headsets
Latest
Jawbone Era sticks an accelerometer in your noise-canceling headset, we go hands-on
With a fantastic Bluetooth headset on the market and a pumpin' portable speaker to blast out jams, how could Jawbone improve their product lineup? Well, we still think a stereo headset might be swell... but that's not what the company delivered today. No, this is the Jawbone Era, the world's first Bluetooth earpiece with a built-in accelerometer for motion-sensing apps, and plenty more improvements where that came from. There's a new version of the company's NoiseAssassin noise-canceling algorithms that adjusts inbound volume and equalization to let you hear better, an extra-large 10mm cone speaker with a larger range of frequencies, two processors, more memory, and an hour of extra battery life compared to the Jawbone Icon, to be specific. With only two motions currently recognized -- a double-tap to begin / end / switch calls and a rapid shake to pair -- the accelerometer's a bit of a gimmick for now, but Jawbone suggests more gestures are probably on the way. In the meanwhile, the other advancements might make the Era worth the price of entry -- which is $130, by the by. We've spent about five hours with the headset already, listening to music and taking calls, and while the accelerometer seems almost wasted at present, there's no discounting that new 10mm driver and the audio it can pump out. While no substitute for a set of quality dedicated earbuds, it sounded worlds better than the Jawbone Icon's tiny, tinny drum, and playing Pandora tracks we no longer felt an overpowering desire to take it out of our ear -- making a cyborg existence all the more bearable, we suppose. We'll bring you a full review soon, but if you're already sold, you'll find four different Era designs on sale at Jawbone's online store... oh, right about now. PR after the break. %Gallery-114734%
Sony's Ultimate Weapon Gaming headsets are as macho as the name suggests
According to Sony, your Ultimate Weapon when it comes to schooling fools on the FPS battlefield is a 3D surround sound headset. Just like its newly minted DR-GA500 above, what a coincidence! Coming with a separate box to process your computer's audio into a 7.1-channel surround sound environment, this mic-equipped set of cans is targeted squarely at gamers looking to optimize every last inch of their fragging experience. There's also a GA-200 model that makes do without the extra audio processing. Both variants share the super special "triple enfolding" padding design, which is intended to make the headgear comfortable for prolonged use. Prices and retail dates aren't yet available, but just to underline that gaming connection one extra time, Sony will be bundling a free copy of the latest Medal of Honor with these 'phones starting in mid-October.
Earloomz get Lady Gaga designs to help you look cooler, she's still k-kinda too busy to take your call
You know, we're starting to wonder if Lady Gaga is secretly a gigantic nerd. She's not only the Creative Director over at Polaroid, as well as having her own Beats by Dre headphones, but now... her likeness is on a Bluetooth headset. Now, we don't know if this is officially licensed Gaga gear or not, and there are plenty of other wild designs to choose from (though this is obviously the eyecatcher of the collection). This bad boy supports Bluetooth v2.1+EDR, and uses an internal rechargeable lithium polymer battery with around eight hours of talk time. They're available now for around $60. So our only question is: how long until Gaga gets a giant Bluetooth earpiece made out of her hair?
The Daily Grind: What are you like in voice chat?
Voice chat isn't a part of every facet of games, but it's usually de rigeur for communication in endgame activities. While some of us can type pretty quickly, we can still talk a bit faster, and if you're using the keyboard as anything other than an ornament time spent typing is time spent not pressing other buttons. The popularity and proliferation of Ventrilo is almost entirely based upon this need, and games have increasingly come to include built-in voice clients (including World of Warcraft, although its quality is rather widely debated). Of course, hand-in-hand with the fact that we can talk faster than we can type, many of us have a clearer personality by voice than we do in text. We're more trained as human beings to react to audio cues anyway, as opposed to subtleties in sentence structure or the occasional "lol." So what do you act like when you get behind the microphone? Are you the one guy that won't stop making off-color jokes, or are you quiet and professional? Do you act the same way you usually do via text, or do you have a totally different side that only comes out over voice chat?
