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These unique 'phones clip on to the outside of your ears and transmit sounds via vibrations through your skin and cartilage, buzzing and tickling until you're grinning from lobe to lobe. As an Outi novice, I initially felt discombobulated and then was sent into hysterical laughter by the velvety buzz-saw sensation that pulsed from my earlobes and into my cerebellum. Don't turn these things up too high the first time you listen to them; the bass will kick you right in the cochlea.
While the clip-ons are surprisingly comfortable compared with in-the-ear speakers, overall accurate sound reproduction is ultimately sacrificed for that comfort. When we turned up the bass-heavy dance music, it was heavily. But at lower levels, watching videos on an MP3 player and listening to Podcasts sounded fantastic, with little in the way of distortion. And unlike most other ear buds, I could actually wear a set of Outis for long periods of time without any discomfort. Sure, the initial vibration sensation is a little weird, but after a while you get used to it and conventional cans almost seem like they were fashioned in the Stone Age.
WIRED: Bass is deeper than the lowest point in the Mariana Trench. Tiny and feather-light. Behind-the-ear style very comfy to wear. Rechargeable battery lasts six hours.
TIRED: Mid-range and treble fall flatter than a road trip across Kansas. Sound vibration can be off-putting at first. Painful sound distortion occurs when bass is pumped to its highest levels.
$110, Zelco
Read our full Zelco Industries Outi Earphones review.
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Unlike many of its tiny compatriots, the HP 2133 is one of the few mini notebooks that didn't feel cheap and flimsy in our hands, due in no small part to its fetching brushed aluminum and plastic outer shell. That casing does add slightly more to its overall weight, which is 2.8 pounds sans battery and 3.7 with the power source attached, but rest assured, you won't have any trouble toting it around.
Even more impressive is the fact that HP flat-out nailed the QWERTY keyboard -- we found the (almost) full-size keyboard to be one of the most responsive and comfortable we've used on a mini notebook thus far. The one big drawback is the processor. The 2133 comes with a decidedly feeble 1.2-GHz Via processor. While it looks good on paper, we found that web pages still tended to render at a snail's pace. Similarly, battery life was also an issue for us. We squeezed a little more than two hours out of 2133. Bottom line? With a little more engineering jujitsu and a processor upgrade, subsequent versions of the 2133 (if priced right) could be the mini notebook to beat in this increasingly competitive category.
WIRED: One of the most-comfortable keyboards we've used on any mini notebook. Sleek and solid build makes other minis seem like flimsy toys. Grown-up hard drive means you'll have 120 and 160 GBs at your disposal. Beautiful, scratch resistant 8.9-inch screen.
TIRED: Feeble Via processor doesn't do the job -- at least with Vista. Tiny trackpad and awkwardly placed left and right buttons makes navigating difficult.
$600, as tested, HP
Read our full HP 2133 Mini Notebook review.
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On paper, the DXG-567V pocket camcorder bitch-slaps the Flip Mino in every imaginable way. It shoots high-def, 720p video; the Mino tops out at (snicker) VGA. It sports a 2-inch LCD to the Mino's tiny 1.5-incher. It's available in four colors; the Mino comes in black or white. And while the Mino manages just 60 minutes of recording time via internal storage, the DXG pops cheap-o SD cards for virtually unlimited shooting. Even a paltry 2-GB card would net you over an hour’s worth of high-def footage.
Too bad the DXG-567V sucks. If you're shooting anywhere but outdoors on a sunny day, expect grainy, jerky, fuzzy and otherwise horrendous video. Images look a bit better when you're outdoors on a sunny day, except for the oversaturated colors and blooming whites. Oh, and whatever is the opposite of image stabilization, that's what the DXG-567V has: Unless you mount the sucker to a tripod, the video's gonna look shaky. Not cool, NYPD Blue shaky, but nausea-inducing, Cloverfield shaky. We know it's tough to squelch your inner cheapskate when faced with a high-def camcorder that's 50 bucks less than the competing VGA model, but trust us: You're better off with the Mino.
