week - The FreedomMIC lets you roam and record audio on your iOS device.

This week’s Weekly Daily Giz Wiz video was shot was an iPod Touch, Gen 4, using the wireless FreedomMIC from Scosche. It uses Bluetooth so you can roam up to 33 feet from your iOS device. It does not work on Android, just iPad, iPod Touch & iPad. Once you pair the device you’ll be asked if you want to download the app, which of course, you have to do. Once installed you can operate some of your iOS options via the app. There's a button on the FreedomMIC that lets you start and stop your video. In the still camera mode, it lets you activate the shutter and take self or family portraits with you in the shot. There’s also a memo function that lets you control the mic on/off during interviews. I found the button worked most, but not all of the time. The condenser microphone uses is omni directional, and it features DSP noise cancellation. I found it’s very sensitive and you can pick up sounds from a foot or two away. It gives you the freedom to record audio and video while not having to worry about losing sound quality as you get further away from your device's built-in mic. The FreedomMIC attaches conveniently to clothing for completely hands-free audio recording. Once you charge the integrated rechargeable lithium-ion battery, Scosche says you should get up to 4 hours of run time. The micro USB charging cable is included. MSRP is $79.99, but if you web search you can find it for as low as $49.99.

http://www.scosche.com/consumer-tech/product/2199

Giz Wiz Freedom Mic Video: http://youtu.be/uGBzg5xy704

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Need to see the same video on a 2nd Monitor. Or extend your monitor?

Accell has a new UltraVideo USB 2.0 to DVI-I or VGA Video Adapter. It’s an easy way to send audio & video to an a DVI or VGA-enabled monitor, TV or other display device, via USB. They sent a product sample just before CES. Hook-up took about a minute. I plugged one end into a USB 2.0 port on my computer and the other end connected to to the VGA input on my View-Sonic Monitor. You don’t have to add any hardware to your computer. All the hardware is built into the device. Accell says the unit sends up to 1080p video and supports monitor resolutions up to 1920X1200 or 2048X1152 widescreen. On the second monitor you can chooose mirror, extend, or rotate. It's Windows and MAC compatible and you can hook up to 6 displays - using one adapter per display, of course. I use mine so I can see Skype guests on 2 different monitors. Accell also makes a HDMI version. The Accell J130B-001B UltraVideo USB 2.0 to DVI-I/VGA Video Adapter retails for about $75 (if you do a web search) and the HDMI version is about $10 more.

ACCELL Cables - Audio, Video, Speaker, Computer Cables and Interconnects

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Leo's Turn The Table Turkey! The Samsung Galaxy Note!

Leo’s love affair with Samsung Galaxy Note continues. He got the unlocked European version for something like $700, but the AT&T version is a lot cheaper. Leo says it’s not for everyone, but he loves his! As a phone, it’s huge. The Galaxy Note is designed as sort of the bridge between smartphones and tablets. Leo called it a phablet! How big is it? It has a huge HD Super AMOLED 5.3 inch screen. That means you’ll have a big keyboard to input text, enjoy apps and to watch movies. Samsung says: “You can draw your own conclusion with the S Pen. It's pressure sensitive, so it responds with various line thickness just like a real pen." Leo showed us how that worked and it looked pretty impressive. Even though the dimensions are 5.78" x 3.27" x 0.38" Leo said it still fits into a shirt pocket. Weight is 6.28 Ounces. Samsung gives a figure of 10-hours talk time. But being big, it houses a big battery, 2,500mAh. Just to be sure he doesn't run out of power, Leo carries a couple of spares since it’s very easy to replace the battery on the run. The Note runs Android 2.3, Gingerbread, but will be upgraded soon. It has a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. Display Resolution is 1280 x 800 Pixels. There’s an 8.0 mega-pixel front camera and a 2.0 mega-pixel rear-facing camera. Internal Memory is 16GB and yes, there’s an external memory/microSD card slot. Leo added a 32GB card to his Note. The Galaxy Note has a ton of features and Leo loves talking them. He thinks they’ll be a similiar one for Verizon soon, and I’m anxious to take a look at that when it comes along. At ATT the Samsung Galaxy Note is $299 with a 2-year contract.

Samsung website info: http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SGH-I717ZBAATT

The case Leo bought – shown in the photo above, holding the Samsung Note is here:

http://tinyurl.com/6n3obuh

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Back to Dick’s Gadget Warehouse.

It’s Alive! From the early 1990's comes the Omron Finger Blood Pressure Monitor, model HEM-806F. This goes back a long way, but amazingly still works fine. (Actually, I have no way to test how accurate it is.) The company said it monitors your heart's health with fast, accurate finger blood pressure. Since I don’t remember much about this device, here’s more info from the web: “This compact device takes systolic, diastolic, and pulse measurements directly from the left index finger. It has an adjustable finger cuff fits left index fingers 2" to 3" in circumference and inflates quickly with just a quick push of a button. The Omron Blood Pressure Monitor was ideal for people who frequently monitor their own blood pressure. Cuff automatically deflates when the reading is complete. Measurements are displayed on an easy-to-read LCD panel. Monitor weighs 8 ounces and fits easily in a purse, briefcase, or gym bag." And now back to me. I couldn’t have said it much better. Although the device is no longer made I see one or two of these have passed through Ebay recently. The company, Omron, however is still producing a huge amount of handy home (and professional) medical testing devices. It seems they no longer make a finger blood pressure monitor however.

http://omronwebstore.com/

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