Product: ZeTime Smartwatch

Design: 4.5 / 5
Build Quality: 4 / 5
Functionality: 4 / 5
Ergonomics: 4 / 5
Durability: -- / 5

MSRP: $296.88 (CAD)
Overall: 3.5 / 5



I've been thinking about getting a Smartwatch for quite a long time now. But as the (Cr)Apple iWatch states right up in the 1st paragraph of their battery description, their GOAL was for 18hrs of usage on a full charge. How much sense does that make? It doesn't even last a full day! And what if you forget, or are unable to charge? You're pretty much wearing a $500 bracelet. So I started looking at hybrids, which I also scratched off my list, because the only notification you get, are a small blinking light (indicator), and a bit of a vibrating buzz, upon which, you still have to pull your phone out of your pocket to see what the heck is going on. It's no different than having your phone vibrate in your pocket to tell you that you've got an incoming notification because unless you pull your phone out, you really have no idea what's going on.

The beauty of the ZeTime is that, while the battery to power smartwatch functions will last about 3 days (reviewers have indicated they've gone up to a week), the analogue watch will still power on for up to 30 days. It's the same battery, and this is on a single charge. So even if you forget to charge the ZeTime, you can at least still use it as an old fashioined watch. Not only that, It's actually quite a beautiful time piece.

I'm not going to go on about all its features (you can watch the video up top for that), but some observations of the watch after playing around with it for a bit.

It runs its own OS so functionality isn't quite as seamless as it would be if you were wearing an Android or Apple wearable, you don't have FULL smartphone capabilities, and while you're supposed to be able to be able to make your own pre-set responses on Android phones, all of the pre-set messages I added ended up looking like gibberish that looks like Chinese, but don't even make sense in Chinese. 
The heart rate monitor is a bit fickle; it has a tendency to bounce around a bit. But if you patiently sit around and keep pressing the 'check now' function, the overall average seems like it should be accurate enough.
The watch is also able to take photos, but it uses its own camera software. So if you're used to HDR+ features, or portrait features, you will not be able to use these features if you're taking photos by controlling it with the watch.

Response rate isn't the greatest, but it's not so slow that it will start pissing people off. And as stated before, it's still got some bugs, but I think it's a pretty good effort for a 1st gen device. This watch, is not a finished product, nor is it for everyone. But, for the moment, it can be the perfect timepiece for SOME people. This watch is for you if:

1. The primary function for it is to TELL TIME.
2. You want some kit that makes you look like a sexy beast.
3. You're only looking to view notifications and messages and not respond on the watch.
4. You don't REQUIRE fully developed smartwatch capabilities.

CONCLUSION: Smartwatches at the moment aren't a bit of kit that can be all things to all people. There are sacrifices that will need to be made. Full smartwatches seem to have a pretty dire battery life. Other hybrid style smartwatches... Well, just don't ok? For the time being, this one is pretty good as a monitoring device. I've come across two other time pieces that might potentially be better, but....
1. Pebble. They've ceased daily operations, so I guess you can't buy that.
2. Martian. I'm not sure how trustworthy they are. While their new phone (looks like ZeTime + voice) has been kickstarted, every other item that they sell is out of stock on their website. 

~Cheers.

Product: Backbeat Go by Plantronics

Design: 4.5 / 5
Sound Quality (in): 3 / 5
Sound Quality (out): 3 / 5
Build Quality: 4 / 5
Battery: 5 / 5

MSRP: $79.99 (USD)
Overall: 3 / 5



Plantronics has long been making great quality mobile headsets, getting attention for both comfort and sound quality. And while I've been a fan of Jawbone products for a long time now, Jawbone has yet to produce a wireless stereo headset. With this in mind, I decided to give the BackBeat Go a try.

So the good news, is that the headset is incredibly light, and will fit into your pocket with little chance of entanglement due to its tangle-free design. So if you are planning a project that will require the use of both your hands, you've got a great device that you can jam on that looks great, and feels rather secure and comfortable too.

That being said, it is unfortunately horrendously light on sound. Not only does Plantronics need to work on the decibel level of the BackBeat Pro, but the overall sound quality is lacking too. While it doesn't sound tinny, it certainly lacks richness and fullness. On top of that, when you're talking into it, people on the receiving end might complain that you sound hollow. Which to me, was a little bit of a shock, since Plantronics has a history and a reputation in this specific category.

So why did I keep it? Because it's "good enough" that it serves its purpose. The fact of the matter is,
I couldn't listen to music on my Jawbone, and I couldn't make a call with my Sennheisers. So I wanted a decent set of headsets for when I go to the gym, go inline skating, go hit some balls off a tee, go hiking..... or...haha....if I go for a jog. I can listen to music, be free of wires, and be able to talk on it without disruption.

Cheers.

Product: Jambox by Jawbone

Design: 4.5 / 5
Sound Quality (in): 4 / 5
Sound Quality (out): 3.5 / 5
Build Quality: 4 / 5
Battery: 5 / 5

MSRP: $199.99 (USD)
Overall: 4 / 5



I've been a pretty big fan of Jawbone products for a while now. And a while ago, they came out with a new item to add to their lineup. The "Jambox Smartspeaker". It's got a pretty nice design, and for its size, it packs quite a punch.

It's got all those gimmicky things that I'd previously mentioned for the Jawbone Era,  and again, it's cute...but entirely useless. But what I do find nice about it, is how versatile this little thing is. It probably isn't loud enough for a house party, but I've used it for conference calls, trade shows, dinner parties, video games, or just listening to music while I'm cooking or whatever.

It does have a slot for a 3.5mm headset cable if you like, but there's no noticeable lag if you're connecting via bluetooth.

