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Evoluent Mouse Review

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Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) is a rapidly growing health care problem. True, no one is going to die from this condition, but there are plenty of folks out there developing hand and wrist problems. This should not be much of a surprise to anyone, as many of us now “live digitally.” We work at a computer eight plus hours a day, with infrequent (or no) breaks, to make a living. Then we go home for a few more hours of emailing, web surfing, blogging, shopping, gaming, and even planning our next vacation from all of this (which typically involves most of the above activities!). Unfortunately, this involves interfacing through the lowly mouse. Is there any wonder with all of this mousing around, that we have a growing problem? On top of all this, we have an aging population, with increasing amounts of arthritis in our senior citizens.

Computer mice were never designed with this many hours of use in mind. The first mouse was patented in 1964, and has not changed shape over the last 40-odd years. Very few things in computers can claim that sort of longevity with so few changes. Through the years, variations have been tried with mild success, such as trackballs, but nothing ever really gained mainstream acceptance. True, there have been evolutionary improvements along the way (both scroll wheels, and cordless technology to enhance the experience come to mind), but nothing truly revolutionary.

Evoluent built a different sort of mouse. In fact, this is the company’s sole product. Attempting to provide the user with a more comfortable mouse was the goal with their original Vertical Mouse (released in 2002). In the different forums I researched, I found that some folks swear by it for making their computing more comfortable. With Evoluent’s release of the Vertical Mouse 2, they have updated their mouse to make it more competitive with current offerings. The Vertical Mouse improved from using a mechanical to an optical engine, and the styling was updated. Before I get to the specifics, let me point something out: I have no doubt that Evoluent has its work cut out for it as it battles “the establishment.” As any salmon will tell you, it takes a lot of work to swim upstream.

The idea here is that the wrist problems develop from the angulations of the wrist during long periods. Using a gel wrist rest helps to reduce this, but not eliminate it (I personally use the excellent Belkin mouse pad with the gel wrist rest). I find that it helps a lot, but during long periods of computer use, there is still some stiffness. The Vertical Mouse 2 attempts to solve the problem differently. Instead of having the hand in a horizontal position, the hand is in a vertical position. This is a neutral position for the hand and forearm as it approximates a hand shake. With the vertical configuration, the pressure stays naturally off the wrist.

Enough of the biomechanics, let’s look at the product itself.

The Evoluent Vertical Mouse 2 is available in both left- and right-hand configurations. I evaluated the right handed model. The product is corded, and comes ready for USB, with a PS/2 adaptor included. This allows it to work with any computer, even notebooks. The mouse’s color scheme sports a matte black body with glossy purple buttons. This gives it a youthful, up-to-date look, but ensures it will match only the Abbey (the lab tech) on NCIS’s Gothic décor. It will look more in place on The Apprentice’s desk than in Donald Trump’s office. I personally would have preferred it without the purple, and either all glossy or matte, but this is just my opinion.

The optical sensor uses a high (1200) dpi configuration. This mouse tracks on every surface I threw it on including clear Plexiglas. The mouse covers more distance on the screen for a given movement on the mouse pad than some others I have tested. This does make the mouse a little jumpy when trying to execute a small movement, but I acclimated to it fairly easily.

The Vertical Mouse 2 is larger than most regular mice, especially in the height department. The size is 11.7 cm by 7.6 cm by 7.6 cm, and the cable is a generous 2 meters. For some perspective, the Logitech V500 Notebook Mouse was only 1.125″ high, and is quite hobbitlike next to the Evoluent unit.

The Vertical Mouse has three buttons along the right side, with the scroll wheel in between the 1st and 2nd buttons. There is an additional button along the left side which the thumb can press. There is a cutout on the left side that the thumb fits naturally into. When the mouse is first plugged in, without any driver or software installation, the 1st finger depresses the left mouse click button, and the 3rd finger depresses the right click mouse button. The scroll wheel also functions with no ‘clicks’ so it feels smoother, but I missed the feedback that the clicks provide. The middle button and left side thumb button are not enabled without the software installed.

The software installed smoothly, and enables additional functionality. Now each of the buttons can be custom configured to your needs and tastes. I chose to make the middle 2nd finger button a “double click” button. This automatically double clicks the selected icon, with a single press of the button. The left sided thumb button I selected to be a backspace button. As my 5th finger never seems to be able to reach the backspace key easily on the keyboard, this worked well for me. Additional available options included adjusting the double click speed, and setting how many rows the scroll wheel go at a time. The mouse is reported to be compatible in Windows 98SE, ME, NT, 2000 and XP, as well as Mac OS 9 and 10 (extra driver and cost needed for all buttons), UNIX, and Linux.

