Logitech UE 9000 Review: Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones

The Logitech UE 9000 Bluetooth noise canceling headphones come with a high price tag, but deliver incredible sounding audio and the power to drown out annoying outside noise.

Normally Bluetooth headphones and high quality audio don’t go hand in hand, but the Logitech UE 9000 headphones are capable of pushing great sounding music and movie dialogue with plenty of range.

I’ve used the Logitech UE 9000 headphones for the last three months, on nearly a half-dozen flights, at home and in coffee shops across the country. After using cheaper, but above average, in ear headphones for so long I am happy to have the noise canceling feature and Bluetooth connectivity built-in.

The Logitech UE 9000 headphones offer great sound and Bluetooth connectivity.

Sound Quality

The Logitech UE 9000 headphones deliver amazing sounding audio, allowing me to get lost in the music while i work, dance around the house or take a walk when I want to zone out.

I used the EU 9000 headphones to listen to a variety of music from a SpacePlant techno style remix to acoustic coffee shop style tunes and some of the latest Hip Hop. No matter what music I turned up, the UE 9000 headphones let me feel absorbed by the music.

40mm drivers and comfortable cushioning.

The headphones are also great for listening to movies. While flying I was able to watch Mallrats and Looper without hearing the couple behind me debate the finer points of differing religions and could concentrate on the dialogue. At home I use the headphones to watch loud and violent movies like Snatch and 7 Psychopaths without bothering a wife or puppies sleeping in the same room.

For users who care about the specs of headphones, Logitech and Ultimate Ears pack in 40mm drivers, 32 ohms, 1KHz Impedance and 14DB noise isolation. The rest of the specs are available from Logitech.

Noise Canceling

The noise canceling feature works very well at home and in the air. On almost every flight i have the good fortune of sitting next to an engine, which made me happy to have the UE 9000′s around my head. The noise canceling did not completely drown out the sound of the engine, but cut enough of it out that I could focus on the movie and almost forget I was on a plane.

Noise canceling tunes out kids and airplane noises.

The noise canceling feature does an excellent job of keeping nearby conversations from interrupting my movie or my work. As an ultimate test the headphones let me watch pretty much anything while my wife got her fix of The Nanny, without Fran Drescher’s voice cut into whatever I was watching.

Bluetooth

The Logitech UE 9000′s use Bluetooth 2.1 and are capable of delivering a good range in a typical home, at least 25 feet in my experience. Logitech claims the Bluetooth connection can range up to 50 feet. The headphones deliver good sound through Bluetooth and with the included cable. Logitech designed these headphones with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch in mind, but they do work with Android devices.

The Bluetooth connection includes the ability to make and receive calls and to control music playback with built-in controls.

Reminders+ Beats Apple’s Place Based Reminders but Forgets Time Based Tasks

The Apple bundled Reminders app helps users organize their life, but a third-party app called Reminders+ does the same thing for location-based reminders with a prettier interface and a couple of extras. It adds a countdown timer, alarm and easier to use location-based reminders. However, it only works for location-based reminders.

Reminders+ doesn’t seek to replace the Reminders app in iOS or other task or to-do list apps because it only does reminders based on location. The location-based reminders work better and simpler than the Apple app, but most people need to keep reminders based on time or date instead of just location.

What Reminders+ Gets Right

For people who do use mostly location-based reminders, Reminders+ does a better job because it’s more complicated to add one to the Apple app. Users must add a regular reminder and then edit the reminder to add the location. Reminders+ makes it quicker because it takes fewer steps. The app also looks nicer.

In addition to location-based reminders, Reminders+ also lets users create quick alarms. The user can wake up or remember to go pick up the kids at school. The app also includes timers for things like baking a cake or taking a break every thirty minutes.

The app will save each category of reminder for future use, or the user can simply delete it by tapping the item in the list and tapping the trash icon.

Why We Can’t Recommend Reminders+

At $1.99 in the Apple iOS app store, users will think twice before buying this app. For those who just want quick and simple location-based reminders, the app works well. The developer left out non geographical reminders in order to differentiate it from the Apple app, but they might add regular reminders in the future. Most of our reminders don’t need a location. They need a date or sometimes a date and time. Other tasks don’t need either. Also Apple’s app will let me create multiple lists and I can add them via Siri. Hold off on Reminders+ until they add non geographical reminders.

