Archive for July, 2007|Monthly archive page
I know nothing about this…
Leave a Comment(Thanks to Crunchgear for posting it)
Blackberry 8830
I realized that I had made a post and comment about a month ago that I had issues with the keyboard on the 8830, and that it was hard to type on. After a few days with it now, I have figured it out just fine and have few issues typing out posts like this one.
I will say that the keys are closer together than the 8703, but they have a raised arch on each and are fine to use.
I have a new phone, can you guess what it is?
So after less than 3 months, I decided it was time for a new phone. Fortunately, I had someone who wanted to buy my BB 8703, so I am now onto the Blackberry 8830. So far, not too many major changes from the 8700 series, but I do like the trackball and the new thin form factor. We’ll see how it stands up to my abuse during my work week!
The Cell Phone Junkie Show #59
The Cell Phone Junkie Show #59 59:35
Show Notes
We hit the 1 year anniversary and are giving away bluetooth headphones courtesy of Motorola. Also, along with the regular news, make sure you stick around till the end to hear a special montage of the past year of TCPJ.
News
TCPJ 1 year anniversary
Motorola S9 Headphones Giveaway
Mickey on msmobiles.com podcast
iPhone News
Batteries will last longer than 400 charges
FCC proposing new rules for 700MHz Spectrum
Sprint cancelling more customers
Treo 700p Verizon MR update now available
Sprint SERO Plans for everyone
Devices
Software
Google Maps updated for Palm OS
Virtual Blackberry comes to Windows Mobile
Questions/Comments
Voicemail from Rob
How to Contact us:
602-903-4116
How to Listen:
Mickey guest hosts the msmobiles.com podcast
I was contacted last week by the producer of the msmobiles podcast who asked me if I would like to come on his podcast to discuss Windows Mobile phones and also the iPhone. I of course love doing other podcasts, so we picked a time (not easy due to a 9 hour time difference) and recorded it today. Topics also include some HTC devices and the Toshiba G900. Check it out here and make sure to visit his blog!
The Cell Phone Junkie is almost 1 year old!
This upcoming weekend will be the 1 year anniversary since I started The Cell Phone Junkie podcast. To help celebrate, Motorola will be sponsoring the giveaway of the Motorola S9 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones that I recently reviewed. Make sure you listen to the next show to find out how you can win!
Motorola MOTOROKR S9 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones Review
When Motorola contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I would like to try out the new S9 headphones, I was pretty excited. I have always been a big fan of Motorola products, so I was excited to see what they had done. This isn’t the first pair of BT headphones that Motorola has produced, but it is much sleaker than the ones in the past (think HT820). I’ll break down how I have used them and hopefully cover all the bases on my experience with them.
Overall Appearance
Included in the box with the headphones are 3 different tips for the ear buds, a wall charger, a BT dongle, some documentation, and a CD. It’s a very strange box, opening like a ring box, but I guess the packaging makes the first impression, so fancy is fine. The first thing I did was pull all the other stuff aside and go for the S9′s themselves. One thing that was very different than the HP BT Headphones I have was the lack of lots of tactile buttons. You notice with them that while there are a few buttons that you can “depress”, most of them are activated by light pressure. Something that takes a minute to figure out. The style is very sporty and the construction is mostly hard plastic, making them great for working out.
Initial Setup
Like most current gadgets, these came with some charge in them, so I was able to start playing with them immediately. However it should be noted that they require about 2 hours to charge when they are completely dead. The charging port is your typical mini-USB (thank goodness) which is nicely hidden underneath a rubber flap on the back. To start, I put the headset into discovery mode (hold down the power button for 6-8 seconds) and then took the Bluetooth dongle that was included, and plugged it into my IBM Thinkpad. The Motorola adapter then immediately found the headset and I was on my way. I found that the distance that the headphones have from the dongle quite impressive. I typically find that 5-10 feet is the typical distance that works well for most Bluetooth devices. These were able to go all over my 1650 square foot house with very little static or interference. Very nice for someone that wants to wear them while walking around without the wires.