Now, if you don't require speakerphone capabilities, or don't mind a little bit more heft, you can probably get away with similar sound quality for a cheaper price. But for what it is, you are getting plenty of value for your buck.

~Cheers.

Product: Motorola Xoom

Design: 4 / 5
Sound Quality: NA / 5
Build Quality: 4 / 5
Operating System: 3 / 5
Available Software: 2 / 5
Battery: 5 / 5
MSRP: $599.99 (CAD)
Overall: 2 / 5

The toys you can get your grubby hands on when you know people that know people that know other people that know the right people that can introduce the appropriate people. And when all of those people happen to have exactly the same toy you want? Priceless. =)~



I think that if I had played with this Android powered device BEFORE I played with the Playbook, I'd probably enjoy it a bit more. Unfortunately The Playbook's UI is infinitely more user friendly and more intuitive. You simply waste too much time trying to get everywhere and out of everywhere. Oh, and then there's the power button, which is BEHIND the machine; while the inconvenience isn't insurmountable, it's an inconvenience nonetheless. For me however, it's about efficiency, and all this is just a little too counterproductive.

When it comes to the apps, Xoom has the benefit of the entire Android catalogue at its disposal. Unfortunately, the ones that I played with (including Angry Birds), doesn't seem optimised for a tablet. On top of that, at 10", the device is significantly larger than the Playbook, which is great if you're using it on a table or at home, but mobility is the point isn't it?

Again, I can see the potential for this device too....But for my money, I gotta go with the device that's more intuitive, more efficient, and more mobile.

~Cheers

Product: Blackberry Playbook

Design: 4 / 5
Sound Quality: 4.5 / 5
Build Quality: 4 / 5
Operating System: 3.5 / 5
Available Software: 2 / 5
Battery: 5 / 5
MSRP: $499.99 - $699.99 (CAD)
Overall: 4 / 5

I've had the opportunity to play with the Blackberry Playbook for a few days and at first blush, it is indeed quite impressive.



We can go all day about all the different features and whatnot, so I'm going to try to sum quickly some of my likes and dislikes.

Likes:
I love how the Playbook is an extension of your Blackberry. There's an app called Blackberry Bridge, that once synchronised, your phone and your tablet work almost seamlessly. The Playbook's interface is great. It's clean, intuitive, and very functional. The images are clear and crisp, the webpages load quickly, and there is real multi-tasking capability. At 7", it's a great device to hold in one hand, leaving your other hand to navigate, type, and in my case, have a cup of coffee.


Dislikes:
While it's a beautiful device and I want it and crave it and find it completely droolworthy, it is simply not ready. There are too many OS updates, and scarcely any apps. I am fairly confident that all of this will be solved over time, but in the meantime, it isn't doing what I need for it to do. The Playbook is at the moment, is not stable enough, and with every OS update, you have to make accommodations for possible changes in how you've gotten used to using the device. And of course, there's the issue with the power button. I don't think it's a big deal, since the device will go to sleep on it's own, but turning The Playbook off requires you to sharpen your fingernails into a sharp pin.


Overall
I love it. But it's not ready. Even most of the apps that ARE available aren't ready. And the apps that I will require the most (Documents-To-Go） are nothing more that larger versions of the one that's currently on my Blackberry Torch. Given what's available to date, I drool at the potential of this device. The hardware is great. The software is VERY GOOD....but not exceptional....yet.

Product: Jawbone Era

Design: 3.5 / 5
Sound Quality (in): 5 / 5
Sound Quality (out): 4 / 5
Build Quality: 4 / 5
Battery: 5 / 5
Comfort: 4 / 5
MSRP: $129.99 (USD)
Overall: 4.5 / 5



I started using wired headsets while in University. I was pretty active, so the only time I really had to talk on the phone was when I was cooking, or doing laundry. So when I found out about Bluetooth headsets, I jumped at the opportunity of getting one. I picked up my first BT headset to use with my Sony Ericsson T68i (still one of my favourite phones I've ever used). I've been hooked ever since. I have since developed a big distaste for wires in general, opting for the wireless alternative at any opportunity.

For Valentine's Day, I was given my newest headset, Jawbone Era. It boasts using Noise Assassin 3.0, a military grade noise canceling technology using the vibrations of your jaw, and blah blah blah. I'll just let the video tell you what it does.




Jawbone decided that they were going to introduce some new technology to their latest release.
It has the ability to "learn". You can plug it into your computer via its microUSB port, and download apps for it. You can change the voices that talk to you, and other little gimmicky features. 
They've also put in an accelerometer. Pretty cool, but totally useless. Another gimmick to increase the price of what I suspect could have cost under $100. But it's certainly gives you pause to think about some of the possibilities of having such technology in place for a headset. I'm fairly certain that, and excited to see, more useful applications will be rolled out in the future. You can currently shake the headset 4x to put it into pairing mode, and double tap to take and end calls.

The incoming sound is a VAST improvement from previous iterations of the Jawbone line. It was pretty good before, but a little soft, and slightly "tinny". The Era has a 25% bigger speaker, giving fuller, richer sounds. It features pretty good stereo-over-mono music (music in one ear), and adaptive volume, depending on how loud your surrounds are.
They boast 5 hour talk time and deliver. And at the push of a button, a voice tells you how much more time you have to speak.

I am however, getting a little bored with their design. It still looks great, but I think it's time for them to try something different. I also don't like their hidden on/off switch, which is located on the inside of the headset. That being said, I am THRILLED that they've done away with the flashing LED light that broadcasts to everyone around you that you're on the phone. Instead, they've put it subtly on the inside of the headset, forming a sleek ring around the jawbone sensor.

Fantastic improvements overall, but I still wish that SOMEBODY (hopefully Jawbone) will come out with a commercial BT headset that will get rid of wind noise.

~Cheers.