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Moxia Energy recently unveiled the USBCELL, a unique solution to the problem of AA batteries ? the problem being that whenever you need a couple of AA batteries, all you ever seem to have is a drawer full of half dead ones. And we?ve probably all been there; you?re in the middle of an Xbox Live session when the controller finally stops flashing warning lights at you and goes dead, ten minutes later you?re opening up all your TV and HiFi remotes desperately trying to find a magical combination that will give you enough juice to stop you having to hike it out to the nearest shop for a fresh pack.

Rechargeable batteries help, but then you have to hunt down the charger as well. USBCELL are a much more practical alternative because, as the name implies, they can be recharged using any USB port that you?ve got handy.

The good

Obviously the USBCELL might be a great idea, but it would be let down if the battery performance wasn?t up to the task. I selflessly tested the length of charge on them by setting up a big family Wii sports event and compared them directly against a pair of ordinary Energiser alkaline batteries such as you might buy in bulk because they?re dirt cheap.

The results were impressive ? after racking up about five hours of play the USBCELLs had barely broken a sweat where as the Energisers were just beginning to show less than a full charge. It wouldn?t be fair to call the USBCELLs an outright victor, but to be honest I had expected them to fall significantly short of the traditional alkaline alternative, so this was a pleasant surprise.

For the next test I tried the USB cells in an ancient HP photosmart 735 digital camera which has a reputation for eating through cheap alkaline batteries after about 30 pics, or half that if you have the LCD on. This time, the results were nothing short of amazing. I was able to well over 140 photos and a little under 45 minutes of video, with the screen still on, at which point I ran out of space on my 1GB memory card. The USBCELL batteries still had power left in them.

The bad

Moxia Energy has included an elasticated strap which keeps the lid attached to the USB connector but also gives some flexibility if you?re squeezing the USBCELLs into a tight set of USB ports. However, because of the size of a USB battery there will still be some slots (mainly those found on the back of home computers) that will be too tightly spaced to fit more than one USBCELL on at the same time. If you have a USB port though, you?ll find there is plenty of space. Alternatively you can even use an ordinary Ni-MH charger ? it just takes a little longer.

One other complaint could be the price. A pair costs £10.99, for which you could probably buy a whole ton of cheap disposable alternatives. But the incentive is that you?ll probably never need to buy another replacement and because you?re not through out batteries all the time you can feel like you?re doing your bit for the environment as well.

Geek Sheet

Size: AA (although Moxia promises more sizes will be launching soon)

1.2v, 1300 mAH Ni-MH

Charge time 5 hours via USB, 7 hours via Ni-MH charger

LED charging indicator

Overview

The USBCELLs aren?t cheap but will probably pay for themselves in the long run and they are environmentally friendly to boot. The performance is way beyond what I would have expected and proves that the USBCELL technology is far from a gimmick, instead providing a seriously practical alternative to having piles of cheap alkaline batteries.

You can buy them now from here.

Related sites: USBCELL

Mar 15 2007

Review: AA Navigator Vive!

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The propaganda

The AA is best known for its breakdown and repair services, so it isn?t an enormous surprise that it has used this reputation to hop on the GPS bandwagon. The result is the AA Navigator Vive! ? a budget sat nav that manages to pack in a hefty number of features even despite the low price tag.

It has a full touch-screen interface, MP3 player, Photo viewer, full maps of the UK with full postcode search and subscription to the AA?s speed camera software free for 6 months. You also have access to the AA?s extensive database of Points of Interest which includes everything from golf courses to B&Bs, petrol stations to cinemas.

If you?re unfamiliar with the intricacies of in-car GPS devices, the AA has made efforts to make programming the device even more straightforward with an ?Easy? mode ? but there?s still a more advanced version for more seasoned users. Hit the turn to find out what we think.

The good

True to its word, the AA navigator Vive! is easy to program and follow guidance from; using the Easy Navigation mode will have you on your journey after about four extremely basic actions. The Full Navigation mode isn?t exactly going to blind you with science either ? it just gives you more a wider range of programming options, but anyone who has used a GPS before should have little trouble getting to grips with it, even without ever once glancing at the manual.

In our tests we found that the quality of guidance and map accuracy to be perfectly adequate to the task and we never had any problems with unclear or incorrect directions. If you decide to defy the unit?s instructions then it is able to recalculate its route very quickly so you aren?t in any danger of getting lost.

The AA?s extensive knowledge of entertainment and motoring facilities is put to good use in the POI database and the result is a vast wealth of stored locations that out does many other POI databases I have seen. One niggle is that when you?re driving, you only get to see a symbol indication what type of POI it is, not any further information, but it really isn?t hard to go in and find what might be.

