Category: Reviews

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Bang & Olufsen Form 2

As I am writing this review, I am listening to music blast out of my Form 2s, sounding impeccable. Over the last few hours, I have been listening to music stream over the lovely invention of Pandora radio and Slacker radio, and I am in awe. From unboxing the Bang & Olufsen Form 2 I was quickly greeted with the chic and attractive look of the Form 2. Before I get more in-depth with my review, here are the specs:

-Brand: Bang and Olufsen (B&O) Website

-Name: Form 2

-Price: $100.00

– Warranty: 3 years

– Weight: 2.4 oz

-Color: Aluminum/Black

-Materials: Brushed Aluminum and Soft-Touch Rubber Coating

-Size: 4 foot cord

– Connector Type: 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )

The design of the Bang & Olufsen Form 2 headphones is attractive. The Form 2 demands attention from first look, but does not give the same attention as an all gold pair of headphones. The frame of the Form 2s have a black matte finish with the speakers inside, which are adjustable through metal slides; clever!

Again, the sound of the headphones is impeccable. While testing the Form 2s, the performance was superb, but only  par when listening to hard rock, metal, and rap. The Form 2s lack the bass that are expected when listening to hard rock, metal, and rap. Although, on classical, light rock, and jazz, the Form 2s performed well.

One of the disadvantages of the Form 2 I have found is their inability to fold into itself, making carrying the Form 2 a bit of a pain. Additionally, I believe the Form 2s should have been provided with a case, as the B&O EarSet 3 are provided with them-granted a $100 price difference. If a case was provided, the Form 2 would be more convenient to carry around.

In addition to the Form 2’s slick design, it also proves to be comfortable. Through I did not wear the headphones for more than 2 hours at once, the they are definitely very comfortable. Weighing in at 2.4 ounces, the Form 2s can be easily forgotten at times: Throughout testing them, I would occasionally forget I was wearing them.

Overall, the Form 2 is a great buy if you are looking for an attractive, great sounding, and light pair of headphones. Through there may be a few cons of the Form 2s, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Bottom line: They are a great buy if you are willing to spend $100 on attractive, light, and quality headphones.

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ChicBuds: DJ Sport Headphones

chicBuds: DJ Sport Headphones

Website: chicBuds

Price: $29.99

ChicBuds are an overall great value given its price point. You won’t break the bank buying a pair and you won’t break your heart if you lose them. The chicBuds sound quality are superb given the price. Additionally the padded earpieces make them comfortable to wear for long periods. I also appreciate having a pair of over the headphones to wear at home because wearing earbuds for a long time can become uncomfortable. Additionally, given my small ear size, the earbuds tend to pop out of my ears. ChicBuds are also available in great colors and as the name says they are very “chic”. The chicBuds earpieces themselves conveniently fold into the headset to create a more compact package for storing.

A downside of the chicBuds is that the material that the chicBuds use looks inexpensive, but you have to remember that the headphones are only $29.99. Also, the chicBuds earpieces are a bit small so they wind up resting on top of your ear and not around your ear.

Overall, chicBuds’ price point, comfort and style make it a good value. ChicBuds also has several different headphone and earbud lines — just as stylish and just as fun. For those interested in a little bling, chicBuds even makes earbuds encrusted with real Swarovski crystals. For those of you that are into basic black, you may be interested in RockBuds. Check out their website to see the full line of chicBuds.

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Touch Racing Nitro (iPhone)

I recently took a break from my iPad and played a game by Bravo Games called Touch Racing Nitro (Opens App Store). The game is a RC racing game, in which users race one of twelve cars around 18 different tracks. The thing that makes this game stand out is its controls. The controls are completely touch based: the car follows your finger. Because of this feature, gamers either love or hate this game (see the video below). Tapping once on the screen causes you to use your nitro, speeding you up and causing to either race ahead or be flung off the track, inevitably losing the race. I found that the reset button which you must double tap to be very unresponsive at times, and even not working. You must be going the wrong way or off the track to reset, but the game doesn’t always realize that you are off the track, especially if you are just stuck on the railing. Although, once I saw the video below, I got the hang of the controls, and started winning races, and never leaving the track.

The game includes 2 modes, tournament, where the player can race AI opponents, and Time Trial mode, where you play on any track you’ve unlocked and see how fast you can go. There is no online leader board, or any online integration at all, so you must race your ghost around the track in time trial mode.

The game has a larger price tag ($3.99 on the App Store), especially when considering the lack of online integration and the price of other games in this category. It is a really fun game to play though, and has a tremendous replay value. If this game ever gets online integration, I would buy it in a heartbeat, but I would still recommend this app as is.

UPDATE: The developers released an update, giving the game a 1 touch reset button, a restart race in the pause menu, new tracts and, most importantly, OpenFeint integration. The app is still 3.99, but now is one of, if not the, best racing game for the iPhone once the learning curve is passed.

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Using Boot Camp

Boot Camp is the mediator between all things Windows and all things Mac.  It is like the parent that solves issues between two bickering children. But at the same time, it is not a compromise.  Apple’s Boot Camp, which comes with all new Macs, lets the user have (at the risk of sounding cliche) the best of both worlds.

At first, I was hesitant about partitioning my hard drive and installing Windows Vista on one side, afraid that my precious Snow Leopard side might be affected in some way.  But since it was essential at the time, I did so anyway.  How did it turn out? Well, as far as I can tell, my Mac OS side remains unaffected, and my Vista side is not great (obviously, since it’s Vista) and is a little slow, but performs just fine overall.  While rebooting my computer to switch sides can be a pain, this can be fixed with software such as Parallels for Mac or VMware Fusion, which let you run each OS side by side.

So, here are the facts:

-You will need the latest version of Boot Camp ( go to System Preferences and click “Software Update”)

-You will need a brand new, untouched copy of Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 or later, or anything after that (i.e. Vista Home Premium, etc.)

-In “Applications,” open “Utilities,” and click on Boot Camp.

-Be sure to print the instruction manual (although it is long, you WILL NEED IT!)

-Time for total process: about 1 hour (Windows takes awhile to install, again, beacuse it is Windows)

-Questions? email us at [email protected] for help

-Visit http://www.apple.com/macosx/compatibility/ for more information.

What do you think? Leave a comment!

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Review: Things for Mac. Simple.

The moment Things launches, you can begin using it as if it were in your second nature.  Things is by far the most innovative and easy to use task application out there.  Perhaps the only con I found with this app is its price: At a whopping $49.99, many may be skeptical as to whether or not it is worth the price, but it is.

The simplicity within Things begins with adding new tasks and carries on consistently throughout the app from the blissful organization process to the effortless installation of updates.  With a click and a drag, you can move tasks from the “Today” list to the “Next” list, or from “Someday” to “Scheduled,” where you can make repeating tasks that will appear in your “Today” list when the due date nears. With Things, you can set long term goals or just daily reminders, and perhaps the best part, it automatically syncs with Things for iPhone so you have your complex yet simple planner with you wherever you go!  Not only has Things simplified my life, it has made organizing myself and completing daily tasks fun.

It’s no wonder I’m not the first one to praise Cultured Code for a job well done, as they have won several awards including Macworld Best of Show 2009.  I can’t wait to interview them at MacWorld 2010, so check back soon to find out more about the geniuses behind Things.

*To demonstrate the fantastic interface that keeps with the theme of Apple, I’ve uploaded a short video after the break.

Visit Cultured Code at: http://culturedcode.com/things/

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