I had the mouse installed on my main desktop computer for over a week and used it for all my mousing needs. The buttons on the mouse, though plentiful, took almost no time to get used to. There is definitely a very “natural” feeling to this mouse. It did feel a little chunky in the grasp, but it glided on the pad with minimal effort. I used it on my Belkin mouse pad with a wrist rest, and it was comfortable. The mouse proved an able partner in all computing tasks, including Web surfing, word processing, spreadsheets, and games. More than once it had me thinking “Why didn’t I think of this?” There was definitely a contemporary simplicity in its design and layout.

What were the downsides? Of course, there were a few. First, I felt a little tied down with the cord. I’ve gotten used to (spoiled perhaps?) the freedom of a cordless mouse, and with the Vertical Mouse, I was restrained to the mouse pad. No picking it up and using it on my thigh or another surface. Secondly, the height did not work well with my keyboard drawer. The Vertical Mouse 2 is about 3 times taller than most mice. With the mouse on the wrist pad, the drawer would not close. This in turn made it very difficult to reach the surge strip under the desk mounted on the wall. So I had to pick the mouse up on the desk, but the cord now was pulling with the drawer closed. I definitely was missing a wireless mouse with no cords in the way at this point. This is the type of uphill battle I was talking about: the world is set up for a certain type of mouse, and it is difficult to do anything differently. Finally, the size of the mouse precludes it from being portable, unless you think Dell’s USS Inspiron with the 17” widescreen and 10+ pounds of heft is perfect for toting on your next Hawaiian holiday.

This product is designed for the desktop computer user who suffers from RSI, or is at risk for developing it. While a retail price of $74.95 is expensive for a corded optical mouse, niche products always carry a premium price. Just like “fat free,” “no salt,” or lately “no carbs” are more money than the “regular” variety at the supermarket. As a mouse, the product is solid, comfortable, and the included software fine tunes the controls to your needs.

    Strengths   

  • very comfortable to use
  • programmable buttons
  • adequate cord length
  • excellent 1200 dpi optical engine
  • can be used both PS/2 and USB

    Weaknesses   

  • color scheme (this product is different enough without being purple as well)
  • corded, not cordless
  • too high to fit under desks with keyboard drawers
  • no clicks on scroll wheel
  • price
  • size precludes portability

Who should buy this mouse?
RSI sufferers who can give up life with a cord to be pain free.

Buy the Evoluent VerticalMouse 2 – Right Hand edition from Amazon

Special thanks to Evoluent for supporting this review.

Notebook Mouse Roundup

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With each passing year, notebook computers constitute a greater percentage of overall computer sales. Soon, for many folks, their only computer will be their notebook computer. One of the disadvantages of a notebook compared to a desktop is their inferior interface. Keyboards are cramped and have limited key travel. They never have a mouse. To control the cursor, they have either a pointing stick or a touchpad interface (or in a few cases, both). Personally, I greatly prefer the touchpad, but both options have their proponents.

Notebook miceMany newer touchpads have a scrolling function built in. Homebodies and road warriors alike use their notebooks ever increasingly and they seek both comfort and ergonomics, not to mention trying to avoid RSI (repetitive stress injury). This is why users need a portable mouse. These tend to be smaller than a standard mouse in order to make them convenient to carry around. I chose to focus on wireless mice because they are the newer products with the latest technology. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first attempt to compare these products against each other in such a fashion. As usual, here at LIVEdigitally.com we set the bar just a little higher.

Just a note of caution: None of these wireless mice (or any other wireless anything) should be used on an airplane. You probably don’t have enough room for a mouse anyway with those cramped tray tables. If you did, than you would need a wired mouse to comply with airline regulations. In other words, don’t blame me when the Flight Attendant is reporting you the Sky Marshall for mousing at 40,000 feet.
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Flash Card Memory Roundup 2005: Introduction

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Which Card Will Quietly Dominate and Why

The humble flash memory card quietly provides the storage for today’s electronic devices. Handheld computers, iPods and other portable music players, digital cameras, and even some cellphones and camcorders utilize flash cards. These cards are available in more varieties than Baskin Robbins ice cream flavors, and there’s always some new smaller card that just came out with some reported advantage. Thankfully, selecting a memory card format to invest in is not as random as selecting a roulette number at Vegas, and the key is putting the house advantage in your favor. This article reviews the current cards on the market with their potential advantages and uses, and highlights some future directions. No one likes choosing a dying standard, and I’ll point out the likely winners of this high wager business. After all, no one needs a drawer full of expensive, but outdated and useless memory cards.
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Please try not to eat it (a review of the very edible iPod shuffle)

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Apple is taking minimalism to a whole new level with the iPod shuffle. In fact they are now officially straddling the fine line between brilliance and bullsh*t.