Sony outs good looking PC gaming headsets
PC gaming headsets aren't really something you think of when the word 'stylish' comes up -- in fact, you can usually file them somewhere after fanny packs and parachute pants for style points. Sony's aiming to change that a bit with a new series of 'phones, and we have to say, they may have just pulled it off. The DR-350USB, DR-320DPV and DR-310DPV headsets feature updated stylings, but other than that, they're pretty standard headsets, with features like volume controls and voice muting. Unfortunately for most of us, these headsets will only be available in Asia when they arrive in March. There's one more shot after the break.
Enter to win 25 Creative headsets, one for each member of your raid
We've been giving away these Creative World of Warcraft wireless headsets for a while now, one per week to one lucky winner (and grats to those of you who've already picked them up). But Creative also wanted to work with us to do something really epic, something only WoW.com could put together. And so we're going for the whole enchilada: we're giving away a set of twenty-five (that's right, 25, one per raid member in your group) Creative World of Warcraft wireless headsets. This is going to be the clearest, most amazing sounding group on Vent ever -- not a single person in your raid will have to say "sorry, no mic." So how do you win? Obviously an epic contest like this requires an epic entry, so here's how we're going to do it: after the break on this post, you'll find a list of five different riddles, each one hinting at a different place in the game.
Enter to win your own Creative WoW Wireless headset
Hey, you, reading this blog. You like playing World of Warcraft? You like listening to the sounds of the game as you do it? You got ears and a distinct predilection for playing in either the Horde or Alliance faction? Then boy do we have a headset for you: the Creative World of Warcraft Wireless gaming headset is going to be the hottest thing you can put on your head since the trucker hat, and here's your chance to win one by commenting on this very post. As usual, the contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), and everyone who enters must be 13 or older. To enter, leave a comment on this post before Wednesday, October 21st, at midnight eastern, and please be sure to use a real email that you check often to enter, so we can contact the winners when we choose them. You may enter only once, and each winner will get a Creative World of Warcraft Wireless Gaming Headset, with a retail value of $150. Please note: winners will not receive the headset until it is released later this year. Click here to read the official contest rules. Good luck to you all! And don't forget, if you want to win five of these things, there's only one day left in our five-man contest. Just by submitting a shot of your group, you can pick up five headsets, one for every group member. That one ends tomorrow, so get your entry out ASAP!
Enter to win five Creative WoW headsets for your 5-man group
So we've been doing these Creative contests to give away their shiny new World of Warcraft-branded wireless gaming headsets for a few months now. But if you haven't won one yet, worry not: today, we're giving away five headsets to one lucky instance-running group out there, so you can all talk to each other while you're wiping in Heroic Old Kingdom.To enter, you've got to send us a .JPG-formatted picture (no bigger than 800px please) of your favorite five-man group -- you and four friends -- to contests@wow.com by 5pm October 29, 2009 (that's one week from today!). Make sure you put "Creative 5-man contest" in the email subject so we can recognize what it's for, and while you can take it wherever and however you want to in-game (or even in real-life!), just make sure there are five people in there. Because one lucky random entry will win five Creative World of Warcraft wireless gaming headsets, one for each member of the group, at a value of $150 each, or $750 total. That's a lot of headsets! You must also be 18 or older, and live in the United States or Canada excluding Quebec -- full official rules can be found right here.Please note: in addition to emailing us the .jpg picture, you will also need to copy and paste the form below (filled out) into your email -- it was put together by our legal department and simply says that you understand and will adhere to the rules of the contest. You need to include the names and e-mail addresses of all five players in your group so that we can contact you all about prizes if you win.Good luck to everyone who enters -- we can't wait to see what your five-man groups look like! And stay tuned, because we've got an even more epic contest planned out soon.
Gearing up for PvP - Your sound system
So you've got your computer, your input device, and maybe some specialized keyboard. The only thing you'll need now is some sound system. In the conclusion of this series, we'll take a look at what you use for game sounds. For general gaming purposes, your computer's default sound system, if any, should really do fine. On the other hand, if you're serious about your PvP, you might want to invest in a good headset. If you normally play at home and have the luxury of playing indiscreetly, a great sound system is an awesome thing to have. Personally, I don't play external background music (e.g., through iTunes) whenever I PvP. It's cool for PvP videos, but it's generally a bad idea. For one thing, music, even the one found in-game, tends to obscure important PvP sounds. In particular, the stealth sound is one of the most important sound effects in World of Warcraft PvP. That sound will often, but not always, precede visual confirmation of a stealthed unit nearby. If only for this reason, I turn up game sounds and lower in-game music to an ambient level.
