I would like to see the Nokia Morph realized, it is a much more compelling device.

iron wil

I have 1 major problem and two real irritations.  First Bluetooth, I have a BlueAnt X5i that works better with my iPhone than my MacBook [13" Black Late 2007].  I have discovered that my iPhone has a bit of a problem.  If I let the headset die while connected to the phone I lose all sound.  I turned the Bluetooth off and back on then off again, but that didn’t work.  I had to power-cycle the device [No, I didn't try a soft reset which might have worked].  I had to run the battery down before I got the audio back.  It was really annoying.

Second, I was using my headset to listen to music in the office and turned off the Bluetooth [on the phone] before turning off the headset.  I lost all audio again, I was frustrated; but then reconnected them and I was able to listen to the audio through the X5i.  I then turned it off and then turned off the Bluetooth [on the phone].  My audio returned.

Sheesh, can’t they just release the audio channel when Bluetooth is turned off???

Okay, this relates to both iTunes and the iPhone.  Why does the software not remember my Account Password?!?!?  I don’t understand what is wrong or not working in iTunes or the iPhone App [Store]?  Why does the software not save the password even when the check box is selected in iTunes and why does the iPhone App [Store] or iTunes App.  This seems pretty simple to me, it is MY phone and MY account, if content is downloaded it is going to be . . . where . . . on my iPhone!!!  I tried several tricks from The MacCast and still iTunes doesn’t save my password for downloading new Apps or Digital content.

I realize that Apple & Mr. Jobs have their way of doing things; however, this doesn’t meet the simplicity rule that Apple likes to apply to almost everything else they do.  I really like the simplicity model that is used in many things; yet, this seems like something that would make sense.  Make it a feature and allow users to turn it off and on, so I can decide if I want to save the password or not.

Oh, yeah and don’t forget to make a check box area for Audiobooks so that I can decide what Audiobooks I put on my iPhone or iPod!!!  Seriously, I have a dozen Audiobooks on my phone & I know that I can delete them from iTunes; but I would rather just control them like other media on my devices.

No, I still love my iPhone and am happy with it . . . let’s keep it simple Apple!!!

This rant is now over.

iron wil

Last month, I got my iPhone [finally - 32 gig] and decided to pair my iPhone and X5i so that I can listen to music and Audiobooks while commuting, in the office, or at home.  I hadn’t really thought about how much I really liked this combination until I walked to the water fountain to pour out some water and left my phone on my desk.  This was an “I didn’t even think about my phone because it is on my person 90% of the time” moment; next thing I know, I am rounding the corner and thinking gee will I loose my connection?  Will my devices stop working because I am about to put a second corner and 40′ between them?

I have to say that I was very happy to still hear music as I dumped out the water and then headed back to my desk.  There are some design changes I would make to the X5i, but that is because I have a big head and thick ears . . . but between the two devices I am in audio heaven!  I hardly ever pull out my ear-buds, unless the X5i is recharging.

iron wil

I got these in the mail & charged them right away.  It was very easy to connect the A125s dongle to the BT620s headphones, once I understood that order to do things.  They headphones were light enough and had full over the ear coverage.  The sound was rich and deep, my only problem is that they made my ears hot.  The other problem that I constantly faced with them was intermittent connection.

I know that Bluetooth is not the same as wireless, but I expected a lot less interruption in the connection.  If I turned my head or if I got just 5 feet away from the iPod & dongle, the music would start to drop off.  I didn’t experience any problems when sitting in front or beside my MacBook or iPod.

The BT620s also functions as a headset for phones or computers, think Skype, and that worked well with good sound quality.  The built in controls worked very nicely and even paused the music for incoming calls, as advertised.

I sold them for 2 reasons, the padded full covered ear muffs and the broken connectivity.  I would give them a high rating if you are just going to be using them at your desk.  The BT620s would be a great headset for VOiP applications via a computer.

iron wil

I have been using Skype for a few years and I am quite happy with it. I have friends and family making calls and we are trying to get one of my grandmothers online too. I am still waiting for the phone call to make that happen. Recently we moved into a new apartment and I am dead set against paying for services we don’t really need – like a phone line. Really, why pay 60$ a month for static? Standard cell phones have all the services that we ‘need’, including 911 – if my memory serves me correctly.