WIRED: Better specs all around than the Flip Mino, including rechargeable AA batteries you can swap for alkalines in a pinch. Onboard software ferries videos to YouTube with minimum fuss. Macro switch lets you shoot up-close and personal. Sells online for uber-cheap: around $130.
TIRED: Craptacular video makes you long for your old VHS camcorder. Batteries require external charger. Controls not nearly as grandma-friendly as Mino's. 5-megapixel sensor can't take snapshots.
$180, DXG
Read our full DXG-567V Pocket Camcorder review.
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At first glance, it's the sturdy magnesium alloy chassis and rubber accents that lend the D15RP its overall hard-knock charm. Don't be fooled though -- with both its 14.4-inch screen and 160-GB hard drive stabilized by a rubber coating, the D15RS is begging for constant bumps, drops and bone-cracking spills. The D15RS repeatedly took Mike Tyson-esque sucker punches while ripping DVDs with minimal errors.
Of course, there's more to the D15RS than feats of endurance. The combination of a 2.4-GHz Intel Core Duo processor and 2 GB of RAM proved enough muscle for mission critical applications and then some. The integrated card was fine with basic tasks like web video, but games like Crysis and Call of Duty 4 looked more like FPS-themed slideshows. Will the D15RS make a cameo at your next Red Bull-fueled LAN-stravaganza? Probably not. But for dependable performance and durability in harsh (or otherwise accident-prone) environments, it's a sensible choice.
WIRED: Spill-proof design protects keyboard, touchpad, speakers, wireless and power buttons. Integrated SD card slot, webcam, FireWire and 4-in-1 ExpressCard slot add versatility to the muscle. Awesome battery life at nearly five hours. Includes SIM card slot for surfing in the great (WiFi-less) outdoors.
TIRED: Not truly weatherproof. Durability doesn't have to be this ugly. Integrated graphics card = sloooooow renders. Lose the removable stopper for the ethernet/phone port and you're waterproofless. Thick, rubber-coated touchpad buttons are difficult to press. Runs hot and loud when processor is taxed.
$1,600, as tested GammaTech
Read our full GammaTech Durabook D15RS Rugged Notebook review.
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: GoLive2 Stix 200
Never mind what detractors say: Though it's a wireless remote, the Stix is not a Wii knockoff. For starters, there's no console; only a USB cradle for wireless connectivity with a woefully short cord. There are no expensive, quality games to purchase either -- just (some of) the flash games already available from popular web portals with a few Wowbotz-themed originals tossed in there, coupled with a plug-in to make them Stix-friendly.
There's no need for a sensor bar either: Instead of an optical sensor and accelerometer, a gyroscope attempts to detect the motion in the controller. That means no waggling or active movement. Twist the Stix left or right, up or down, to mimic the arrow keys on a keyboard. It's not without faults. For starters, it's slightly larger than a Wiimote. And after several hours of sloppy gameplay, we were still trying to figure out how to get precise movement with it. If your kids have never seen or played a Wii, this just might fool them long enough to dismiss that gaming thing entirely, and go outside to read a book.
WIRED: Kids will learn valuable lessons about frugality and patience. Makes an excellent gag gift for that co-worker you don't like. Only needs two AA batteries.
TIRED: Cradle doesn't charge the remote, or serve much purpose beyond holding the thing upright. Explaining to Grandma, "No, this is not the same as a Wiimote. Yes, I know it looks the exactly like it."
$30, GoLive2
Read our full Zelco Industries Outi Earphones review.
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We were big fans of this haute handset's predecessor, the equally trim 0.4-inch thick W880i, so we couldn't wait to get our fingers all over the updated W890i. Beyond the pumped-up camera (3.2MP instead of 2.0MP), the W890i is also 7 grams heavier and slightly wider (about 2.5mm). Nevertheless, it practically disappeared when we slipped it into our front pockets.
