Gadgets :: August 16, 2017
By Gregg Ellman
(@Greggellman)
True story: I got tired of seeing my wife use her tablet with wired headphones, especially while using them on a treadmill.
So I handed her a box of iFrogz Impulse Duo wireless earbuds and said “use these.” In about 30 seconds she had the box opened, changed the ear tips to a better fitting smaller size, paired them with her tablet (Bluetooth) and was off to the gym.
Upon returning I asked what she thought and she said they were great and made her workout so much easier. In addition to the great sound, wireless and comfort, she really liked the magnetic clasp, which she attached to the back of her shirt during the workout.
Really, the only part I have in reviewing these was showing her how the clip doubles as cable management system when not using the earbuds.
I didn’t bother to mention that the lightweight earbuds are sweat-resistant (IPX-2 rated), have duel 6 mm drivers in each ear and up to 10 hours of use before a charge is needed. There’s also a built-in mic for handsfree calls with just the tap of a button on the clasp.
You get multiple ear tips in different sizes, along with the earbud tips for life limited warranty. So if your ear tips get worn or damaged, Zagg will replace them for free.
www.Zagg.com $44.99, currently on sale for $31.49
All at the same time, the Pyle (PLTT21BT) classic turntable is vintage, modern, hip and different.
The different aspect, which caught my eye and guarantees to be a talking point among house guests, is that the belt-drive turntable plays vinyl records vertically. Yes, that’s correct, records are played up and down, not flat. And if you weren’t looking at the turntable while it’s playing you would never know the difference. You’ll look, though, because it’s very cool.
Sound comes through a pair of front-facing built-in stereo speakers that produces decent sound. If you want improved sound or just want to spread it out, it’s simple to do. Just plug your speakers into the RCA output connector jacks.
Pyle calls the turntable accurately an Elegant Vintage Replica Crafted Sound System, and you can see that with its eye-catching wood finish and rotary knobs and button controls.
It’s easy to it into a modern sound system – just pair your portable music player with the turntable via Bluetooth to stream your digital music library from a smartphone, table or computer. There’s also a USB memory stick reader for direct streaming of music.
The turntable (14.2-by-8.3-by-14.6-inches), plays 33-1/3, 45, and 78 RPM’s, is AC powered and has a front facing tonearm, with a replaceable needle.
www.pyleaudio.com $112.95
The Phoozy thermal capsule is designed to keep smartphones safe in the hottest or coldest conditions.
Made from some of the same materials that help protect astronaut spacesuits in space, the protective capsule is a pretty sure bet to help your device stay safe on earth in hot, wet and freezing conditions.
It’s also built with float protection, a chromium shell to reflect more than 90 percent of the sun’s solar radiation and an impact core layer for military-grade drop protection.
Your LCD is not accessible when using the pouch and a soft touch protective inside liner keeps your smartphone safe and scratch-free when inside.
According to the Phoozy site, it’s designed to work with the iPhone Series, Galaxy Series, Google Pixel Series and most other major smartphones with a naked, caseless mobile device for maximum thermal protection.
https://phoozy.com $29.99