The iPhone: most dangerous cell phone ever? (No.)
Is the iPhone the most dangerous cell phone ever?Dr. Joseph Mercola thinks so. He's concerned about that great modern boogeyman, cell phone radiation. But lucky for you, he's got a solution he can sell you: the Blue Tube headset.The Blue Tube headset looks to be a 2.5 mm plug hooked into a tiny speakerbox at the other end. That speaker box then emits sound up a long, hollow tube (similar to how a stethoscope works) and into an earpiece similar to those found on higher-end headphones from Shure and Etymotic.What exactly makes an iPhone more "dangerous" than other cell phones? Well, Dr. Mercola helpfully points out that the iPhone emits radiation way more often than other cell phones, mostly because of what he calls "data waves."Hookay. Let's be real for a second: cellular phones do emit low-level electromagnetic (EM) radiation. I used to work as a radiological health physics technician, so I know a fair bit about radiation (which is why I used to be in that field. Not anymore). Without getting too science-lecturey about it, let's just say there's two basic types of radiation:1. The scary kind that can turn you into a sewer mutant and/or kill you. This is called ionizing radiation. It comes from nuclear weapons, nuclear reactors, nuclear waste, nuclear medicine (I'm sensing a pattern here), x-rays, and Cleveland.2. The not-so scary kind that doesn't do much of anything to you at all. This is called non-ionizing radiation. Sources include power lines, your computer's display, cell phones, and the North Korean government's secret mind control rays.It seems like every other week we get to hear about how the microwave radiation from cell phones is going to cook all of our brains like popcorn, and yet over decades of cell phone use by hundreds of millions of people, it hasn't happened yet. In fact, the U.S. National Cancer Institute has said, "Studies have not shown any consistent link between cellular telephone use and cancer." If anybody should know, I think it'd be those guys.At any rate, it's kind of unnecessary to shell out close to $30 for the Blue Tube anyway, since the iPhone comes with a perfectly decent set of headphones already; and unlike the Blue Tube, they have a built-in microphone as well. If you're really as scared of iPhone-induced brain cancer as Dr. Mercola seems to think you should be, just use the free pack-in headphones instead.Thanks to reader Chuck Cooper for sending this in!
Ultimate Ears intros Triple.Fi 10vi headphones with built-in mic
We've always drooled after the top end of the Ultimate Ears headphone line, and it looks like we've got a new lust-magnet -- the company just introduced the Triple.Fi 10vi in-ear buds with an iPhone and Blackberry-compatible mic / button. The triple-driver 'phones are said to have the same essential guts as UE's far more expensive custom monitors, and they'll kick out frequencies as low as 10Hz and top out at 17kHz. Yes, we want them. No, we can't justify spending $420 on them. Yes, we're totally thinking about it anyway.[Via iPodNN]
The Daily Grind: In-game or private VOIP?
One of the best things for many gamers who play in team settings (in PvP, in raids, etc.) is voice over IP (VOIP) software. Need to give out raid instructions? No longer do you need to waste time typing things out or boring people with long macros full of information. Now you can toss on a headset and away you go. Of course, you have your pick -- games like EVE Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and even World of Warcraft have introduced VOIP. However, the interesting thing we keep finding is how few people actually use it. This morning we thought we'd do something of an unscientific poll amongst the readers just to see where the unofficial Massively reader thoughts lie on this. Some of us are figuring it will be against public in-game VOIP, others are warning them that it's generally cheaper than running a server, so they may be in for a surprise. You let us know -- do you use public VOIP, or private servers? If you don't use the in-game systems, why? If you hate private servers, what turned you off from them? %Poll-14988%
Nokia goes retro with new wired headsets
Perhaps the sleeper of this week's announcements out of Nokia's aptly named Nokia World event, the WH-600 and WH-700 headsets kick it old school by eschewing Bluetooth for good, old-fashioned, reliable wires. They've got all the bases covered, too: the WH-600 goes on the ear while the WH-700 is a traditional bud style, offering three different cup sizes in the box. Both can be used for music and calls alike -- obviously -- and include 3.5mm jack adapters for use with any ol' music player you like. Get them both starting in January; €65 (about $96) for the WH-600 and €50 (about $74) for the buds.