Even with a Mac, transferring audio tracks was beyond easy: We piggybacked the USB cable into Sony's proprietary charger, plugged it into the computer, and after a few clicks, a solid 1.35 GB of tracks were at our disposal with plenty of room to spare. Clearly, the best improvement to the W890i is that it can swallow a 4-GB stick, delivering twice the tunage of the W880i. Hey it looks like bigger really is better!
WIRED: Gorgeous brushed silver finish fit for a Terminator. Smooth and improved keypad. 2-GB stick included. 3-G, OMG! Decent sound recorder. Decent earbuds (finally). Solid battery life. MusicDJ app lets you compose original ringtones on the go. A paused track holds its place, even after phone shuts down.
TIRED: Phone can't take calls and won't display caller ID during mass storage transfer or while connected via USB. The result: beaucoup missed calls! Camera needs a flash (yesterday!). Memory slot can't be accessed without removing battery cover. No 3.5mm jack. No WiFi. Despite a near-perfect keypad, the tiny menu buttons can feel a little cramped. Radio only plays with headphones (i.e., no boombox'd NPR).
$350, Sony
(Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com)
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A far cry from Nokia's clunky 5300 slider from just two years ago, this truly bite-sized candy bar is 9 grams lighter than the W890i (previous slide), about 0.25mm thinner and less wide by about 6.6mm. While we had no trouble stashing the 5310 in our skinny pantaloons, USB file transfers required reconfiguring the settings before we were able to drag and drop tunes.
Like the W890i, removing the battery cover revealed a MicroSD slot that can handle up to 4 GB. Unlike the W890i, the 5310 comes with a glorious 3.5mm jack. Overall, if you want a music-driven phone -- and don't care about expedient web browsing or quality snapshots -- you're not likely to find a better handset for this kind of money.
WIRED: Excellent sound quality. Able to accept calls not only while USB-connected, but also *during* file transfers. Convenient external music controls. 3.5mm jack (can't stress this enough). Tween alert: sufficiently loud external speaker great (annoying) for public places.
TIRED: Flashless 2.0 MP camera. Dated, sluggish OS. Only 1 GB card included. Dinky earbuds are literally a foot shorter than iPod buds. Only 17-second vid clips. Voice recordings limited to 58 seconds. Ours came stocked with a Panic at the Disco track (promptly deleted, thank you very much).
$50 (with two-year contract), Nokia
(Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com)
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The SyncMaster 2263DX is actually two monitors in one -- a dominant 22-inch screen with a not-quite-fully-developed 7-inch (parasitic) monitor protruding from its backside. With a 1680 x 1050 native resolution, a 5 ms response time and the requisite DVI, HDMI, VGA inputs, the 2263DX is solid, yet completely ordinary, as far as 22-inch LCDs go.
As for the twin UbiSync 7 mini-me monitor, this little guy attaches to the main unit via USB and can be repositioned around the larger unit with a special rotating swing arm in both landscape and portrait modes. While the UbiSync 7's native resolution is only 800 x 480, it has a pleasingly detailed picture. We were also able to cram a surprising amount of information on the small screen. At the end of the day, we're still talking about a 7-inch monitor though. And when you factor in the cost of the 2263DX -- $550 -- and the fact that you can actually buy and pair two decent 20-inch monitors for about $100 less, the 2263DX is probably best described as a cool novelty act and not the main attraction in this LCD sideshow.
WIRED: It may have two heads, but the 2263DX is fine-looking freak. Main screen conceals a pair of powerful, down-firing 1.5-watt speakers as well as a dual microphone array. Touch-sensitive control buttons and intuitive menu system make adjusting brightness and contrast on the main unit a breeze.
TIRED: Limited screen adjustability on the main unit (tilts back but not forward). Webcam quality is atrocious. Pricey. $550 will fetch you two perfectly capable 20-inch LCDs (or a fancy 24-incher) if a bump in screen real estate is your primary objective.
$550, Samsung
Read our full Samsung SyncMaster 2263DX review.