However, then it was time to pair them with my MacBook Pro. This experience was completely different. I initially thought that I would be able to use the built in BT on the MacBook to stream the music, but I was never able to get it to work. I did some searching, and it appears that you need to download and install a separate program that would allow A2DP access, something I didn’t want to mess around with. A quick attempt to use the BT dongle was futile, looks like Mac users will be forced to do some tinkering to get them to work properly.
Use
Like I mentioned before, the buttons on the S9 are very different than what you may be used to in a headset. On the left, there is a raised call button and 2 recessed volume buttons that are touch sensitive. On the right, a play button and forward/backward track controls. Once you figure out how the controls work, it is really fun to use. Many will love these touch sensitive controls when doing things like jogging where it is hard to get your finger on the control to perform the action. An audible beep lets you know that the button has been pressed, and you are on your way.
The quality of sound through the speakers is fair but not fantastic. I would say it’s on par with a corded pair of mid-range headphones. The high range sound seems to be a bit over-emphasized, something I’m sure is a result of the style.
When wearing the S9′s, there was some discomfort around the area above my ears. The tight wraparound design makes me wonder how those with a larger head would feel with these. I guess you can stretch them a bit, but I didn’t feel like seeing how far they would go before cracking. I mentioned that there were 3 pairs of tips for inside the ear. This is a very good thing as the large ones were the only tips that allowed me to not want to throw them across the room. Most of my issues with comfort are a matter of personal choice. I feel that most wraparound headphones are not as comfortable as other designs. One thing to note though is that Motorola claims these to be water resistant, so your run in the rain will not harm them.
Six hours of playback is the rated listening time, about what I found in my tests. The 1.14 ounces is a great weight, and after a few minutes, I forgot I had them on.
My tests were only on a PC, so I wasn’t able to test out the call functionality of the S9. Motorola though suggests that you are able to easily switch between music and phone calls with a simple click of the phone button. Also, like with many BT headphones, the mono sound will only come through one ear.
Final Thoughts
The Motorola S9 Bluetooth Headphones are definitely for the active person who wants something light, durable and easy to use. The sound quality could definitely be improved, and I would like the comfort level to be increased in the future. Keep in mind that at $129 these aren’t cheap, but definitely more innovative than others out there.
The Cell Phone Junkie Show #58
The Cell Phone Junkie Show #58 53:00
Show Notes
We start the show off again with the latest iPhone news. Also, did you see Mickey on TV this past week? Plus an old friend surfaces in the listener voice mail.
iPhone
iPhone Hacked run without ATT network as a PDA only
Don’t want the 2 year contract?
Iphone battery replacement details
News
3 billion mobile subscriptions
How fast is the iPhone selling
Sprint cancels some user accounts due frequent support calls (Thanks to everyone that sent this in)
Exploding phone battery kills man
Trojan Spy Software for the Blackberry
Devices
LG updates Chocolate on Verizon
Software
Pocket Quicken for WM Smartphone
Questions/Comments
Voicemail from Dave
Voicemail from Craig
Comment from Jerry
How to Contact us:
602-903-4116
How to Listen:
This really is not a good way to start the week
So I am typing now from a co-workers computer who is off for the rest of the week. I started to do a defrag on my laptop this afternoon when I was faced with the below image. D-E-A-D… Gotta love hard drives, just another reason to make sure you always have your data backed up!
Motorola S9 Bluetooth Headphones
I made a post last week about a package that I received from Motorola, and it’s now time to come clean. Inside was a set of Motorola S9 headphones that I have been able to try out over the past week. I will be doing a full review of them in the next week or so after I have had some additional time to use them, but I thought I would give some initial thoughts.
I have used Bluetooth headphones in the past so I know many of the pros and cons. Motorola did a very nice job with these, and I have to give them credit for the size and weight. These are very comfortable on your head, but the earbuds cause some discomfort over a period of time. I am going to try different tips and see if my results differ. Also, the distance these things work is great! I was able to use them all around my house while connected with the included BT dongle to my computer in my office. Volume control is convenient and it gets plenty loud.
More to come!