The bad

The mapping software isn?t the nicest we?ve ever looked at. Colours tend to be a little on the bland side and the wild colour coding of different road types can make it hard to follow and the problem gets a little worse in night mode. When travelling, the map refreshes quite slowly, which gives it a jerky, juddering effect that isn?t very pleasing on the eye.

The MP3 player and photo viewer, which now seem to be mandatory additions to anything and everything that has a screen, aren?t really all that exciting and you can?t operate them whilst the mapping software is in use. It is unlikely you?ll ever actually bother to use them anyway as the battery life isn?t so wonderful that the Vive! would be much of a substitute to a decent MP3 player with photo viewing capabilities. Worse, the Vive!?s out-of-car navigation functions aren?t up to much either, so despite the integrated Li-ion battery (which provides around 3 hours of juice from a full charge), this is one GPS that is probably destined to stray from the dashboard only as far as the glove compartment.

Geek Sheet

PND with built-in GPS receiver

Directions in a choice of male or female voices

Routes displayed via 2D or 3D maps

Fast, automatic route calculation and re-routing for missed turns

Full UK & ROI mapping from NAVTEQ

Full UK 7 digit postcode search & routing

Over 50,000 points of interest inc. AA hotels & Restaurants

24V power adapter

12-24V Car Charger

USB Sync Cable

Overview

The AA Navigator Vive! isn?t going to win style awards but what it lacks up for in aesthetics it does make up for in a reliable, straightforward interface. It doesn?t quite reach the high standards set by the likes of Garmin or TomTom, but given that you can pick up a Vive! for less than £150, it is very good value for money.

You can pick one up for £149, but if you?re an AA member you get a further 10% off. That includes full maps of the UK and, at the time of writing, free maps of major roads in Europe. If you want to go for the full-blown European coverage then you?re looking at £249 ? still a good deal. As previously stated, you get 6 months subscription to the speed camera database for free and it will only set you back a further £29.99 per year after that.

In the end, the Vive! offers little that sets it apart from the many higher priced rivals on the market, but as it stands it offers a superb value for money and an easy interface that is well suited to first-time GPS users.

Related sites: AA Navigator

Mar 01 2007

Review: Garmin nüvi 310 Deluxe

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The propaganda

At its heart, the Garmin nüvi 310 Deluxe is a very basic sat nav device designed to get you from A to B without involving any complicated programming. The only features that set it apart from the many, many other GPS devices out there are TMC traffic updates and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to use the device?s internal mic and speaker to make hands free calls ? especially handy now that the penalty for using a mobile whilst driving has been increased.

However, unlike most other GPSs, Garmin lets you choose from a range of optional extras that you can add on to improve the unit?s functionality. This includes the usual things like full European maps and speed camera locations, but also more unique features like a travel guide and a language guide for when you?re travelling abroad. The compact form factor and very generous battery life help to make sure that it is easy to carry around and won?t conk out on you while you?re trying to garble your way round the Spanish for "two beers, please".

The good

The nüvi 310D is without doubt the easiest-to-use Sat Nav that I have tested. A normal action like finding your way to a nearby petrol station takes a total five buttons presses, taking all of two seconds, to program in ? it?s that simple. And all of the icons are large, simple and clear, which makes it very easy to get to grips with and you?ll find that you rarely need to consult the instruction manual.

Even making calls using the integrated Bluetooth is very straightforward and you can dial the number to any point of interest (petrol station, hotel, restaurant, etc) in just a couple of very quick easy steps. Call quality is pretty good and, more importantly, easy to hear even on a busy road thanks to a powerful internal speaker.

The bad

Because the main screen interface has been made to look extremely simple for ease of use, I felt that I would prefer to see just a little bit more information beyond the next turn instruction and the estimated arrival time. A speed indicator and something to show POIs as you pass them by would have been nice, especially given the nüvi 310D has a pretty decent POI database. On the other hand, the map is very clear and the text showing road names and so on is easy to read ? any further information might distract from that.

The Garmin nüvi 310 Deluxe is one of the more expensive mid-range GPS units, but somehow it still feels a little short on features. Presumably this is because Garmin wants you to buy the unit, then tack on some extras which will drive up the profit margin nicely. While that?s not a big shock in itself, it would be nice to at least get a trial of the speed camera database (or something) before having to shell out forty quid for it.

Operation is generally very impressive ? the map refreshes quite quickly so you get a smooth flowing overview. One gripe, however, is that it seems to give you way too much of a warning before you make a turn; it behaves as though the device assumes you?re travelling at 70 mph all the time and doesn?t take your true speed into account. The result is that if you?re crawling up a busy street you?ll be told to turn about 100 yards before the actual junction, which can get very confusing.