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Klipsch's X5 earbuds are little bullet-shaped 'buds that, despite weighing next-to-nothing, deliver big booming sound. Like many other earbuds we've tested, the X5s must be inserted deep into your head to create a sound-isolating seal in the ear canal. The deeper they go, the better the sound. These 'buds are so small and sharp, it's not clear when you've got a proper seal or are about to poke yourself in the brain. While running at the gym, the X5s sealed away my own sweaty huffing and wheezing while the aural experience inside my ears became equal to a set of big cans; thumping bass, sparkling highs and solid middle notes.
If you're dead set on wearing these while exercising, you'll have to cinch down the chinstrap to get the little buggers to sit still in your ear. Oh yeah, you'll also look like an idiot. So if you are the running/jogging type and the cinch down does not fit your mojo, you might want to look elsewhere. The crazy thin cable is also just a nudge annoying. It ends up flopping all over the place and gets tangled up easier than many other 'buds we've tested. But these minor quibbles are easily overlooked once the tunes begin to roll.
WIRED: Big can audio quality in the guise of wee earbuds. Sharp sound and sharp design. 0.398-ounce weight? What are these things made out of, aerogel?
TIRED: You've got to push (and I mean really push) the buds into dangerously deep areas of your ear to make them work properly. Cinching the cable to keep them tied down will make you look ridiculous.
$250, Klipsch
Read our full Klipsch X5 Earbuds review.
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The Asus U2E is an update of last year's impressive U1F, correcting some early flaws with the model. Most notable is the addition of an optical drive to the system, which will certainly make the laptop more appealing to a broader range of buyers. Another big change: Out goes the FireWire port, in comes HDMI output, though we can't imagine who'll be plugging this into their A/V rig for entertainment purposes.
Unfortunately, the U2E still has some troubling problems. Performance is uninspiring, and the machine is buggy, too. We encountered numerous odd crashes and Windows hiccups throughout our testing. The specs are decent (11.1-inch screen, 120-GB hard drive, 3 GB of RAM, Core 2 Duo, 2.9-pounds), but many competing machines (even the Air and the Lenovo IdeaPad U110) run circles around the U2E on every important benchmark. Still, if you feel the need to be surrounded by leather at all times (and you're fresh out of jeanless chaps) the choice is all but made for you.
WIRED: Handsome. Fully loaded with connectivity options, including three USB ports. Weight on par with similar systems that don't include an optical drive.
TIRED: Numerous software problems. Integrated BIOS/driver update system never completed successfully. Homegrown software works even worse than Vista; causes problems. Too-small keyboard. Too-small, too-stiff mouse buttons. Very loud fan and very quiet speakers. Standard battery is light (machine weighs just 2.9 pounds with it) but gives less than an hour of battery life. (Try the included, larger battery instead: 3.5 pounds total but offers over four hours of life.)
$2,000 as tested, Asus
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Read our full Asus U2E review.
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By the numbers, Eos' 100T1RB Wireless Audio System is what any wire-entangled apartment needs. The relatively small system consists of a base station with an iPod/iPhone dock, an auxiliary out port and satellite speakers capable of wirelessly syncing to the base. Wireless setups like this often come with a host of connectivity headaches, but the 100T1RB was surprisingly simple. I literally plugged everything in, connected my iPod and cranked up my favorite playlist.
Distributing the satellites throughout my apartment was a cinch too. With their removable power supplies, I had the option of plugging the speakers in the old fashioned way, or removing them and plugging the speakers directly into wall outlets. On the downside, the audio quality of the individual speakers could use some work. Both the base unit and the satellites are equipped with subwoofers, but overall the bass output isn't the stuff of earthquakes. Paired with some of the gain I received at higher volumes, it's safe to say that this isn't the end-all-be-all for multiroom audio. Still, in terms of price and ease, the 100T1RB is well-suited for the no-fuss multiroom novice.
