Review: Jabra Clipper Bluetooth Headset

I've never been a huge fan of the standard way of listening to music when you're out and about, pulling the earphones through the shirt, connecting to the phone's headphone jack, and hoping the whole lot doesn't go to pot.

Very versatile buttons and a microphone make themselves at home on the front of the device

For me, the Jabra Clipper Bluetooth Headset is a no-brainer. It basically eliminates the middle man of the wires through the shirt and connecting to the headphone jack. Perfect.

You plug in your earphones or the very nice short-style earphones provided by Jabra (more on that later) to the jack in the clip, and then connect the Jabra to a piece of clothing (a short sleeve or a buttoned shirt) and the little piece of tech pulls music from your smartphone et al and feeds you it in the earphones.

The earphones really finished off the device well

As I mentioned above, Jabra include a pair of earphones which are apparently 'noise-reducing', I can definitely vouch for that. The music streamed was clear, although did lack a bit of depth you might want. You can easily sort that out with the equalizer, or, as I said, plug in your own earphones.

The cable for the earphones is about a third of the size of the general cable length on other earphones, which means nothing is hanging down on your clothes while listening to music.

The port for the charger is on the side

As for the actual clip, it can withstand about 6 hours of continual usage, which is pretty good for a device of such little size. It fully charges rather quickly, around 1-2 hours. It can also be on standby for 8 days.

The device has a small light on the front to indicate when it's in pairing mode, charging or fully charged. Very handy.

As Bluetooth stereo headsets go, this one is perfect for me. Overall, I give the Jabra Clipper Bluetooth Headset 4 stars. It does what it's supposed to well, but the clip was a bit tricky to get on and the cover for the charger port didn't sit flat when closed. However, the earphones stayed in your ears (I can't put into words how much I hate earphones that keep falling out) and there are many options with the in-built buttons on the clipper. You can buy the earphones here.

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Review: PadPivot Tablet Stand

The PadPivot brings new life to your tablet

One annoying thing about most tablets is that the manufacturer doesn't make a stand for the new piece of kit. So, when you're watching a movie, editing a document, or just browsing your favorite sites, what do you do? What I recommend is that you take a look at the PadPivot tablet stand. It's not the flashiest accessory you'll own, but it does its job very well.

How the stand works at the back

At first glance it just looks like one of those average desk stands, but after playing around with it for a few minutes, you'll see it has a few very interesting quirks.

The PadPivot holds any tablet in portrait mode with ease

Firstly, it bends, which allows one of the coolest features to happen. It has been designed to sit on your leg while holding your tablet. It has two well designed holes on each side which allows the elastic cable (included) to wrap round your leg very comfortably.

There's the sticky surface (protector on top), with the connectable cable

Secondly, it has a stick-or-not option. What I mean by that is, there is a sticky surface which allows your tablet to be inserted very firmly (you can also take it off very easily too, and no marks!), but if you choose not to use it, you can flip around the stand which it is on and that acts as a back support for the tablet.

Another side view

Finally, you can virtually flat pack it by unscrewing the top flat piece which the sticky surface is on and inserting it underneath and folding the arms. Great news if you're packing and have limited room, or if you just want to pop it in your pocket.

I give the PadPivot 4.5 out of 5 stars. Everything is almost perfect, my only complaint would be that the part that you swivel on top can occasionally be a little stiff. Other than that, it is utterly perfect. It holds phones too.

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Review: AluPen Stylus

I've tried a lot of styluses, some great, some not so great. One thing is for certain, this one is the best. The AluPen is sculpted out of actual aluminium, hence the name, which makes it very comfortable and cool to hold.

Stylish and accurate, the AluPen has it all

The nib, which is arguably the most crucial part of a stylus, is outstanding too. It's a tiny bit harder than other nibs I've used, which I think gives you an added control over the screen. As an added bonus, Just Mobile include an extra nib just in case something goes wrong with the first one.

The AluPen is really great for precise gaming

Another bonus you get is a leather pouch for the stylus to travel in. Everything is really included with this stylus.

Sculpted to perfection

Usability is pretty handy, if you don't mind the stylus being a bit chunkier than most. The AluPen has outstanding accuracy and performance. When I was using it I really felt like I was using an actual pen.

This is the leather-style pouch you get along with an extra nib

I give this stylus a very rare 5 out of 5 stars. It couldn't be any better and I'm not surprised that it won the Red Dot Design Award in 2011. It really is one of the best iPad accessories. You can buy it here.

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HTC Working on Google Edition of One (Edit: Confirmed)

(Edit: A few days after publishing, HTC confirmed that a stock Android version of the One is going to be on sale on the US Play Store (initially) on June 26th.)