The iPod shuffle is basically just 512mb or 1gb of flash memory in a very nice iPodesque enclosure. Here’s what it is not. It is not an iPod. At least not in the ways we traditionally identify an iPod (i.e. it’s great interface, a scroll wheel, the ability to sort your music by a plethora of criteria, multiple playlist, basic PDA functionality such as the ability to carry contacts and appointments with you). These things it lacks completely. You won’t find them anywhere no matter how hard you look over the iPod shuffle’s diminutive frame.

And yet it clearly called an iPod, it is in fact an iPod. When you consider that iPod is more a brand than a product these days the contradictions of my last few sentences begins to vanish. Apple created the iPod shuffle to cater to a very different type of music listener. This is similar to Volkswagen, who makes both the Beetle and the Phaeton, two wildly different cars that are aimed at very different consumers. This is the iPod for those that think “why on earth would I want to carry 10,000 songs with me?”

Apple is a company that pays attention to its consumer’s feedback, evident by the inclusion of the Shuffle option as a first level menu option in the fourth-generation iPod. It seems many users are fond of letting the iPod do the choosing, and love the element of surprise when Frank Sinatra is followed by Prodigy, for example. This is what gave birth to the iPod shuffle in both marketing terms and usability. Effectively, Apple took the biggest drawback of flash players, namely their lousy or completely missing user interface, and turned it intothe key feature. What makes the iPod shuffle a success, in my opinion, is something that has nothing to do with its hardware and which no other flash based mp3 player out there has: iTunes.

Here is where the iPod shuffle truly shines. In addition to giving you access to the iTunes music store to purchase songs iTunes also allows you to take the idea of randomness as a feature and run with it. It features a number of different ways to load up your iPod shuffle, all of which are equally ingenious. Upon connecting the iPod shuffle to your computer you are asked whether or not you wish to link the unit with this particular computer. The iPod shuffle can only be linked to one computer at a time. In fact, if it already has music from another computer, the act linking it with a new computer erases all of the existing music. Once you do connect it, the iPod shuffle shows up much like an iPod does, on the left-hand side of the iTunes interface. When you click on the device, you are greeted by large “autofill” button that works much in the same way the party shuffle works (It allows you to autofill from your entire music library for a fresh mix or autofill from a specified playlist or recently played songs to fine tune the mix a bit more). You can also drag and drop songs or entire playlists. One of the coolest things is that this autofill feature can be set to do so automatically whenever you connected your iPod to the computer. For someone who appreciates variety this really is a great way to keep your daily soundtrack fresh and surprising.

The iPod shuffle can also act as a flash memory drive to ferry data between multiple computers. In the iTunes preferences you set how much space of the iPod’s memory to allocate to data storage. Enabling this option causes the iPod shuffle to appear as an external drive on any computer it connects to and acts independently of the music portion of the drive.

As a music player the iPod is great for what it is. The controls are small but effective with the exception of the switch on the back. It serves as both a power button and a toggle between shuffle mode and playlist mode (which allows you to play your music in order, if that is your preference). The switch sits flush with the casing and is very smooth making it difficult to switch on without using the edge of my fingernail. There is also a a learning curve since the iPod shuffle uses one LED light to give you visual feedback for when the player is on, paused, or on hold. Memorizing what it means doesn’t take long but it does take longer than the interface of the rest of the iPod family. Sound quality is excellent and indistinguishable from my 20gb iPod using a pair of Sony inner ear headphones.

This is not something that should be purchased if you dislike losing control or are prone to losing small objects as the iPod shuffle is very tiny and could easily find itself lost in a backpack or on a cluttered desk.

I would recommend the iPod shuffle for those who want a simple music player that also gives you access to the best online music store. The iPod shuffle makes for a very good solid musical companion, as long as you don’t mind identifying songs the old school way, by ear.