WIRED: Great for "quick and dirty" multiroom music. Speakers automatically sync with base unit out of box. Mini stereo input allows connectivity with virtually any MP3 player and most audio devices. Fantastic range -- even in multistory settings. Rejoice, iFanatics -- it charges devices while docked. Ships with remote and a ton of iPod dock adapters.
TIRED: Rechargeable-battery-powered satellites would've been nice. Audio quality doesn't hold a candle to wireless systems from Bose. Altec. 2.1 stereo driver is great for music, but stunts home theater possibilities. Buttons on base station feel flimsy.
$510 as tested, Eos Wireless
Read our full Eos 100T1RB Wireless Audio System review.
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What appeared to be cool about the little Sony Ericsson W350 proved itself to be an annoyance and a hassle to use. Not that it doesn't look good. Sleek and petite, this Walkman phone is slimmer and narrower than most candy-bar handsets. A small flip panel that houses the controls opens to reveal a keypad composed of glossy Chiclets and a squared-off oval navigation pad. Though pretty, these design touches are the most irritating features of the phone. The smooth keys are hard to press in isolation. The navpad leaves little room for easy navigation. And the flimsy flip panel takes great skill to open one-handedly, which makes it bad for efficient answering.
The phone comes with what looks like a 512-MB microSD card. But wait -- it's Sony's own memory card, the incompatible Memory Stick M2. When was the last time you've seen any Memory Stick slots in a non-Sony notebook? Don't forget to lock the phone after every call, because when it's flipped shut, the phone defaults to Walkman mode, and a key in your pocket could start an impromptu jam session in a company meeting. On the bright side, when this phone comes out, it'll be cheap, around $30 with a two-year contract.
WIRED: It's as tiny and as pretty as a music-box ballerina. Includes an FM radio (which will be cool until the HD-radio takeover next year).
TIRED: The keys and navpad are unfit for grownup human use. The phone's clunky headphone connector has all the charm of a tumor. The awkward flip panel makes for clumsy, fumbling answers.
$30 estimated with two-year contract, Sony Ericsson
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Read our full Sony Ericsson W350 review.
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The Nokia E66 has what we in the lab have taken to calling the "mullet button" (actual name: switch mode). This feature allows your mobile to toggle between two separate screen modes. Keep the first one full of all your spreadsheets, work e-mail, TPS reports and other boring business stuff. When you leave the office, let your hair down a little and switch to the personal mode and start using all the applications that hamper productivity.
The E66 has a lot in common with an N-series device, and is functionally almost identical to the N78, sporting 3G, WiFi, media player, FM radio and a 3.2-megapixel cam. But there is one overarching quality that puts it squarely in the business world: Like many jobs, it sounds great at first, but gets old real fast once you see past the shine.
WIRED: A magnificent piece of hardware, with Vertu-level build quality. Nice form factor: thin enough to disappear in your pocket but large enough for a 2.5-inch screen. Upgraded processor runs S60 even more snappily than the N95 8 GB. Automatic screen orientation. Finger-friendly textured keys. Hard buttons for silent mode and Bluetooth on/off.
TIRED: Mullet mode adds yet another level of menus under which to bury functions. Arrgh! Swanky metal backplate gets hand-scaldingly hot. Road warriors will scoff at the battery life: around three hours of talk time (con Bluetooth). Must pay extra for business applications -- document, spreadsheet editor, etc. Camera sucks in anything but perfect light.
$500, Nokia
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
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When we first reviewed the Toshiba Portege R500 in July 2007, it was a breath of fresh air, an impossibly portable ultralight that stood out against a field of also-rans. But the machine hasn't received a significant update in that time, and it is now having its lunch eaten by all of the competition it previously trounced. Our model came with a larger hard drive, a faster CPU and more RAM than the model we tested last year. None of these mild improvements served to boost the R500 up to hang with its newfound contenders.