After a few weeks of speculation, it has now been confirmed by CNET that HTC are in fact working on a pure Android version of their flagship One.

Rumours have been circulating since the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 "Google Edition" at Google I/O, which, instead of running Samsung's TouchWiz UI on top of Android, just ran pure vanilla Android.

Photo Credit: HTC

It is currently expected that the "One Google Edition" will launch in the Summer, possibly alongside the next Nexus smartphone and a new version of Android.

This would, of course, boost Google's handle on how well distributed their newer OS updates for Android can get, as Gingerbread (2.3.x) still holds the majority of the distribution share, higher than both Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.x) and Jelly Bean (4.1.x/4.2.x).

[Source: CNET]

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Review: Aluminium-Style Bluetooth Keyboard Case for Nexus 7

The Nexus 7 is such a versatile tablet, it really revolutionized the power and performance a budget-tablet could hold. With it being so very outstanding, you need to push the limits of your little tab. Maybe, turn it into a laptop?

Use it like a typical netbook

Well, your prayers have been answered with this aluminium-style Bluetooth keyboard case for the Nexus 7.

The design is what really sets this keyboard/case apart from the competition. The keys are fairly comfortably spaced (for a smaller tablet) and pairing with the keyboard was insanely simple (click the 'Connect' button, tap on the keyboard in Bluetooth settings, enter a number and press 'Enter').

Nice and slim

The style of the keyboard matches the surrounding frame of the Nexus 7 perfectly, it even mimics the design of the back of the tablet. It stands in a typical laptop fashion.

The keyboard has a battery life of about 55 hours, and can hold its charge for around 60 days. It uses a lithium-ion rechargeable battery.

The back of the keyboard matches the Nexus 7's design almost flawlessly

Also built into the keyboard are designated keys for Android, like Home, Back, Search and controls for music. All very handy if you don't feel like actually touching the screen.

There's plenty of software-centric keys

The only tiny downer for us Brits is that it is a US keyboard, which doesn't carry the '£' sign. It also doesn't feature a touchpad like the Microsoft Surface's keyboard case does, but that is pretty common.

Overall, I'd give this keyboard case a 4 out of 5 stars. Style, build quality and a competitive price means the smaller bad bits don't really make an impact. One of the best Nexus 7 cases I'd say. You can buy it right here.

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Microsoft Debuts 'Xbox One' Takes Aim at the Set Top Box and Smart TV

Microsoft have revealed their next-gen games console today, the 'Xbox One'. Providing a strong rival to many other set-top box services, the One provides all you could ask for from any subscription service.

Microsoft showed off many different aspects of the One, including TV, gaming, web browsing and Skype from your living room.

Image credit: The Verge

In many ways it beats any Apple or Google TV box we have seen yet, but it also takes a massive swipe at the Smart TV market, as the One can give you all the smart functionalities of these products and then some.

The innards include a 1080p camera, 8GB of RAM, various microphones, and a dedicated DVR, all in the new bundle box.

Microsoft also previewed some of EA's enhancements to their games, with a new Ignite engine. Titles to launch with the service include FIFA 14, Madden 25, NBA Live 14 and UFC.

Kinect also a had a boat-load of enhancements, making sure every move you make is captured. A Kinect is also included with every Xbox One.

Microsoft said that the console will be launching later this year, around the time Sony are expected to launch their PlayStation 4 console.

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Review: Leather Style Rotating Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 Case

Watch your favorite shows without holding your tablet up with this case

The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is not a tablet you solely browse the web with, it can double as a TV, music player, netbook and fashion accessory.

The great thing is, there's plenty of unique cases and accessories you can get for it. Today, I took a look at a leather-style rotating case which lets you set down your Tab in landscape or portrait, whichever is more convenient.

Thin and sleek, professional and fun

It works with some cut-outs in the front face of the case, where the actual casing can be placed.

Speaking of the casing, if you're not a fan of the book style case, you can remove the inner casing, as it swivels on a button. Sadly though, if you do choose to remove the inner casing, there is always a slot for the button on the back which you can't remove.

Annoyingly, the button on the back cannot be taken off

If you choose that the book-style is for you, then you'll be happy to know that there is a strap that you can out over the front which means you don't have to worry about the front of the case drifting open and the screen potentially getting damaged.

Use your Tab in portrait to browse your favorite social networks

I'm not going to lie, it does add a fair amount of bulk to the tablet, but that could be added protection if you accidently drop it. It does have access to all the ports and the cameras, however if you wear both cases, the backwards-facing camera is blocked off in landscape mode.

In portrait mode, you can even take pictures while in the case

Overall I give this case a 3 out of 5 stars. It provides great protection for your Tab, and it is very functional, but in some areas it could have been better, and it did add a fair bit of bulk. I think there are some better Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 cases out there.

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