Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Geek Gadgets: Inateck BP1109 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Reivew

Portable Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen these days, so when it comes to finding one that is perfect for you your decision will often boil down to only a few things. How good the sound quality is. How portable the speaker is and how long the battery will last. Typically though,  little thought is given toward the aesthetics of  your speaker. The Inateck BP1109 might just change that!

Even though it appears as though they have been around for a few years, for most Inateck is going to be an unfamiliar name. The company offers all kinds of accessories or upgrades, including Expansion Cards, Power Supplies & Batteries, Cables & Tools, Wireless Accessories and Cell Phone Accessories. However, they specialize in HDD docking stations and enclosures as well as USB cables, chargers and other USB add-on solution. 

The Inateck BP1109 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker is one of the company's newer offerings, though they have had a few different line-ups of wireless speakers in the past. The BP1109 aims to be ultra-portable without sacrificing style. It is built almost entirely from aluminum which offers a sleek modern design.

The circular design and slender 78x34mm (approx 3"x1.25") body makes it easy to slip into a bag. Unfortunately the speaker is a bit hefty. Weighing 260g which makes it conspicuous for a device of these dimensions. The weight certainly isn't ideal for carrying in a pocket! The majority of the weight comes from the reasonably-sized battery. It offers 6 hours of playback from 1-2 hours of charging.

The top of the device houses the plastic speaker grille. On the bottom, you'll find the basic control panel, a series of four buttons for volume, track transport, power, input mode and play and pause. A small panel on the back houses the charging port, 3.5mm input jack and a Micro SD card slot. You can play music over Bluetooth, via a traditional cable or directly from your Micro SD card. 

Unlike the beeps and chirps of other Bluetooth accessories, the BP1109 will say "Bluetooth on" and "Waiting for Bluetooth connection" when you turn it on, making it obvious what state the device is in. With a Micro SD card inserted into the speaker it will default to "TS Mode" and will automatically detect and play whatever media files are found on the card.

Inateck says the aluminum uni-body design enables the 3.2W speaker to project music "loud and clear" and eliminate excessive sound resonance. For the most part the circular design offers impressive volumes levels, and reasonable sound. Since the speaker is omnidirectional sound travels upward and out offering no real sense of direction or immersion which for some could be a negative. This works well however in an outdoor environment or group setting allowing for more overall sound dispersion something we saw as a bonus!

In testing sound quality was reasonable, but inconsistent based on the types of music played and overall range of the songs listened to. Songs with a heavy bass line bleed out at higher volumes, while songs with more of a mid-range focus came through loud and clear.

Conclusion
I listen to a wide range of music so I tested our Inateck BP1109 with everything from country to classical to jazz to rock and roll. I even threw in some house and heavy bass laden techno just to see where we'd stand, and all of them came through at respectable levels. Given the speaker is meant to be ultra-portable it won't knock you over, but it does offer enough volume to drown out the noisy neighbors or bother the old folks sitting pool-side force-ably listening along with you!
Pros
- Achieves great volume level with dispersive sound
- Stylish design looks good while adding to the portability
- Can play music directly from a micro SD card - a major plus in my book
Cons
- Sound quality is inconsistent and can degrade at higher volumes
- Lacking in bass output
- Surprisingly high in weight relative to its size
Sound quality and clarity of course are very subjective and we each have our own preferences here. As I previously mentioned my experience was a bit inconsistent with some songs sounding great and others 'just ok'. At $20, the speaker is well-priced and has a build quality usually reserved for more expensive devices. On form and design alone I could give it a nod above some of the other units on the market in the same price range.

Battery life is rated at 6 hours, which most manufactures in our opinion over rate. So during our testing we hadn't expected the results we actually saw! We ran our speaker for 3 straight hours with no issues. Ran it again the next day for almost another 3 hours straight and honestly ran out of testing time for our day. I was actually shocked! We didn't get to test the full out to dead time, not because the battery ran out, but because we wanted to re-charge the speaker for other tests and just couldn't keep going till it died!

Overall I'm going to say I'm really surprised with our Inateck BP1109. It is considerably louder than the rest of the BT Speakers I have in the office right now and hold a charge considerably longer than anything I've had the chance to test. I wish the sound quality was a bit better, but I'll give this speaker a thumbs up!! 


Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Ticketmaster May See Some Real Competition Thanks to Amazon Tickets Expansion

We've all felt the pain of buying of having to buy tickets to our favorite concerts, shows and sporting events through Ticketmaster. Whether it be site issues, like constant crashes or lagging, or just the pain to our wallets from what most (like me) feel are trumped up convenience fees! Unfortunate as it is Ticketmaster holds a rather tight reign on the market. Thankfully we may soon see some real competition, and from a company that could set off some big waves!