Buy a Apple 1 GB iPod Shuffle MP3 Player from Amazon

Logitech diNovo Media Desktop

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I built my last computer a little over a year ago, and I tried to keep it within a tight budget. I reused an old Pentium-era IBM keyboard, and a bargain optical mouse (not too much excitement in the mouse/keyboard industry over the last decade). I selected a small form factor case from Shuttle, which freed up valuable desk real estate, but the keyboard and mouse took up quite a chunk of the desk. Real estate on my desk is almost as valuable as land in downtown Manhattan; it’s always at a premium.I view Logitech as the BMW of computer peripherals; premium products for the discriminating taste, with a hefty admission price. While I have tried “multimedia” keyboards before (and been less than impressed), this one takes the category further. The whole package comes in a black and dark gray color scheme accented by green and blue LEDs and silver buttons. It is very cool and ultramodern with a European flair. But design is only the extra touch. I will explain who can most benefit from this progressive hardware and why.

The product I am talking about is the Logitech diNovo Media Desktop. Di novo in science means to synthesize from the basic parts, and this is an apt description of this input system. There are four major hardware components to the system (all are wireless): the keyboard, the MediaPad, an optical mouse, and a hub. Also included was an AC adaptor, 6 AA Duracell batteries (4 for the keyboard, 2 for the MediaPad), 2 NIMH batteries (1800 mA) for the mouse, as well as a software package on CD. The package is made even sweeter with the inclusion of a five year warranty.
The setup went fairly smoothly, and took a little under one hour including software installation. An hour is a long time for a keyboard and mouse, but this is not your run-of-the-mill keyboard and mouse! I followed the setup poster as there was no printed manual (the interactive software does function as a manual, but I still prefer something to carry around and read when I have some time). I was a little apprehensive taking my old keyboard and mouse away, thinking “if there’s a problem, how would I recover the system with no working input device?” This theoretical concern quickly vanished as I proceeded.

The AC adapter connects to the USB connector which provides power to the Bluetooth hub (which is also the mouse charger – very cool). The hub is about the size of a Palm cradle and connects to the desktop via USB or a keyboard ps/2 connection. With batteries installed in all the devices, I powered up the whole system. The mouse worked right away, however the keyboard did not. After noticing and depressing a ‘connect’ button on the bottom of the keyboard and a similar button on the wireless hub, the keyboard worked as well. A similar procedure got the MediaPad working. The same connection step is also shown under each of the three components. Interestingly, the setup poster, which detailed the battery installation, did not list this step, but did place it on the reverse side as a “solving setup problems” procedure. With a working keyboard and mouse, I continued on to install the software.

The software is called SetPoint (version 1.05b): Logitech diNovo Media Desktop which is designed for Microsoft Windows XP and 2000 only; older operating systems and Mac users are out of luck. As the software is installing on your PC, each part verifies its connection to the wireless hub to ensure secure communications. It reportedly uses 128-bit encryption across 70 frequencies, and as long as you don’t work at the CIA, this should be adequate. The software includes optional installation of Windows Media Player 9, and a Bluetooth phone utility. It also asks which media player you wish to use by default; I selected Winamp 5.08C which I favor for music files.
While I have heard about Bluetooth for several years, this is the first Bluetooth device I have owned. Bluetooth is supposed to have a 10 meter range, I had at least that, and that was through interior walls. The Bluetooth hub is designed to act as a wireless hub for other Bluetooth peripherals, an added function of the whole system. There is a utility included in the software to set up other Bluetooth devices (up to seven can be connected to the hub). The hub holds the mouse when not in use and charges it through direct (probably gold plated) contacts. As a nice touch, when the mouse needs charging, its LED glows red. When placed in the cradle the same LED flashes green, and then glows a steady green for five minutes before turning off. The same LED flashing red, and then green reminds me of the two color LED on a LiteOn optical drive – always very cool.

The mouse supplied is the Logitech Mx 900 Bluetooth optical mouse. The mouse alone retails for $100 with the Bluetooth Wireless Hub. The included mouse is clearly made for right handed computer users. It has just the right amount of weight to it to impart a sense that it is finely crafted. It tracks just fine across just about every surface except a piece of glass (I still suggest using a conventional mouse pad to save your desktop surface though).The mouse also features a rubberized scroll wheel, and there are two scroll buttons to facilitate scrolling through very long documents. Near where the thumb rests, there are two shortcut buttons that correspond to the forward and backward buttons on a browser. The final button sits on top and when pressed brings up the “Logitech Quick Switch Program Selector.” This handy feature allows one to the quickly select between open windows on the desktop. Ergonomically, the mouse fits very well in my right hand. For those of us that spend more than a little amount of time with their computer, a comfortable mouse is a necessity, and in my opinion, this one fits the bill for the vast majority of users.

