Roku's nifty little box delivers on-demand video from sources like Amazon and Netflix.
(Credit: Roku)Did Santa bring you cash this year? A big fat gift card? An unexpected work bonus? Whatever the case, you're probably primed and ready for a little splurging.
And on this one day out of the entire year, I'm going to recommend three decidedly splurge-y items. They're not necessarily deals (though I've found the best possible price for each of them), just items I've enjoyed myself in recent months.
1. A second monitor After years of hearing how great it is to run side-by-side monitors, I finally took the plunge. Guess what? It is great. Just having Outlook and Firefox visible at the same time is, alone, worth the price of a second LCD. You can usually pick up a 22-incher for around $140, like this Sceptre X226W available from Newegg for $139.99 shipped. but right now Staples has a 21.5-inch eMachines E211H LCD monitor for just $99.98 shipped (plus sales tax in most states). First time I've seen a screen that size for under $100.
2. Jabra Halo stereo Bluetooth headset I find it extremely liberating to walk around with my iPhone in my pocket, headphones on my ears, and no bothersome cord connecting the two. The Halo headset is slim, comfortable, foldable, and able to take calls. The controls aren't fabulous (show me a headset's that are), but overall this is my favorite headset ever. It lists for $129.99, but Amazon Best Buy has the Halo for $99.99 shipped.
3. Roku HD-XR Streaming media is the future. Roku's top-end box already delivers Amazon Video On Demand, Netflix Instant Watch, Pandora Internet radio, Major League Baseball, and various freebie channels like blip.tv and Revision3--all in high-def (when available). The HD-XR model ($129.99) offers Wireless-N connectivity, but get the cheaper HD ($99.99) if you're rocking Ethernet. Granted, some Blu-ray players deliver similar streaming capabilities, but usually without wireless, and definitely without the same fast, easy interface. For Netflix in particular, I really dig this little box.
So, there you have it: three splurge-worthy items. Let me know if you decide to pull the trigger on any of them, or if you have your own splurge-ables in mind.
The Tritton AX BlueStream stereo Bluetooth headset isn't completely wireless.
In honor of today's release of iPhone OS 3.0, which promises to add stereo Bluetooth capabilities to iPhones and iPod Touches, here's a selection of headsets to pair with your soon-to-be wire-free devices:
Buy.com has the Tritton AX BlueStream Bluetooth headset for $28.99 shipped.
Bear in mind that this is a headset, meaning it includes an inline microphone and an OLED display that shows volume, Caller ID, and music-playback status. Unfortunately, that means it involves wires, which some might say defeats the purpose of stereo Bluetooth.
For those folks, Buy.com has the Motorola S805 Bluetooth stereo headphones for $29.99 shipped. These are more-traditional, over-the-ear 'phones, suitable for kicking back in your favorite chair.
The Motorola S805 Bluetooth headphones are perfect for kicking back--but not for phone calls.
In between the two lies the Bluetrek ST1 Bluetooth stereo headset ($34 shipped from TigerDirect), which combines earbuds with a slightly dorky-looking behind-the-neck frame. Could be good for jogging, the gym, etc.
Though there's no immediate evidence of a microphone, the ST1 does indeed have one, so you can use it to make and take calls. In fact, its feature list is pretty extensive, making this the headset to beat of the three.
Of course, all the models should work with any stereo Bluetooth-compatible device. Which style suits you best?
Cut the cord between your iPhone and your head.
(Credit: Kensington)Stereo Bluetooth is coming! Stereo Bluetooth is coming! Straight from the What-Took-You-So-Long Department, Apple announced plans to bring stereo Bluetooth (aka A2DP) support to iPhone OS 3.0. (It's coming to the iPod Touch, too.)
Translation: You'll be able to enjoy tunes, videos, games, and other aural delights over wireless headphones. And trust me: once you cut that cord, you'll never love a wire again.
Buy.com has a Kensington Bluetooth Stereo Headset for $23.49 shipped. That's pretty impressive, given the headset's $79.99 list price.
These are old-school, over-the-ear headphones, ideal for folks who don't like the feel of earbuds. They have play, pause, and skip controls that double as answer or ignore controls when a call comes in.