According to reports from Ars Technica and Recode Amazon is looking to expand their Amazon Tickets Service, which until now has been a UK exclusive! The reports cite a number of job listings for Amazon Tickets positions based in Seattle, Washington found on the company's employment website. One such listing for a "Technical Program Manager, Amazon Tickets" offers the following job description:
Amazon Tickets is a start-up business with a vision of becoming Earth’s most customer-centric ticketing company, a place where event-goers can come to find and discover any ticket they might want to buy online. Amazon launched the Tickets business in the UK in 2015 and today offers customers the ability to purchase tickets to music, theater, and comedy events at great prices with a convenient purchase experience and world-class and customer support. As we grow our team to support our rapid expansion we are looking for talented individuals to join us in delighting customers and having some fun along the way.

If you are looking for opportunities to grow, and want to have fun while making history – join us!
Another listing discovered by Recode opens the door to an even more promising venture dubbed Prime Tickets. According to the report Amazon's hiring efforts are part of a new initiative to “position Amazon Tickets as the world’s premier destination for purchasing tickets.” According to the job listings Prime Tickets would integrate ticket sales into the Prime membership program, though details of how that would play out are yet unknown.

Prime Tickets, now that could be a real game changer! Exactly how Amazon could make it work is unclear, but as Ars Technica points out, it's possible that Prime Tickets could offer discounted tickets to Prime members if the service is indeed tied to the annual $99 membership.

Amazon first launched Amazon Tickets in the U.K. last year to sell tickets to concerts featuring artists like Elton John and theater performances such as “Wicked” and “The Book of Mormon.” Part of the company’s pitch has been that it displays ticket fees up front, and customers can easily pay with the payment method they have on file with Amazon. Expansion into other major markets means that Amazon has clearly had some success with the program. However, expansion into the US could be a bit more difficult, especially in terms of offering any sort of discount.

Live Nation (Ticketmaster's parent company) already holds a very dominant position here in the US. Which also means they hold a lot of bargaining power with venues and artits, mostly due to special deals that artists and venues strike up with ticket companies, and even some credit card companies that offer priority seating or special pricing for cardholders. Amazon would have to convince them to alter those agreements and open the door to competition, which won't be easy. If anyone can do it though it would be a company like Amazon that has more than 300 million active users and more than 50 million active Amazon Prime users.

Most of the Tickets job postings were updated within the past week, but there's no word on when a US-based Amazon Tickets could debut, or if in fact it will ever truly come to fruition. I can only hope at this point!

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Play Overwatch Free For A Weekend Starting November 18th

If you haven't checked out Blizzard's Overwatch yet then here is your chance! The company is making Overwatch free to play next weekend  with full access to all 13 maps and 22 characters. For those that enjoy the game Blizzard will save your weekend's worth of progress should you choose to take the plunge and purchase the game. Just be sure to use the same Battle.net, Xbox Live or Sony Entertainment account that you played on.


The free to play weekend if open for gamers running either a PC, PS4 or Xbox One! And you'll have a full weekend of gaming excitement between November 18th and 21st! For more details and to learn how you can participate, read on below!
One thing to note is that PS4 and Xbox One players will need a PlayStation Plus and Xbox Gold subscription to take advantage of this offer while Windows PC users will be required to have a Battle.net account.

Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Samsung Invites Galaxy S7 Owners to Test Drive Android 7.0 Nougat


For owners of Samsung's Galaxy S7 you now have a chance to test out the latest Android operating system offered by Google, Android 7.0 Nougat. Samsung has opened the doors to a new ‘Galaxy Beta Program’ which will give users a sneak peek into what Samsung and Google have in store for the new operating system.

The Galaxy Beta Program, opens today, and will be open to all Galaxy S7 and S7 edge users residing in the U.S., U.K., and Korea, with users based in China being able to participate in the program shortly. Applicants are currently being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Throughout the Galaxy Beta Program period, users can get a feel for Android 7.0 Nougat with Samsung’s latest UX, and can provide feedback on performance, reliability and usability. Users’ responses will in turn help Samsung develop reliable, high-performing software and provide an improved and optimized experience to all Galaxy users.

Users that have an active Samsung Account and meet program requirements may apply for the program by downloading the Galaxy Beta Program app through Galaxy Apps or the Samsung Members app which is available through the Google Play store or Galaxy Apps depending on their country of residence.

What is Galaxy Beta Program?
Samsung conducts the Galaxy Beta Program which is owned, managed and operated by Samsung independently for providing a better experience and reliable software based on user feedback. If you participate in the Galaxy Beta Program, you have an opportunity to experience new features and the latest UX based on Android 7.0 Nougat first. During the Galaxy Beta Program, you can directly send us your feedback and experience about performance, stability and usability which will help us to improve software.

**This Beta software is not the official version so it may cause unexpected errors or malfunction. Also it may not contain the full feature set compared with the final official software.**

If you run into issues and need to you, can re-install the official release version of the latest Android software by using the Smart Switch PC software. (You can download it from this link - http://www.samsung.com/us/smart-switch) Please connect your phone to your PC and launch Smart Switch PC software, then you can find the menu option ‘Update’ or ‘Device Initialization’ for restoration.More → Emergency software recovery and initialization → Device initialization).