Geek Sheet

3.5" touch screen display

Full UK and Ireland mapping pre-programmed

Garmin Lock anti-theft system

Up to 8 hours battery life

Full Postcode search

Handsfree calling via Bluetooth

MP3 Player

Phone book

Audio book player

Currency converter

2D and 3D map perspectives

Includes 256MB SD card, CD containing European maps

Overview

The Garmin nüvi 310 Deluxe?s greatest strength is in the easy to use operation. That means even people who aren?t that technically minded shouldn?t have any trouble getting to grips with it, and they won?t be overwhelmed with on-screen information either. The RRP is around £300 which seems a bit too expensive, but you can pick one up from Halfords for a more reasonable £255.

At that price, the nüvi 310D is well priced but not a huge bargain and its standard Bluetooth and TMC features don?t really set it apart from the crowd. However, if you do want something with full maps of Europe or a complete speed camera database included, you?re either going to have to shell out for a more expensive (and probably bulkier) device anyway or fork out one of Garmin?s extras. Given that the 310D is nicely compact and a breeze to use, going with the extras might actually be a better idea.

Related sites: Garmin

Feb 26 2007

Feb 23 2007

Review: Motorola S805 "DJ Style" Stereo Bluetooth Headset

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The propaganda

Stereo Bluetooth looks set to become incredibly popular throughout 2007. If CES is anything to go by, and that after all is what CES is for, then it looks like we?re going to be bombarded with all manner of devices offering A2DP connectivity, ranging from phones to car stereos, MP3 players to headphones. Apart from the blissful absence of wires, lure enough in itself for anyone who is fed up with constantly trying to untangle their mobile and iPod from a perpetually knotted headphone cable, A2DP often comes in conjunction with AVRCP which allows you to control music sources wirelessly as well.

Although there aren?t a huge number of A2DP standard wireless headsets available in the UK at the moment, Motorola has always been at the forefront of this particular technology and it?s no surprise then that it has been first to market with what I consider to be a decent sized pair of headphones. I personally can?t stand earphones and think they are bloody uncomfortable, so a full sized pair of cans is always my personal preference. And they always sound so much better.

The S805s have an integrated mic with echo and noise reduction for making and receiving calls and they offer play/pause, skip and volume controls accessed by buttons on either side and jog-wheels built into both ear pieces. You charge them via the mains, which takes about 3 hours, and if you want to listen to a non-Bluetooth source, they even come with a 3.5mm cable.

The good

For a device with only two buttons, general operation, setup and pairing is remarkably straight forward. You simply hold the call button to switch the S805s off or on, or hold it longer to begin pairing. When tested with an A2DP compatible phone, I found the response speed for the playback controls was generally very fast and only occasionally lagged out.

Battery life is also very good. You get about 17 hours of playback from a single charge and the sound quality remains stable throughout, only beginning to tail off right as the battery is on its very last legs.

Comfort ? always an essential factor in big headphones ? is great too. These cans aren?t too heavy at less than four ounces and there is plenty of flex in the construction which means they fit round your head very nicely. If I had to complain, it would be to say that they don?t hang round your neck as well as my battered old pair of Sennheisers used too, but that?s not huge problem.

The bad

Take the ?DJ? part of the name with a heavy dose of salt. The sound quality isn?t stunning and certainly not up to the standards that any self respecting audiophile would appreciate. Bass tends to twang rather than thumps and rapidly tops out with a horrible jarring sound and the range of mid-end doesn?t fully compliment the lower end sounds. Treble is a bit better though and is crisper and clearer but with an understated feel similar to the bass. A2DP also yields a fair bit of background hiss too.

In fact you can do wonders for the sound quality by keeping the source volume about as low as humanly possible and turning up the S805s up to full. This implies that the more serious sound quality issues are not so much to do with the headphones themselves but the limitations of A2DP. It is fortunate then that the S805s do turn up very loud, but that is counter balanced by the fact you have to keep the source volume so low so that in the end you may struggle to hear properly in noisy conditions such as a busy street.

Geek Sheet

A2DP stereo Bluetooth

17 hours battery life

3 hours charge time

Control playback and answer calls

Streaming: up to 30ft

In the box: charger, case, 3.5mm cable

Integrated echo- and noise-reduction microphone

Overview

Clearly A2DP still has some way to go before it will ever come close to straying on to the level of quality that a wired solution can offer. Likewise, the Motorola S805 headphones have some creases to iron out and getting the best possible sound out of them is fiddly at best, hit and miss at worst. That said though, now that I have them sussed I am pretty keen on them. The fact that I can pause and skip tracks without reaching for my pocket, then answer a call without missing a beat, still never fails to raise a smile?

Related sites: Motorola

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