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Listening in on Able Planet's new 'personal sound amplifier'

Now that I've spent the past week using Able Planet's newly released behind-the-ear "personal sound amplifier," I've learned that I don't hear as well as I like to think. Everything sounds crisper and perkier with the device.

Of course, that isn't necessarily what I want in every environment. I'll spare you the details, but you don't really need to amplify sound when you're going to the bathroom. Nor should crossing your legs in corduroys or pulling a slice of bread out of the plastic bread bag feel so... tingly. With the rather clumsily named PS1600BTE, sometimes the smallest background noises become so bright that it's downright distracting.

In the intended noisier environments, however, these amplifiers feel like magic, even to someone who likes to think she's got stellar hearing. What's interesting is that it wasn't until I removed the device from each ear that I realized how much duller and more jumbled the sounds in noisy environments were. The PS1600BTE is like icing on a cake I didn't know existed.… Read more

HandAble: Avoid a smartphone death grip

As smartphones get smaller, flatter, sleeker, and shinier, they also get harder to hold onto. The HandAble holder is one way to avoid developing a smartphone death grip.

The accessory market is a crowded one, but HandAble is just clever enough and simple enough to warrant a look. It attaches to the back of the phone and consists of a retractable disk that you slip your fingers under, keeping the phone snug against your hand.

HandAble is the brain child of Aaron Block, a 78-year-old inventor. The accessory was originally a Kickstarter project, but one that failed to reach its funding goal. An unfunded Kickstarter project doesn't mean the idea has to die. HandAble is proof of that.… Read more

Able Planet NC1100B review: Bose busters?

Able Planet makes a number of noise-canceling headphones, and the NC1100Bs are the Colorado company's highest-end model with a retail price of $299.99.

Let's start with what's good about these guys. For starters, they're comfortable and appear to have a sturdy design and a nice soft-touch black finish. While the earcups aren't quite as soft as those on the Bose QuietComfort 15, the fact that they're a bit thicker and firmer doesn't hurt their comfort level and may be more appealing to some.

Aside from their black coloring, the NC1100Bs look similar to the QC15s (and QuietComfort 2s), with the same over-the-ear design and earcups that swivel and fold flat to fit in a simple black case. The resulting package is slightly bigger than a CD wallet, which makes it easier to tote, though it's still not terribly compact. As you'd expect from a set of headphones designed for frequent travelers, Able Planet throws in a two-prong in-flight adapter.

Like with Bose's active noise canceling, the earcups' cushions effectively sealed off our ears from the noisy environment. Flipping on the noise cancellation dampened the noise even further. While the NC1100Bs aren't as effective at canceling out noise as the QC15s, they did noticeably muffle the sound of a very loud air conditioning that this reviewer has in his office (it isn't quiet as loud as the inside of an airline cabin, but not too far off).

Read the full review of Able Planet's NC1100B headphones.… Read more

Certain convertin'

Like many PC users, you probably have orphan files in strange, unreadable formats scattered throughout your hard drive. Or maybe you have folders full of files in different formats that you'd like to standardize. Or perhaps the program that once opened certain files is long gone and won't run on your current PC anyway, but you still want to access those files. Able Batch Converter can help. It can convert the formats of large batches of files all at once.

Batch Converter's simple, clear interface makes it a cinch to find files to convert, choose the new … Read more

Able Planet headset goes easy on the ears

Here's something we haven't seen before: a headset designed to lessen the damaging effect loud music and gaming can potentially have on the ears. Able Planet introduced the PS500MM gaming headset back in December of 2008, claiming that the device's onboard "Link Audio" technology will soften the blow to your eardrums.

Basically the technology is supposed to prevent the user from having to raise the volume in order to drown out background noise. Interestingly enough, it was first developed for those with mild to severe hearing loss. AblePlanet claims it's patented Link Audio technology … Read more

Able Planet's new gaming headphones

Able Planet, known for developing headphones for those with mild to severe hearing loss, recently unveiled a new high-fidelity multimedia headset for PC gamers--the PS500MM.

Able Planet's chairman and CEO, Kevin Semcken, said:

"We designed this innovative new headset specifically with PC gamers in mind. Gamers tend to spend significant periods of time playing online games and such extended play of rich multimedia sounds puts a cumulative strain on the ears this can cause hearing loss and fatigue. Our technology minimizes this risk so that users no longer have to turn up the volume just to be able … Read more

Able Planet Clear Harmony NC200 headphones offer noise canceling on a budget

Flying the friendly skies has sure gotten a lot more enjoyable with the advent of portable media players, but frequent fliers realize it takes more than a decent MP3 player to deal with nuisance-ridden travel. A good pair of sound-isolating earbuds or noise-cancelling headphones can do wonders when it comes to escaping into your own world of personal entertainment.

Of course, active noise-canceling sets can cost a pretty penny, which is where the Able Planet Clear Harmony NC200 headphones come in. The pair is sold on Amazon.com for around $60--a palatable price if we ever saw one. You'll … Read more

MP3 Insider 120: Music's in the clouds

This week, Donald and Jasmine make a valiant-yet-stumbling attempt to explain LaLa's new music service.

Also on tap: SanDisk's cheap new music player made especially for slotMusic albums, super sweet earphones from Klipsch, and a grab bag of MP3 players with ultralong-lasting batteries.

Listen now: Download today's podcast… Read more

How Donald Trump might install a 'Surface'

It's probably safe to say that, even when Microsoft eventually ships its "Surface" touch-screen tabletop computer, it won't be destined for the average household. In fact, if the "Interactive Media Wall" is any indication, it might be seen only in mansions for awhile. That's why we think the insufferably named "_able" multimedia table from Kufner Futures would be an appropriate complement: Not only can it accommodate various sizes of screens and computers, but it can be made of "any material of your choice: glass enameled, printed, stone, wood"--including … Read more