iLounge reviews Apple Bluetooth Headset
Those unstoppable cats over at iLounge (whom I am convinced are using genetically modified oompa loompas) have gone and reviewed themselves an Apple Bluetooth Headset. For $129, you get a pretty darn sleek headset that one-ups the competition by including only a single button for control (or perhaps that's 'one-downing' the competition...), a Dual Dock for charging both the iPhone and headset and a travel charger that can handle the same job. iLounge's verdict? Well, it's a mixed bag. The headset doesn't blaze any trails in the places it matters, such as audio quality or battery life, nor is it as functional as many would expect from a typical bluetooth headset (it doesn't even have on-board volume buttons; that's controlled from the iPhone). However, the headset's performance does rank in at around average, and the included accessories are certainly a leap beyond the rest. The headset also features some unique integration with the iPhone in that charging both via the dock or cable will display the headset's battery level right alongside the iPhone's. Also, to some people's surprise, the headset (just like most bluetooth headsets) can be paired with a Mac for audio chats with the likes of iChat and Skype. All that said, it seems like Apple's Bluetooth Headset will be a good buy for the general customer who can make use of the rich set of extras that come with it. Personally, I'm counting my pennies for one of those Jawbone headsets with the crazy noise cancellation technology. In my opinion, every bluetooth headset on the market sucks. Period. I've tested a very hefty portion of them from the bottom of the barrel to the premium $100+ models (return policies are a beautiful thing), and they're all terrible because both the caller and myself sound horrible to each other, especially when there's anything louder than a pin dropping in the background. Given Apple's tendency to try and solve some of the major problems plaguing a particular technology or industry (i.e. - Visual Voicemail), I'm surprised they didn't at least try for something like the Jawbone with the Bluetooth Headset. But I digress - if you're on the Apple Bluetooth Headset fence, iLounge's review might be able to help you out with the decision. Check it out.
Play-Asia's summer smoothie sale
For the next week, online shop Play-Asia will be selling all of its in-stock items at a 20% discount, excluding weekly specials or anything released in the past 30 days -- cross Jump Ultimate Stars and Doki Doki Majo Shinpan off of your to-buy list. All of the import retailer's eligible products have been marked with the smoothie icon shown on the right, so it's easy to spot which games are on sale. We've picked out several noteworthy bargains that you might want to consider: Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 - $39.12 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All - $23.92 Naruto: Saikyo Ninja Daikesshu 4 - $15.92 Gyakuten Saiban 4 Limited Edition - $103.92 bit Generations: Orbital, Soundvoyager, Dialhex, Boundish, Digidrive - all $11.92 Urban Life Style Cases, White and Light Blue - $10.32 Headsets, Nintendo - $10.32, Dragon - $5.52 Play Stand DS Lite - $11.92 Though the sale doesn't end until next Friday, a lot of these items won't stay in-stock for long. Don't be that guy who has to leave a comment about missing out on a particular deal![Via CAG]
One billion Bluetooth devices and growing
It seems like now-a-days, almost every new piece of electronics is being introduced with some type of Bluetooth compatibility. From cellphones, headsets, cars and gaming devices, it is more of a standard now than ever. This being said, the influx of devices with Bluetooth technology supported has helped these devices reach over 1 billion sold. The Bluetooth SIG isn't stopping there; they are getting more aggressive in the marketplace by adding functionality to home entertainment and medical devices to name a few. This being said, the influx of devices with Bluetooth technology supported has helped these devices reach over 1 billion sold (of which Engadget editors account for a decent percentage, we suspect).
I-O Data releases wiREVO Bluetooth headphones
Everyone is looking for a good pair of Bluetooth headphones these days, but the problem with most models -- including the recently-unveiled FreePulses from Logitech -- is the big plastic neckband that makes it impossible to ball them up and stuff in a pocket. Enter I-O Data and its two new pairs of wiREVO 3-in-1 wireless headsets, both of which eschew the plastic for a much more pliable wire, and which -- we're hesitant to admit -- seem to look a lot hotter than our iPhono minis from Bluetake. The WRH-S30B (and WRH-S30W, in white -- pictured above) promise 24-bit stereo sound from the over-the-ear cans, and feature an in-line mic plus control buttons to support the Bluetooth headset and AVRCP profiles. With the WRH-H20B (and, you guessed it, WRH-H20W in white), you're getting regular earbud-style headphones attached to a Bluetooth pendant with length-adjustable cable, all of which you're supposed to wear around your neck. Both models should be available at major retailers sometime this month, with the S30s going for $99 and the H20s priced at $109; if your DAP lacks Bluetooth, though, you needn't worry: you can pick up either pair of headphones bundled with an iPod adapter for $169 or a generic dongle for $149.