The next component in the system is the Bluetooth keyboard. The keyboard features a zero degree tilt design, as well as some additional keys. The flatness of the design and the slightly less key travel gives this the feel of a notebook keyboard (except it doesn’t sag in the middle). Even the rarely used “F” keys across the top are given the half size design similar to many notebook keyboards. For the “two finger typist” this works well, and is equally comfortable for standard typing technique. The keys have a dulled “clack” to them which provides good feedback and is reassuring as well. There are also some additional keys on the keyboard which stand out because of their silver color.

In the upper left there are shortcut keys for opening your internet browser to its home page, opening Outlook, and initiating a web search. In the upper right side there are short cut keys to control volume output. These functioned very well on my system and saved the need to redo the master volume when switching programs (thereby fixing a bug!). The final set of additional keys is the media launcher button, and controls to play/pause, forward, reverse, and stop to control music or video playback. The same control is duplicated on the MediaPad. Finally, when the Caps Lock key gets depressed, it gets displayed in bright green on the computer monitor. I think all keyboards should have this feature, rather than some tiny LED you don’t notice until 10 characters are capitalized. While the keyboard does not have a wrist rest, it does have two flip up spots to give it some angle. I found it more comfortable that way. After a few minutes, I was comfortable with the keyboard, and the old IBM was on its way down to the basement for storage.
I have saved the best component for last. The MediaPad: Bluetooth Remote Commander. This is a separate wireless Bluetooth component which at first appears to be the numeric keypad to the keyboard. While at first I was disappointed there was no way to lock it onto the keyboard to make one component out of the two, after playing with the MediaPad, I was duly impressed. It features a black and white LED display above the keys which displays the date and time – even with the computer powered off. Along the right side are volume controls, and the media launcher and controls, similar to the keyboard. But they act a little differently.


When used to control Windows Media Player 9, both the title and artist information were displayed on the LED screen which was quite amazing. Unfortunately, this did not work in MusicMatch, nor in Winamp. However, all three players could be controlled in terms of play, stop, forward, etc. An additional feature is that the MediaPad can be put into calculator mode, even when the PC is off. After all, even though we have a computer with a bajigahertz processor, many of us keep a calculator handy for quick math needs. The answers are displayed on the LED readout, and can easily be cut and pasted into on screen applications such as Excel. The third mode for the MediaPad is used to navigate the Logitech Quick Media Launcher. When used this way, it becomes a remote control to navigate music, picture, and video files stored in appropriate My Documents folders. This is ideal for a home built media center pc by adding some of the features of a Windows Media Center Edition.
Overall, I am very pleased with the diNovo system from Logitech. It is probably the most advanced wireless keyboard and mouse combination made today. Frankly, I haven’t had the opportunity to try out many others, but there is a lot of evidence to back the statement up. This is the top of the line from Logitech, and better than anything from Microsoft. Very few other units use Bluetooth with its extended range, frequency hopping technology, and ability to connect with other devices. Most use RF wireless which is limited to keyboard/mice. In addition, this is the only keyboard with a separate MediaPad and display.

I really had to get down to a fine detail level to even find a fault with it. The only drawbacks I have (and they are minor, at best) are:

  1. Long setup with “connect” not a separate step
  2. Number of batteries to power device
  3. Need to keep powered to keep mouse charged

I think this is the first of many trouble free Bluetooth peripherals I hope to enjoy over the next several years. If my old reliable keyboard is a Bic, the diNovo is a Mach3 Turbo!. Both will do the job, but this is definitely the way to compute with a balance of style and performance.Finally, who should actually buy this? I’ll take a look at who I think can most benefit from this great hardware and justify the $249 admission price. After all, this is a premium product, and not for cash strapped budget pc user.

  1. Power users who are comfortable building their own PCs.
    This is an ideal choice for a home-built media center pc and is designed with that user in mind. With its wireless range and MediaPad it is a great choice, and with its slick design it fits in well in a living room, den, or dorm. With the Media Desktop software designed for distance use, a user would not miss the “real” Windows Media Center Edition which is not available to install on a home built pc.
  2. Computer users looking to clean up the clutter.
    Another potential user is the business executive who wants fewer wires on his or her desk, and who wishes to impress his or her colleagues who have already seen the 21″ LCD flatpanel monitor. Also, when not working with the computer, the keyboard and MediaPad can be placed elsewhere to free up valuable desk space for that “big project.” Having other Bluetooth peripherals to connect and not needing a separate hub increases the functionality of the product.
  3. A number-cruncher
    An accountant would utilize the calculator functions of the MediaPad, which would make the system worth the price tag in increased productivity over time. Besides, the MediaPad looks way cooler on a desk than any calculator.

