Plantronics Discovery 665 Review

Today I'll be reviewing the Plantronics Discovery 665. This is one of a few bluetooth headsets that I've used, but this one is probably my favorite.

The Discovery 665 is very light and weighs in at only 9 grams. The headset is an in-ear design, much like headphones, but there is an optional stabilizing loop that hooks to your ear. It comes with different gel ear pieces to accommodate for people with larger or smaller ears.

The sound quality of this headset is much better than headsets that I've used in the past. Voice sounds clear to me during conversations and I haven't had anyone tell me that the quality on the receiving end was poor.

What really makes this headset stand out is it's charger. Rather than a traditional wall charger, this headset comes with a vehicle charger that you plug into the cigarette lighter. This feature practically sold the headset to me, since I'd be using this headset nearly 100% of the time while driving around Southern California.

This headset also comes with a USB charger, so you could alternatively charge this headset on your computer. Alternatively, you could purchase this traditional Plantronics Charger if you wanted to charge your headset in a more traditional manner.

The one gripe that I do have about this headset are the buttons to adjust the volume or to answer/hang up. The buttons feel very stiff and while you're wearing the headset, it feels like you're trying to mash it through your skull.

Overall, I would recommend this headset. It's simplistic interface, comfort to wear, and unique vehicle charger make this headset a keeper.

Prevent Scratches on your Gadgets

I really hate when I get a new toy, and after a few weeks of its use, I notice little scratches. This especially bugs me on phones. I found a cool screen or even full device protector. The website had a good explanation so I'd rather not reiterate.

ZAGG's invisibleSHIELD™ is a thin, polyurethane film originally created for the military to protect the leading edge of helicopter blades. What's unique about this military-grade film is how tough it is - it doesn't scratch. Introduced in early 2005, the invisibleSHIELD is the first product of its kind. Its patent-pending, full body protection has revolutionized the industry and has changed the way people think of protecting their devices. Others have tried to imitate it and have fallen short.

Apart from keeping your devices scratch-free, the invisibleSHIELD provides some unexpected benefits. Unlike cases, its uncompromising design doesn't take away from the look and feel of your device. It adds no bulk, allowing you to freely hold, carry, and dock your device without interruption. Also its "grippy" feel allows you to be far less likely to drop your once slippery device.

This stuff is so strong. The following video is a demonstration of testing the strength of invisibleShield.

Definitely check this stuff out on their website. They have more videos and explaination about this stuff.
http://www.invisibleshield.com/

Convert HD-DVD to Blu-Ray

With the end of the format war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, I thought that this was a pretty cool article that might help relieve the pain for the early adopters of HD-DVD.

Wired has an article about converting HD-DVD movies into Blu-Ray.

With the end of this war, I am very happy that I choose to purchase my Playstation 3. Now if only Gran Turismo 5 would come out quicker.

Five iPod Nano Alternatives

Apple has the dominant position in the MP3 player market. The term iPod is thrown around everyday and has become a common household name. Now iPod has become the unspoken standard in households. But what are your other options?

5. Sony A810
Sony has released their response for the iPod Nanos with this 8GB player with a 2.0" screen. This player supports AAC, MP3, and WMA file formats for audio, MPEG-4 and M4V files for video playback, as well as the ability to view your JPEGs in a slideshow for pictures. The battery life is about 33 hours. The retail price for this player is about $200.00 and makes the number 5 position for my top iPod Nano alternatives.

4. Samsung YP-P2JAB
Samsung's YP-P2JAB is a neat little gadget. It features a 3.0" display, the largest of the iPod Nano alternatives. The storage capacity for this player is 8GB. It supports MP3 and WMA files for audio playback and WMV and OGG files for video playback. It also supports JPEG pictures to view your favorite pictures as a slideshow. The battery life is about 35 hours. This player has 2 features that the iPod Nanos do not have. The first is a FM tuner, which allows you to listen to radio on this player. The second is a touch screen which allows you to navigate through all your MP3s. The price of this player is the highest on my iPod Nano alternatives list weighing in at $280. The feature set is nice, but the price will not make it past number 4.

3. Creative ZEN
Creative's ZEN player makes number 3 on my list. This player features a 2.5" LCD display and a 16GB storage capacity that is expandable through its SD Slot. It supports MP3, WMA, AAC, M4A, WAV, and Audible file formats for audio. It also supports a MPEG, WMV, DIVX, and XVID file formats for viewing your favorite movies. It also features an FM Tuner. The battery life for this device is about 25 hours. This player will set you back about $250 and is available now.

2. SanDisk Sansa View
SanDisk's Sansa View is a nice little player that has a 16GB storage capacity with an expandable MicroSD slot. This player has a 2.4" screen. It only supports MP3, WMA, and WAV audio formats and MPEG4, and WMV video formats. At the same price as the iPod Nano, double the iPod Nano's storage capacity, and a battery that exceeds the iPod's battery life by more than 10 hours (35 hours), the Sansa View makes number 2 on my list.

1. Microsoft Zune 2
The Zune 2 is the coolest of the iPod Nano alternatives. This player has the smallest screen of all the iPod Nano alternatives with a screen of 1.8". However, where the Zune 2 is better than the iPod Nano comes to the material that the screen is made of. The Zune 2 will feature a screen that is made of glass. The Zune also features WiFi which allows you to sync your music wirelessly and share your favorite tunes with other Zune users. There is also a built-in FM tuner that allows you to listen to radio on this player as well. The Zune 2 has a battery life of 25 hours and will set your back $200.

If you have any iPod alternatives, I'd like to hear about them.