Android 4.2 on Samsung Galaxy Nexus Review

Last week, Verizon began rolling out theSamsung Galaxy Nexus Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update  to its owners, the last Nexus device in the United States to get the software. The software replaced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as the device’s operating system and while an incremental update, the software brought a lot of new features to the table. Here, we take a detailed look at the brand new Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

In November of last year, Google rolled out its latest Android update, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, which replaced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as the company’s most current version of mobile software. Android 4.2, despite being a different version of Android, wasn’t a massive upgrade though, not like Android 4.1 had been from Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Almost immediately, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus GSM and Nexus 7 were updated with the new software, a piece of software that promised several new and intriguing features. However, as expected, owners of Nexus devices on specific carriers, were in for a much longer wait for the new features of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

As Nexus 7 and GSM Galaxy Nexus owners enjoyed their update to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, Sprint and Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners could only watch and wait for the update. Earlier this year, Sprint owners were treated to the software upgrade through both a manual installation method and through an OTA update. That left Verizon Galaxy Nexus owners, like myself, as the last Nexus owners in the U.S. without Android 4.2.

Finally last week, several weeks after Sprint owners got their upgrade, Verizon approved Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and started rolling the update out to owners in phases.

After several days of waiting, I finally got the upgrade on my Verizon Galaxy Nexus. And after spending a few days using the software, it’s time to take a close look at how Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is performing on my Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Updating Android 4.2 Was Quick and Painless

While the wait for the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus spanned the course of many months, and included a multi-day wait from announcement to roll out, the actual process of updating to the new software was quick and painless.

The Verizon Galaxy Nexus Android 4.2 update finally rolled out.

As I typically do, I waited for Verizon’s OTA to roll out instead of updating to the software manually, and because of that, I didn’t even notice that the update had downloaded in the background until a few hours it had done so. The update prompted me to install the software, a process that it said would take around five to seven minutes.

It did not lie. Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, despite being a new update for Android, is not a big piece of software, checking in at a little over 80MB in size. It did take only five to seven minutes before the update installed itself, rebooted, and brought my Verizon Galaxy Nexus up to speed with the rest of the Nexus devices out there.

Android 4.2 Performance

I’ve had Android 4.2 Jelly Bean installed on my Verizon Galaxy Nexus for a couple of days now. And while the original Nexus 7 Android 4.2 update had been a bit shoddy, containing a number of issues, the Verizon version of the update looks like a typical Verizon Android update, free from major bugs and offering high quality performance.

UI is Fluid

Android 4.2 keeps the fluidity that Android 4.1 brought to the Galaxy Nexus as the user interface is still extremely crisp and fast. Scrolling through my various home screens remains fast and opening and closing applications is as crisp as it ever has been.

Thus far, I’ve experienced no major slow downs with Android 4.2.

So far, Android 4.2 seems void of any major issues.

Wi-Fi Connectivity

So far, Wi-Fi connectivity is extremely strong. I haven’t heard about any complaints with Wi-Fi connectivity as far as the Verizon Galaxy Nexus or any other Nexus for that matter is concerned but it’s nice to know that Samsung, Google and Verizon did not break the connectivity that I, and many others, depend on when it comes to using the phone at home.

4G LTE Data Speeds

Like Wi-Fi, 4G LTE data speeds remain as fast as they were on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Typically, the 4G LTE data speeds that I pull down on my Galaxy Nexus at home are on par with my Wi-Fi speeds and that hasn’t changed. I’m still getting solid speeds and the trade offs from 4G LTE to 3G and Wi-Fi to 4G LTE to 3G have been seamless.

Bluetooth

One of the issues that Samsung Galaxy Nexus owners have had in the past are issues with Bluetooth. So far, so good with my Galaxy Nexus as the phone has been able to keep a solid connection when paired with my Bluetooth speakers.

Bugs? If So, Hard to Find

Thus far, I’ve been unable to find any major bugs with Android 4.2. The calendar issue that arrived and was fixed in Android 4.1.1 obviously isn’t there, my Galaxy Nexus charges fine – my Nexus 7 still charges extremely slowly on Android 4.2.2 – and I haven’t experienced any random reboots since installing the software.

I’ve heard from a few people who have experienced reboots though they don’t seem to be widespread and my Galaxy Nexus has, so far, managed to avoid the issue.

Android 4.2 Battery Life

I’ve never had much success with the battery life on my Samsung Galaxy Nexus. In fact, it has been one of my biggest complaints about Verizon’s Nexus smartphone, especially now that I have an IPhone 5 and have used phones like the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD. It’s just simply not good enough for a flagship smartphone.