Motorola adds headsets to match new lineup
Do you think it's a fashion faux pas to mix and match phones and accessories? Motorola does, and in the vein of the original RAZR headsets, they're pumping out a couple new ones to match their fresh MOTOKRZR and MOTORIZR phones. The H601 and H800 complement the new models, respectively -- no interesting or exciting new features to report, though the H800 does have a slide-out tip in a nod to its RIZR heritage. And don't you dare let Moto catch you pairing an H601 with anything but a KRZR, alright?[Via Phone Scoop]
Rumor: 360 wireless gaming receiver $20; wheel $130; headset $60; camera $40; Halo and Forza faceplates $20 [update 1]
Thanks to a reliable source from Microsoft, we've learned some important details about the new peripherals announced for the Xbox 360, including pricing and a few Halo faceplate (non)specifics. Check out the leaked info and prices below: 360 wireless gaming receiver (which enables wireless 360 controllers, headsets, and wheels on your PC): $20 Wireless racing wheel: $130 Wireless headset: $60 Xbox Live Vision Camera (with headset, one month of Live Gold, and one arcade -- presumably Xbox Live Arcade -- game): $40 New faceplates for Halo (with the Master Chief on 'em, but not Halo 3 specific) and Forza (no word on connections to the sequel): $20 each 256 MB portable memory unit (MU): no official price yet, but definitely not four times the cost of the older 64MB MU Besides acknowledging that the PC is "the biggest gaming device of all," MS appears to be setting an agressive price for its most relevant new PC accessory, the wireless gaming receiver (at least in comparison to the outrageously priced 360 wireless networking adapter). Unfortunately, no price was revealed as of yet for the USB-based HD-DVD add-on.We've speculated in our recent podcasts as to what would happen to the various 360 SKUs when price drops inevitably occur. An interesting theory bandied about by prolific Joystiq Contributor epobirs (on our earlier bump-to-256MB-MU post) was that a $20 price drop for the Core system, coupled with a $20 price drop on the 64MB MU, would finally allow folks to pick up a capable non-Premium bundle for the original $300 Core price point. (Not a bad way to undercut PS2 memory card prices, too.) We hope to get official confirmation on this info in the not-too-distant future.[Update: Sorry, had the camera price wrong in the headline; it now matches the price of the bundle listed in the body of the text below.]See also: 360's Mem Unit getting a bump to 256MB? (Comment from epobirs) Use 360 wireless peripherals with a PC Engadget & Joystiq's live coverage of Microsoft's Xbox 360 E3 event Joystiq / Engadget podcasts from Day One and Day Two of E3 2006
Sennheiser's Style, Sport, and Street range of headphones
Sennheiser is set to drop 17 new headphone models (just a sample in that pic above) onto the world's ears next month spread across the new Style, Sport, and Street product lines. A select few of these units like the MX 90 VC (pictured) will flaunt a new twist-to-fit ear securing system which relies upon a small rubber "stopper" you can twist thereby securing the headphone to the outer ear. The Style range of headphones gun for optimum sound quality while remaining stylish and elegant via a "metal look" (and very German) design. The antithesis of the Style range must be the Sport range then, which dishes out a healthy slathering of neon "fresh" green knowing that jockos everywhere secretly long for the color palette of wee little girls. These headphones are designed with max comfort and secure fit in mind and rock regardless of rain, sweat or low temps... making them equally at home for postal delivery. Rounding things out is the Street line-up which conspicuously omits any old-school can designs but are said to be specially designed based on teenager feedback nevertheless. These headphones feature unusual design, secure fit, and practical accessories with plenty of bass for use with both MP3 players and gaming systems. Expect to see all the new skull candy in stores starting next month.[Thanks, Dan F]
