BlueRaven
Latest
Keeping it real fake, part LXX: Blue Raven hatches a Hi-Fi knockoff
Blue Raven has introduced the Maestro 1070, an iPhone and iPod hi-fi docking station, with 70 watts powering a 5" center sub and two 3" satellites. Looking suspiciously like the official iPod Hi-Fi -- but with handles on the side, not the top!! -- the universal dock accepts and charges Apple's hardware, and also has an auxiliary port for those rocking other players. The Maestro includes a video-out jack for connecting to a television, a 12-key remote control, comes in black or white, and retails for $199.
Blue Raven launches MediaMate "portable" media player / DVR
If you've been on the lookout for a friggin ginormous media player to fill the space of your classic DVX-POD, Blue Raven's got a new device on the scene today, the MediaMate. While the drive sizes aren't too minuscule for storing plenty of video (7040, 40GB for $380; 7080 80GB for $430) and we're feeling the replaceable battery, the 7-inch 480 x 234 display looks downright hideous once it gets going -- and that's to say nothing of the rest of the unit, which is as shoddy-feeling, large, and unwieldy as we've ever seen a portable media device (at nearly 1.5 pounds and 8 x 4.6 x 1-inches). It does play OGG, however (as well as MP3 and WMA), and while we're really into the fact that it does VOB video playback, it also only supports AVI and MPG containers with MPEG-4 ASP and MPEG 2 --- not so good if you don't want to have to transcode your H.264, DivX, XviD, etc., or are thinking of using Vongo or a PlaysForSure service. Our advice: stick with an Archos if you're really looking to record TV to your player and take it on the go, for us this thing's kind would be a non-starter even if you knocked a hundred bucks off the top.%Gallery-3630%
Extended PSP battery gets positive review
Ready to fork out $100 on a new PSP battery? It appears that the recently revealed "15 hour" battery from Blue Raven seems to get the job done. Although the battery increases the size of the system, Mike Antonucci from The Mercury News, notes that it adds a great deal of comfort to the system: "The battery comes as part of a rubberized, five-ounce half-shell that the PSP slips into easily, leaving the back of the device encased in a manner that offers a comfortable, balanced grip."There are a few flaws with the battery. One, users must remember not to plug the AC adapter into the wrong port. Using the port on the system may be damaging. Also, $100 is still quite a sizable amount to spend. However, the peripheral comes with a great recommendation: "I'd buy [it] as a consumer."Those interested in purchasing the battery can visit Blue Raven.[Thanks, Joel!]
Third party battery promises 15 hours of play -- at a cost
For some, PSP simply does not have a long enough battery life. Peripheral manufacturer Blue Raven is trying to offer PSP owners an alternative: the PSP 15-hour extended battery. The battery snaps on to the back of the system, and is supposed to offer "up to 7 times the battery life of the standard PSP battery."Like so many other battery solutions for PSP, there are a lot of catches with this newly released product. Firstly, it's ugly. Doubling the system size certainly makes the system much less portable. (At least it isn't as ugly as this monstrosity.) Also, we're doubting the true power of the product. Other third-party batteries have made systems explode, or have under-delivered in terms of performance. The standard PSP battery is 1800mAh; to offer 7 times the battery life, this battery would need to rate 12600mAH. Too bad it doesn't--it only offers 4500mAh.It also doesn't come cheap: $100. We've recommended avoiding third-party batteries time and time again, and we're going to do it again. Honestly, it appears that Sony's official 2200mAh battery is still your best bet.