Finally, there’s always the gift for the “Live Digitally” user who seems to already have everything. Trust me they’ll be impressed.

 

 

  

Interesting links
  • Buy on Amazon
  • Logitech official site
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    Review of Shure E2C Headphones

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    (featuring the fit and sporty Emily)


    Everyone has their own inner rock star. Whether you singalong while driving (we see you), or yodel in the shower, its your inner self trying to get out. Thankfully, most of our inner children stay where they belong, inside (I can’t explain Ashlee Simpson, so please don’t ask). The few who have the gift are (we hope) out there sharing it. And when they do, they need gear. Good gear. One key thing they need is headphones, the kind that can block out enough of the outside world and let in what they want to hear during their performance. Believe it or not, for as little as $99, you can play in their world.

    Shure, an American company whose roots are in the radio parts business, makes what they call “sound-isolating” headphones. In a nutshell, Shure combines exceptional quality headphones with earplugs. We were sent a pair of the E2c model, the lowest end that Shure makes, to try out. The units come in a great, compact carrying case, and were easy to carry along in our laptop bag.


    We went out for a combination headphone test and workout, and tried to find an environment that would put the unit in a real-world environment. Somewhere where there’s a bit of background noise, and a jogging trail. We went to a small little built-up strip on the edge of the San Francisco airport. By the way, jets are loud.


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    Review of Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 Powered Speakers

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    a LIVEdigitally original
    Here at the Ld, we try not to gush about something no matter how much we like it. Within about 15 seconds from when we first connected the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 Powered Speakers, we knew we were going to have trouble sounding neutral. These things, for lack of a better word, rock. In fact, they sound so good we can’t refer to them as PC Speakers, because it would almost be insulting.

    I hooked up the speakers to my laptop, a Dell Latitude D800 which generally does a good job with its audio outputs. Over the course of several hours, I listened to:


    • 128Kbps (lousy) MP3s.
    • 384Kbps MP3s
    • Uncompressed CD audio
    • A DVD movie
    • Rhapsody streaming radio

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    Dick Tracy's MP3 Player

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    Well, it’s been about 50 years, and we still don’t have watchband communicators. Heck, my cell phone still loses signal in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, supposedly the hotbed of technology for the world! However, thanks to New York-based Technotunes, Inc., we do have a watchband music player. The company offers a MP3-playing watch. I must admit, when I first heard the concept, it sounded a little on the janky side of the street. I may have judged too soon.

    When we opened the packaging, we were nicely surprised to see the high quality of the materials, and the size of the watch itself. I think our expectations were a cheap overseas design with a standard cardboard box, no manual whatsoever, and pleather. Instead, the box looks good, and all the components are worthy of a $199 watch. Nice.

    Now we naturally ignored the manual, and went straight to the task of trying to listen to our music. We pulled out the USB cable, and noticed right away the unique (or unique to us, I should say) adapter which appears to convert USB to… headphone! I plugged the cable into my laptop, and two things happened: (1) a light on the watch lit up, and (2) my PC automatically recognized a new USB drive. Both were fantastic news, let me tell you why.

    The light on the watch lit up to inform me that the watch was charging over USB. I love this. To all product developers out there: if you make a portable gadget with USB support, it should be chargeable by USB! There is nothing I hate more than carrying extra power adapters on business trips, and if I’m going to have a watch that needs recharging, the LAST thing I want to have to do is remember my charger!

    The fact that Windows was able to communicate with the watch as a USB drive meant that not only did I not need to install any special drivers or software, but I can simply drag and drop the MP3 files I want straight to the watch. Which is exactly what I did, and even though the device used the older USB 1.1 technology (which means a much slower transfer rate), filling 256MB with music was quick enough for me.
    Well, it’s time to listen to some watch-music, so our good friend Ron has returned, sans lighter fluid (he likes fire). First Ron connected the supplied headphones, using the same plug on the watch that we connected the USB cable to before. This clever design is part of why we like the TechnOTunes product so much – most devices these days have so many inputs and outputs they’re like swiss cheese. This is how consumer electronics, gadgets or not, should be, clean and simple. To add some icing to this cake, the watch automatically recognized the fact that Ron had connected the headphones. He pushed the play button, and out came beautiful, compressed, music.Just look at the happy fella.