The wife wanted a handset, why when she has a cell and can Bluetooth the Skype Pro account on the iMac – I don’t know. So, I convinced her that we just need to get a phone for our Skype account. I was surprised that she went for it, but at about 90$ a year for the phone number and unlimited US calling why not!

So, a few weeks later the Philips VOIP 841 arrived. I bought it through the online Skype store, since I wanted to go back to them and complain if it didn’t work. Not only does it work, the wife is very happy with it, her only complaint is that it doesn’t have all our phone numbers in it [yet]. My only complaint is that each handset runs off 2xAA batteries. They don’t seem to last more than a day or two if you are making phone calls.

They are super easy to setup and I had the main handset and base station setup in about 10 minutes. It took a few days for the second handset because I hadn’t read the directions. The second handset automatically links to the registered [Skype] account and the handsets sync through the base station, unless the account is actually managed there [which is my thinking].

Overall, the system is a buy, just remember that you don’t have 911 service and you can’t video chat.

iron wil

I was not sure if I really wanted to order the mouse or not; but every time I went online RadTech kept popping up and so I ordered the BT600. I was notified in the order process that the mouse was back-ordered. I decided, it must be pretty popular.

About 2 weeks ago I finally got my BT600, disappoint set in as soon as I opened the shipping box. The write up on the website said full-sized mouse. It didn’t look full-sized to me in fact it looked more like the wife’s notebook mouse I had been using [and am still stuck with]. As you can see in my picture that the BT600 is larger than a micro-mouse and smaller than my MX1000. I was saddened by this fact.

I used it for a day or two and it just didn’t settle with me, especially because OS X didn’t recognize it and allow for the 5 button functionality that I need [okay not really but it saves a bunch of hand movements].

I just couldn’t live with this mouse being undersized and without its full functionality. What can I say, am I a mouse snob? I don’t know, but I would love to see, Microsoft, Logitech, Belkin, Kensington, or RadTech make a full-sized Bluetooth mouse that doesn’t need a desktop recharger [and some of those desktop mice have been small]. What I would love more than that is a full-sized trackball that is Bluetooth, but I will probably pass out from holding my breath before I see that.

Is there a problem with people’s hands shrinking that I am not aware of? Or do these companies just thinking everybody wants a tiny ‘notebook’ mouse??!

I am still searching for a good mouse to go with my MacBook Black.

iron wil

Additional pictures:

I have struggled in the decision of getting a new one. At first I was not sure what I wanted, but then in my research I came across the Z9. This headset is small enough to fit into my fifth pants pocket [or change pocket]. It can connect to three different devices, it has memory banks. I have paired mine with my Treo, my Mac, and my wife’s phone. I have had a little trouble with getting it to connect with my iMac every time. I have not had any trouble with the phones.

The physical features include a thin clear plastic ear hook, which works with my glasses, and a small ear bud that rests on the inside on my ear. The main body might be an inch long and half an inch wide and maybe a 1/4 of an inch thick. The Z9 has three buttons, on/off and volume up and down, there are many different button combinations that will allow you to perform different actions, including turning of the blue flashing light. Another small feature is a shirt clip on the inside of the headset.

It comes with two charging cords, one for USB and one for the wall socket. The cable connects into the back of the ear piece between the main body and the bud.

I give it 4.5 stars.

iron wil

Notes:

BlueAnt Website

Plantronics Website

In about a second, it transitioned my call window to a triple stacked call window showing each person and what kind of volume Skype was getting. The bar graph lit up green when someone talked. I loved it and was impressed by how quickly it transitioned from a normal call to a conference call. It didn’t put my #2 brother on hold while I added my #3 brother to the call. I was able to carry on the conversation the whole time!!!

I have to admit that the more I use Skype the more I love it! We have been using it for the last 2 months to video call my parents who live out of state. This allows the boy to ‘see’ his grandparents. They, meaning the boy, Mimi, and Papa, really get a kick out of it. It is also nice to be able to chat and see my parents, however I feel it is much more important for the boy to connect to his grandparents. Skype lets it all happen with a camera and microphone [another reason I love Mac systems - built in iSight camera and microphone - woot woot!!].

iron wil

Note:

BlueAnt is an Australian company that creates some awesome Bluetooth tools like the Z9 and the X5! Look for my upcoming review of the Z9.