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean doesn’t improve on the Galaxy Nexus’ poor battery life in any way, but it also doesn’t impact it in a bad way either. Battery life seems to be as normal as it was before updating to the new software. That means far less than all day battery life and much less than the near seven hours of 4G LTE browsing that I get from my iPhone 5.

Galaxy Nexus battery life still leaves something to be desired.

As you can see, my Galaxy Nexus drained 13% in about 40 minutes with extremely light usage over Wi-Fi. That’s about par for the course with this smartphone.

New Features

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean also comes with a number of new features, some of which I really like and some which I am not so keen on. Here is a look at a few of the biggest features that came with Android 4.2.

Photo Sphere

One of the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean features that didn’t come with my Nexus 7 is called Photo Sphere, a camera feature found in the Camera app that allows Galaxy Nexus owners to take 360-degree panoramic photos. I was pretty excited about the prospects of Photo Sphere but thus far, my experience has been mixed.

Android 4.2′s Photo Sphere interface.

Photo Sphere isn’t too tricky to find its one of the options in the bottom left corner of the stock Camera app. Once opening it, it will bring you to a screen that makes you align your photo with the middle of the circle. Once there, you’ll need to essentially connect the dots to form your panoramic photo.

It’s little tricky to get the photo exactly how you want it to look and most of my photos have ended up looking like this shot from CES wherein it’s not a seamless photo.

Photo Sphere sample.

I think after some practice, I’ll be able to get it down, but thus far, the quality of photos, even my best ones, make it seem like it won’t be a feature that I use on a regular basis.

Quick Settings

This was one of my favorite features on my Nexus 7. Quick Settings is a menu that can be found by dragging down the Notification Bar. In the upper right corner, there is an icon to click that will bring owners to a screen where all the essential Settings of the Galaxy Nexus can be toggled.

Android 4.2′s Quick Settings is extremely useful.

For instance, Airplane Mode can be switched on and off with ease, Wi-Fi can be adjusted with a long press shutting it off completely, clicking on the Verizon Wireless icon brings you to a menu that displays mobile data usage – fantastic for those that are on tiered data, and Bluetooth can be turned on or off as well.

This may seem like a little feature but it’s probably the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean feature that I use the most.

Gesture Keyboard

I’ve never been a big fan of gesture keyboards. I never got into Swiftkey or Swype or any of the keyboards that allow you to swipe around to complete words and sentences for things like text messages and emails. So the gestures that Google added to the keyboard in Android 4.2 weren’t too exciting to me. They still aren’t.

That said, they function as advertised and the few texts and emails that I’ve used using gestures have been sent out accurately and efficiently. I probably won’t use it on a regular basis but at least I know it’s there if I need it.

Lock Screen Widgets

The update also brought new Lock Screen Widgets to the table for Galaxy Nexus owners. This means that users can add widgets like Email, Google+, Calendar and more to the lock screen to get a preview before opening up the real deal inside the phone.

For me, they’re extremely useful. I can peek at the highlights of Google+ without having to open my phone or even take a look at text messages and all it takes is a simple swipe to the left or right to do so.

Lock screen widgets are a quick way to see information.

I’m hoping that Google adds more functionality with Android 5.0 as there is a bit of promise here but so far, these have been extremely useful to me and function quite well.

Daydream

As I’ve said, while Google and Verizon might be hyping up the Daydream screen saver as a big feature in Android 4.2, I find it to be incredible useless. Others, especially those who have shot gorgeous photos on their Galaxy Nexus may feel different, but I still haven’t found the need to use it

Should You Upgrade to Android 4.2?

Verizon is known for extensively testing their Android updates before releasing them and that generally means that they are bug free. So far, Android 4.2 for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus seems to be without any major bugs. It also keeps the battery life the same while adding new features that should help to enhance the experience.

That said, it’s at this point safe to install the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update on the Galaxy Nexus and start using its features. Those that haven’t received the update should see it arrive soon.

What’s Next for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus?

The last update that the Verizon Galaxy Nexus received, prior to Android 4.2, was Android 4.1. It got nothing in between. This means that if the Galaxy Nexus does get another update from Verizon, and there is no confirmation that it will, it will more than likely be Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, which is rumored for a May debut at Google I/O.

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie could arrive in May.

The Galaxy Nexus is approaching its two year anniversary which means that there is a chance that Verizon could leave Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie off the menu, but if I had to guess, I’d imagine that the Galaxy Nexus will get the update at some point down the road.

Just don’t expect it to arrive soon after Google makes the announcement.