    Next, Ron stands up to see what the “walking around, listening to my watch” experience is like. The retractable cable (again, a nice touch) wasn’t quite convenient to Ron’s tall frame, so we tried the old under-the-shirt technique. This definitely worked a lot better, but was not extremely convenient. But that’s why we brought out some other listening devices.

    First up, a pair of Shure e2c headphones (our review is forthcoming) are connected to the TechnOTunes watch. As we hoped, sound quality was about what a typical MP3 player sounds like. In all fairness, my multi-hundred dollar Rio Karma sounds better with the Shure’s, but since the Karma is considered the top-of-the-line for audio quality, this isn’t a fair comparison. I think it’s fair to say you won’t be disappointed with the sound quality.

    Next test: the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 2.0 powered computer speakers (review also coming shortly). First off, these are about the best PC speakers you can buy right now, we love them, they are amazing (you can buy them here). We hooked these bad boys up to the TechnOTunes watch, and it was a party in the apartment.

    Finally, and most difficult of all, we used a headphone to RCA adapter, and connected the watch to my home stereo. As a preface, it is very very hard to make any compressed music sound good coming out of a decent stereo system. I typically use the digital audio outputs from my laptop if I really want any PC-based music. I found the watch sounded a little bit hollow when hooked up in this environment, but that’s about what I expected as well. Not fair, not nice, but we wanted to be thorough.
    As we’ve said before, too much convergence is not a good thing. My laundry machine does not need to play MP3s. My cell phone doesn’t either, unless it does a really good job of it, and stops dropping calls. As for a watch? I honestly don’t know. But I do know this, if there is an example of doing it right, the TechnOTunes MP3 Watch is it.

    Packaging and product design is very nicely done. In fact, they have three different models, each aesthetically designed and offered in multiple colors. The unit we tried has no display or user interface, but Apple, the king of MP3 players, has recently declared this to be a good thing. Because time is random.

    We expected a huge house-watch, and instead got something with a nice form factor. The clever use of a single port for USB connectivity as well as headphones is one of the smartest things we’ve seen anyone do with a digital device in a long time.

    Personally, I would probably be happy enough with a watch-based USB drive! Even if I didn’t use the music features, not having to carry an extra USB memory stick around is a great idea. The TechnOTunes watch does a good job in the drive to convergence. Convergence should mean something very simple: by combining the devices I normally carry into a single device, my life gets better. Most other devices seem to make my life worse.

    The watch is $199, available directly from their site.

     

  • TechnOTunes home page
  • The Gadgeteer’s review

    • dmp3 CD ripping services review

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    From the latest we’ve heard, there are about a billion iPods on the market today. Alright, we are exaggerating, but it is a safe statement that music fans around the world are somewhere on their journey from physical media, such as CDs, to file-based media, such as MP3s. From the late 1990s, when Diamond (formerly S3, then SonicBlue, now DNNA) shipped their first Rio MP3 player (32 megs of RAM, very limited user interface) to today with Apple shipping the new iPod Shuffle (lots more RAM, no user interface), there is tremendous energy behind this shift. By the way, our billion user statement may be outlandish now, but In-Stat predicts almost 2 billion handheld a/v players sold by the end of 2006!While it’s gotten a lot easier to transition MP3s (for the rest of this article, we’ll use the term ‘MP3’ to represent a compressed music file, regardless of specific file format) from computers onto portable music players, the process of getting a music collection into a computer in the first place has not gotten easier. And I’ve got bad news for you: there’s no technology out there that is going to make it better. But two guys named Dan are here, not only to ease the pain, but make it quite a pleasure. They run a new type of music services company, called dmp3, and they are here to help you “rediscover your music.”

    What do they do, in 10 words or less? Dmp3 converts your CD library into a perfectly organized MP3 library.

    And they do it very, very well.


    Our good friend Ron has a vast CD collection. He’s got Dylan and Hancock, Radiohead and Jane’s Addiction. The Police, Radiohead, Morcheeba. Nat King Cole, Miles Davis. Beastie Boys. In previous articles I’ve mocked Ron a bit, but in all honesty, he’s got much better taste in music than me. Not that that will stop future mocking.

    Ron owns an iPod, has a couple of laptops, is a big iTunes and Rhapsody fan. He’s a digital media fan. That said, in two years, he’d ripped a grand total of 20 CDs. Ron says his biggest deterrents to ripping his own CDs are that it takes a long time and maintenance, especially including the problem that he typically has to fix up the metadata (artist name, album title, etc) after he’s done. In fact, when asked how long he thinks it would take him to rip his favorite 200 CDs of his collection, Ron said, “At present rates, I’m ripping about 10 CDs a year. If you calculate that out, my 200 CDs would take 20 years!”