For questions about joining the Galaxy Beta Program you can read the Galaxy Beta FAQs and for anything further related to software installation, registration and all other related inquiries, you can  contact Samsung directly at galaxybeta@samsung.com.

Tuesday, November 08, 2016

PlayStation Store Celebrates 10th Anniversary With A Sale

This month marks 10 years since Sony launched the PlayStation 3 and with it their very own online store. To celebrate, Sony has announced they will be offering up discounts on several of your favorite iconic game and movies titles in a massive two-week “PlayStation Store 10th Anniversary Sale.” The sale will feature some of the biggest hits from the past 10 years and will cover the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita.

Games can be had for up to 60% off for none PS+ members and up to 70% off for PS+ Members. Game titles can be found from almost any gaming genre and include several top titles. The full list is available on the PlayStation Blog:
Example game deals (less w/ PS+ membership):
  • Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy (PS4) $24.49
  • The Heavy Rain & BEYOND: Two Souls Collection (PS4) $19.99
  • Far Cry 4 + Zombi Bundle (PS4) $29.99
  • Wild Arms 3 (PS4) $5.99
  • Rogue Galaxy (PS4) $5.99
  • XCOM: Enemy Unknown Plus (PS Vita) $6.99
  • Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories or Vice City on PS3 (PS2 CLASSIC) $3.99
  • Metal Gear Solid VR Missions (PSONE CLASSIC) $2.99
Movie Titles:
  • Man Of Steel (2013) $8.99/6.99
  • Taken Trilogy $23.99
  • Wolverine Double Feature $17.99
  • 21 Jump Street $9.99
Sony’s initial deals will run from now until 8 a.m. PT on Nov. 15, at which point a new set of discounts will go live for the second week of the sale. To recognize and acknowledge those who have been with PlayStation Network from the very beginning, members with accounts of 9.5 years or more will receive an exclusive PS4 avatar. Details will be sent to those eligible via email. Additionally, there is a special edition 10th Anniversary PS3 and PS4 theme for all. You can download those here: PS4, PS3.

Sunday, November 06, 2016

Need More Storage For Your Mac Mini? Checkout The OWC miniStack

I may not be the biggest fan of Apple as a whole, but I can give credit where credit is due and when it comes to deigns Apple has always been at the forefront. While I think there are plenty of great small form factor options on the market, a lot has to be said of the Mac mini. Unfortunately one of the biggest problems with these incredibly small packages is a lack of affordable storage options. Apple's entry level $499 Mac mini only packs 500GB of storage, upgrading that package to something a little better equipped will cost you anywhere from $200-500.

Adding in an external hard drive is easy enough, but what if you want to keep things simple and keep up with the high quality deign that likely drove you to buy the Mac mini to begin with? Enter the OWC miniStack. An external storage offering that is designed to easily stack together with Mac mini computers and other miniStack drives, so users can increase external storage without taking additional space on their desktop.


Because it features fast USB 3.1 Gen 1 connectivity, miniStack is a perfect solution to store and stream a personal collection of HD videos, music, and photos. Users who use a Mac mini as a server for their home entertainment system will enjoy miniStack as a natural extension of their media libraries. And for photographers managing large volumes of RAW images, or music producers who use a Mac for their workstation, miniStack accelerates pro-audio and photo workflows with powerful 7200RPM hard drives.

The durable aluminum enclosure, dedicated power switch, and integrated cooling fan make the miniStack a professional-grade solution that fits perfectly alongside virtually any Mac or PC at home.

Highlights:

  • Perfectly stacks with Mac mini computers or other miniStack drives to save space
  • USB 3.1 Gen 1 port
  • Read: Up to 211 MB/s
  • Write: Up to 208 MB/s
  • Up to 6.0 TB capacity with 7200RPM drives
  • Also offered as 0GB build-your-own-drive kit
  • Durable aluminum enclosure
  • Ultra-quiet MagLev cooling fan
  • Mac & PC compatible
  • Three-year OWC Limited Warranty* including award-winning technical support
  • Includes power supply and a 36-inch (1m) USB 3.1 Gen 1 cable

Pricing & Availability

OWC miniStack is now available at MacSales.com and authorized OWC resellers in seven stackable configurations:
  • 1.0TB (7200RPM) - $139.99
  • 2.0TB (7200RPM) - $169.99
  • 3.0TB (7200RPM) - $198.99
  • 4.0TB (7200RPM) - $249.99
  • 5.0TB (7200RPM) - $278.99
  • 6.0TB (7200RPM) - $348.99
  • Add Your Own Drive enclosure kit - $77.99
“The OWC miniStack is an exciting new addition to our external storage lineup. Its footprint is identical to 2010 and later Mac mini, so it’s a perfect external drive and Time Machine backup for our customers who use a Mac mini as a home computer, or with their home entertainment system,” said Jen SoulĂ©, President of OWC. “We designed the miniStack to be our most convenient, stackable external storage solution—and we think our customers who use a Mac at home are going to love its compact and stylish design.”