FAVI SmartStick Google TV and Keyboard Review

The FAVI SmartStick Google TV hooks to a TV using HDMI and takes up little more space than a USB flash drive. Paired with a FAVI SmartStick Keyboard Controller, it promises users a full Google TV experience in a tiny package. But do we really get a full Google TV experience in this small package?

FAVI calls the FAVI SmartStick the “smallest TV Internet device ever released.” It measures 1.3-inches wide, .6-inches tick and only 3.6-inches long. It won’t take up much room when plugged into a TV HDMI port. Still, it was too big to fit in our TV. The white plastic casing covered part of the HDMI port next to it. FAVI includes a HDMI adapter making it possible to plug into our TV.

The SmartStick doesn’t work without plugging in the power cable. We wish it would run off the limited power coming out of a TV HDMI port.

Once we set things up using the on-screen instructions and paired the FAVI SmartStick Keyboard Controller it worked well. The company sells the SmartStick for only $49.99 for a 4GB model and $79.99 for an 8GB model. However, without the keyboard the device doesn’t work well. We first plugged a USB keyboard into the device. This works, but who wants a big USB keyboard in their living room? Get the $40 keyboard if you buy one. It looks exactly like the FAVI Bluetooth keyboard but without Bluetooth.

iOS 6.1.3 on iPad Mini Review

Apple released iOS 6.1.3 last week, delivering an updated version of the iOS 6 software that powers the iPhone, iPad and iPad mini. In this post I take a look at the iOS 6.1.3 performance on the iPad mini, to see how the iPad mini handles Apple’s latest bug fixes.

Apple includes a number of fixes in each small iOS update, and with iOS 6.1.3 Apple promises to fix a lock screen issue on the iPhone and deliver map updates for Japan. But like most iOS updates, iOS 6.1.3 delivers other small fixes and tweaks not mentioned in the release notes.

Earlier this month we reviewed iOS 6.1.3 on the iPhone 5 and iOS 6.1.3 on the iPad, both of these posts can help you figure out if it is ok to install iOS 6.1.3 on your iPhone or iPad.

iOS 6.1.3 on the iPad mini review.

The iOS 6.1.3 follows several other swift updates to the iPad mini. Apple launched the iOS 6.1 update in January which brought new features like the ability to buy movie tickets from the iPad or iPhone but it also brought a number of bugs which Apple is trying to stamp out with smaller updates for the iPhone and iPad.

The iOS 6.1.1 and iOS 6.1.2 updates delivered several improvements to battery life and fixed some Exchange issues that plagued a number of users, but there are still lingering problems that necessitated an iOS 6.1.3 release. The iOS 6.1.3 release does not call attention to other bug fixes, but I noticed a slightly improved battery life on the iPad mini after the iOS 6.1.3 update.

Thanks to the earlier issues some users may be waiting to see iOS 6.1.3 performance details and battery life reports before upgrading their devices. It’s possible that iOS 6.1.3 is the last small update for iOS before Apple announces iOS 7, the rumored major upgrade for the iPhone, iPad, iPad mini and iPod touch.

Fast Update to iOS 6.1.3

The iOS 6.1.3 update on the iPad mini was a quick download, clocking in at 17.5MB. It was easy to quickly download the update over WiFi in about 5 minutes.

The only snag I ran into while trying to update to iOS 6.1.3 on the iPad mini was the need to plug in to power to complete the update. If there is less than 50% battery life the iPad mini requires that it is plugged in to power to complete the process. This is slightly annoying considering at 46% battery life left the iPad mini is good to run another 5 hours of heavy usage.

Once plugged in it only took a few minutes for iOS 6.1.3 to install and for the iPad mini to restart and be ready for use.

iOS 6.1.3 Performance

After nearly a week of using iOS 6.1.3 on the iPad mini I am impressed with th performance of this most recent update. My iPad mini has not been afflicted with the many problems that my iPad 3 has, but I still update with caution – especially since there is no going back to an earlier version of iOS.

No WiFi Problems on iOS 6.1.3

I have trouble connecting my iPad 3 to WiFi, but the iPad mini still holds a strong and fast connection to WiFi at home and on the go. This has not changed with iOS 6.1.2 or iOS 6.1.3.

The WiFi issues of the iPhone 5 and iPad 3 appear to be hit or miss and despite several iOS devices on the home router only one consistently experiences issues.

Fast 4G LTE

I have a 4G LTE iPad mini which means I have a backup for WiFi and the ability to use it as a personal hotspot that lasts for a full day. After the iOS 6.1.3 update 4G LTE remains strong and connectivity is better than my iPhone 5, both which are on Verizon.