Kensington promises a wireless range of up to 66 feet and up to 23 hours of music or 19 hours of talk time from the rechargeable battery. The headset comes with a two-year warranty.
CNET hasn't reviewed this product, but there are two very favorable user reviews at Buy.com. Just one caveat: I can't guarantee that this will work with the iPhone and iPod Touch, as Bluetooth device compatibility can be hit-and-miss, but there's no reason I can think of that it shouldn't.
Personally, I'm even more excited about stereo Bluetooth than I am about the cut-and-paste functions. 'Bout time, Apple!
(Credit:
Jabra)
Grumble, grumble. I was going to post about the Asus Eee PC 900a that Best Buy is selling for $299, but fellow CNET blogger Michael Horowitz beat me to it. (Still waiting to learn what Netbooks have to do with "defensive computing," Michael. Ahem.)
Instead, let's revisit the Jabra BT8010, a stereo Bluetooth headset that TigerDirect has on sale for $19.99. I've covered it before: CNET rated it four stars out of five for its convertible design, OLED display, and music-playback features.
During business hours, the BT8010 functions as a fairly standard headset, albeit one with a cool OLED display and jog dial. When you want to get your groove on, you just connect the second earpiece and presto: stereo earbuds. Once you've experienced the joy of walking around with your phone in your pocket and music piping wirelessly into your head, you'll never go back to corded headphones.
Just make sure your phone supports A2DP stereo Bluetooth. Many models do, but for some reason, it's not available on all handsets (cough iPhone cough). And it's pretty much AWOL on MP3 players, which mystifies me because, as I may have mentioned, wireless earbuds are suh-weet.
I have a BT8010, and I'd give it 3.5 stars because the headset is overly susceptible to ambient noise and a little uncomfortable over long stretches. But for $19.99 (plus a reasonable $7 for shipping), it's almost too good to pass up.
(Credit:
CompUSA)
In the perfect world that exists only inside my head, all cell phones and MP3 players incorporate A2DP, also known as stereo Bluetooth. Consequently, they're all compatible with stereo Bluetooth headsets like the Jabra BT8010, which CNET rated 8/10, and which CompUSA and TigerDirect (different outfits, same owner) currently have on sale for $37.99. That's a pretty big savings over the original $149 list price.
During business hours, the BT8010 functions as a fairly standard headset, albeit one with a cool OLED display and jog dial. When you want to get your groove on, you just connect the second earpiece and presto: stereo earbuds. Once you've experienced the joy of walking around with your phone in your pocket and music piping wirelessly into your head, you'll never go back to corded headphones.
Just make sure your phone supports A2DP. Many models do, but for some reason it's not available on all handsets (cough iPhone cough). And it's pretty much AWOL on MP3 players, which mystifies me because, as I may have mentioned, wireless earbuds are suh-weet.
I've got a BT8010, and I'd rate it 7 out of 10. The headset is a overly susceptible to ambient noise and a little uncomfortable over long stretches. But for $37.99 (plus a reasonable $6.99 for shipping), it's a hard deal to beat.
(Credit:
Plantronics)
In the perfect utopia that exists only inside my head, all cell phones and MP3 players incorporate A2DP, also known as stereo Bluetooth. As a result, they're all compatible with stereo Bluetooth headsets like the Plantronics Voyager 855, which CNET rated 8/10, and which Newegg currently has on sale for $57.99, shipped. That's a pretty big savings over the $149.95 list price.
During business hours, the Voyager 855 functions as a fairly standard headset, albeit one with a cool sliding boom mic. When you want to get your groove on, you just connect the second earpiece and presto: stereo earbuds. Once you've experienced the ecstasy of walking around with your phone in your pocket and music piping wirelessly into your head, you'll never go back to corded headphones.
Just make sure your phone supports A2DP. Many models do, but for some reason it's not available on all handsets (cough Palm Centro cough). And it's pretty much AWOL on MP3 players, which mystifies me because (as I may have mentioned) wireless earbuds rawk.
Anyway, I've used the Voyager 855 myself, and while I like the noise-canceling nature of the earbuds, I agree with CNET's reviewer that sliding the boom mic does kill the fit. Still, music sounds great, and $57.99 is less than you'd pay for many non-stereo headsets. And now, back to my personal utopia, where my 60GB iPod touch supports A2DP. Ahhh.
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