The R500 is still the lightest full-featured laptop on the market, weighing just 2.4 pounds while still offering an optical drive. But the Portege makes a lot of sacrifices to reach such an anorexic state, the most obvious being build quality and components that feel shaky, to put it mildly. Nearly as problematic is the dreadful performance of the R500, about 23 percent slower than both the Sony Vaio TZ-150 and the MacBook Air ultralights. Still, if the durability and performance concerns don't turn you off, there's a bit to like here. With three USB ports, FireWire, VGA, SD card and ethernet ports, the machine is pretty full-featured, and its $2,149 price is competitive next to most other ultralights.
WIRED: Amazingly, almost suspiciously, light. Integrated optical drive. 12.1-inch screen a decent compromise between 11.1- and 13.3-inch models.
TIRED:Terrible screen quality, one of the dimmest on the market and hard to read if you're not looking straight on. Pitiful performance under Vista. Lack of sturdiness is outright scary. Only 1 GB of RAM.
$2,150 as tested, Toshiba
Read our full Toshiba R500 review.
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With its buttonless face and black monolithic look, the all-touchscreen Instinct is immediately familiar: It's virtually the same weight and size as the iPhone, only about two-tenths of an inch narrower. Most of the expected specs are here: 3G, GPS, 2-megapixel camera (with video recording), and full e-mail and web browsing features. Of course, the real reason for the iPhone's success is its operating system, and here the Instinct is still playing catch-up. While everything is intuitive and pretty zippy, it's still not quite as polished as Apple's version.
As well, the narrower body trims nearly a half inch off the iPhone's screen size, which really cramps page size. Even typing on the Instinct can be rocky: I made so many mistakes in notes and web URLs that typing slowed to a painful crawl even by iPhone's slow standards. The Instinct won't woo the Apple faithful from upgrading to the iPhone 3G, but it's definitely good enough to rank as a solid second-tier player in the smartphone space.
WIRED: Turn-by-turn GPS navigation is very responsive, generally accurate and updates quickly. Easily customizable home screen. Painless e-mail setup works well with numerous hosts. Decent multimedia options (included with $99 all-you-can-eat service plan) include copious TV options. Works with any screen-tapping implement (not just your finger).
TIRED: No WiFi. Clearly cellphone-quality photos. No internal storage: 2-GB microSD card included (upgradeable to 8 GB). Can't edit attachments. Web browser needs a serious reworking. Includes a stylus ... but provides no slot to stow it.
$130 (with two-year contract), Samsung
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Read our full Samsung Instinct review.
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The diminutive D60 is a fistful of photo-tech fun as the beneficiary of a bucketful of Nikon D300 trickle down like a speedier EXPEED image processor, a vibration-reducing zoom lens, Active D-Lighting and a dust-reduction system with a particle-purging vent. From the moment you flip on the power, the D60 is ready to shoot. Its 10-megapixel photos were punchy, sharp and pleasing. Not a big jump in sharpness from the D40x, but noticeable, especially at higher ISO settings where the new EXPEED image processor's noise reduction algorithm really kicks in.
The simple user interface takes cues from Nikon's point-and-shoots and a variety of in-camera editing and touch-up features pretty much eliminate the need to use any post-production software. The D60 comes up a little short in frame rate. At just three frames per second in continuous shooting mode, you may be disappointed by its stop-action sports performance. Also, its three-point auto-focus system is one-third of its closest competitor, Canon's Rebel XSi. All in all the D60 is a straight outta the box, shoot-your-ever-smiling-face-off winner. However, if you harbor any ambition of getting more creative with your image making, then you may find that you outgrow this camera faster than you'd expected.
WIRED: Brightest, sharpest LCD in category. Stop-motion movies. Active D-Lighting fixes shots during processing. In-camera RAW conversion. Fast start-up to shoot.
TIRED: Compact styling means the controls are a bit cramped for big hands. Only three-point auto-focus system. Manual shooting a bit ungainly. Just three frames per second in continuous shooting mode.
$700 as tested, Nikon
Photo: Jackson Lynch/Wired.com
Read our full Nikon D60 review.
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