Sound Works Fine

iPad 3 and iPad 4 users are reporting sound issues on iOS 6.1.3, but everything is working fine on my iPad mini.

Overall Performance

The user interface on the iPad mini and the performance of stock apps like iMessage are good. There is no slow down to the overall use of the iPad mini with iOS 6.1.3 and I am not experiencing the iMessage sluggishness Adam Mills reports on the iPhone 5 running iOS 6.1.3.

iOS 6.1.3 Battery Life

iOS 6.1.3 battery life review.

iOS 6.1.3 battery life on the iPad mini is good, in fact it may be slightly improved. During the last week I used the iPad min ias a personal hotspot for 6 hours and barely registered the usage when it came time to check the battery life.

This doesn’t mean there are no iOS 6.1.3 battery life issues. Some users are reporting a fast iOS 6.1.3 battery drain on the iPhone, but my iPad mini is not exhibiting any of these problems.

iOS 6.1.3 Jailbreak

The biggest drawback to the iOS 6.1.3 update is that it cuts off access to use the evasi0n jailbreak tool which offers access to Cydia and a number of great iPhone and iPad tweaks.

The iOS 6.1.3 update closed one or more of the exploits used by the iOS 6.1 jailbreak, and likely means no more jailbreaking until iOS 7 arrives.

Users with an iPad mini and an iOS 6.1 jailbreak should not update to iOS 6.1.3 unless they are ok with losing access to Cydia apps and Cydia themes.

Should You Install iOS 6.1.3 for iPad mini?

IOS 6.1.3 is worth downloading for most iPad mini users. There appear to be few new issues, and there is a chance that the iOS 6.1.3 update will fix things not noted in the official release notes.

The only users who should avoid this are users with a jailbroken iPad mini or users who are using an 

Satechi Wireless Mini Router Repeater Review: Easily Boosts Home WiFi

The Satechi Wireless Mini Router Repeater enhances a local Wi-Fi network by letting users set up the device as a wireless router, a network bridge, an extender, a repeater or a client. Setting up the Satechi Wireless Mini Router Repeater doesn’t take much time or technical skill, making it a great solution for anyone willing to read some basic instructions.

We primarily wanted to use the small Satechi Wireless Mini Router Repeater to extend a weak Wi-Fi network in an upstairs bedroom at the far corner of the house. The Netgear WiFi Booster reviewed earlier here at GottaBeMobile didn’t extend the signal far enough, and it dropped the connection to the main Wi-Fi router, making it nearly useless in our setting. The Satechi solved this problem.

Design and Function of the Satechi Wireless Mini Router Repeater

The Satechi Wireless Mini Router Repeater is small. So small it’s basically the size of the power supply that most traditional wireless routers use. Instead of just serving as a power supply, it holds the entire router. The device measures less than 3 inches long.

On the bottom of the Satechi router there are a couple of Ethernet ports. One connects to a Cable or DSL modem when used as a Wi-Fi router, or connects it to another network router directly if you want to add Wi-Fi to an existed wired-only network. Some may want to connect to a Wi-Fi router to use it in bridge mode. This creates a second Wi-Fi network, which could be used as a guest network.

The Satechi works with 802.11 b/g/n networks. It uses WPA and WPA2 security. When the user connects it as a repeater to extend the existing wireless internet, the device takes the same SSID as the main router and users won’t know they’re connecting through the repeater instead of the primary router.

Simple Setup Process

We used the second port to connect up a Mac to configure the device. The router also uses this port to connect to devices like a gaming system or set-top box so users can connect them to Wi-Fi in client mode if the device doesn’t include built-in Wi-Fi.

Configuration takes less than fifteen minutes. Follow the barebones directions carefully. We failed the first time we hooked up the device. The second attempt worked perfectly.

Once configured, we plugged it into a surge protector and connected the Wi-Fi on multiple devices to it, testing the throughput and quality of connection. There were no problems, and now that room in the far corner of the house enjoys a solid Wi-Fi connection.

Recommendation

Satechi normally sells the router for about $50 but now it’s on sale for just $39.99, although it’s out of stock. Sign up to get a notice when they get one in stock. It’s worth the wait and the price. We’re told they should get some in April.

The Satechi Wireless Mini Router Repeater offers a simple to use device with a strong signal in a small footprint. For just $40 the Satechi Wireless Mini Router Repeater is a bargain.