    So we called in dmp3 to help out.

    Daniel Robins, the Bay Area representative of dmp3 (the founder of the company, Dan McMinn is setting up a new office in the Midwest), coordinated with Ron via phone and email to arrange for “the pickup”. One key differentiator for dmp3 is that they offer full service options to those who are interested. If you live in a different part of the country, or are on a tight budget, you can do all interaction by mail, however if you are able to get the personal touch, as you’ll read below, it’s definitely worth it. dmp3 collected just under 200 of Ron’s favorite CDs, to rip, properly tag and identify, and deliver when done.

    In order to most effectively test out the services, we asked Ron to place a few ‘traps’ in his CD collection. He included a few CD cases with no discs, a few cases with the incorrect discs inside, a few custom CD mixes, and some scratched CDs. We, of course, gave dmp3 no warning.

    Daniel took the CDs, and within 24 hours sent a follow-up email to Ron. In this email, Daniel clearly identified the various genres of music that comprised Ron’s collection (and even gave Ron the opportunity to make changes, in case Ron preferred to use different or more specific genres than the standard said, such as “Acid Jazz” and “Fusion Jazz” instead of just “Jazz”). He also outlined the next few steps of the process, and asked Ron to have a few things prepped before his return.

    Meanwhile, the dmp3 team began the ripping process. They combine some very exciting technology with their own personal interests and passion of music to create compelling results. Using their system, dmp3 was able to rip Ron’s entire CD collection quite rapidly, with no errors.

    I’ve personally ripped quite a number of CDs, and the number of error-free rips I’ve done is fairly unimpressive, so I’ll say it again. dmp3 ripped all 200 of Ron’s CDs with absolutely no errors. You don’t have to be an audiophile to appreciate listening to your music without glitches.

    Next step involved going CD by CD, inspecting every metadata tag for accuracy. There are a few services for this, but thankfully they use Gracenote as their primary source. However, they take the process a little further, and pay special attention to situations such as compilation albums or multi-CD sets. For those of you who use some of the ‘default’ metadata services, such as MusicMatch or Windows Media Player, there is a huge difference between dmp3’s outputs and what the typical consumer is dealing with.

    The next day, Daniel returned to Ron’s apartment, with a couple of big boxes…
    First, Daniel connected his USB external hard drive to Ron’s laptop to move the MP3 files onto Ron’s computer. This took a little while, as the collection was quite large. During this time, Daniel pulled out a folder with the detailed notes and files. Daniel proceeded to educate Ron about his own music collection. The documents outlined all of the CDs, by artist and by genre. Details on number of converted tracks, file sizes, duplicates, and more.

    Daniel’s files clearly indicated all of Ron’s attempts to trick the system had failed.

    After the file transfer was completed we started to get a glimpse into how valuable the dmp3 service really is. Ron’s iTunes library was clean and perfect. No messy metadata tags. No need to sort or move files around. It was just… done. And done right.

    I asked Ron how valuable he thought the service was, and here’s his response: “Once you have your entire collection perfectly digitized, organized and loaded you can’t go back. I even have backups that I can put in a Safety Deposit Box should my hard-drive crash.” The backups he’s referring to are the DVDs dmp3 provided with all of Ron’s mp3s. All, of course, in alphabetical order.

    I don’t know if they can sort autobiographically, but it wouldn’t surprise me (the book or the movie).


    There are tons of things out there that are easy to do, but rarely worth the effort. Ask anyone who owns a bread machine or ice cream maker how often they use the gadget versus buying a loaf of bread or pint of Ben and Jerry’s (Phish Food, in case you were wondering). Cleaning the toilet is easy, yet many people hire housekeepers. Even making clothes is pretty simple to do, but I don’t know too many people who like wearing home-brand jeans.

    Anyone can rip a CD. dmp3 just makes it easier, faster, and better. And it might even be cheaper. Here’s my math:

    If it takes you, say 20 minutes to rip a CD, you can do 3 per hour.Say you earn $60,000 per year. This works out to the approximate equivalent of being paid $30 per hour.

    This means, using that new math, the cost of your time to rip a CD is about $10.

    At the time of writing, dmp3’s fee is $1.25 per CD. Or a savings of $8.75 per CD!

    Even if you don’t like my math, or you can rip CDs faster, or you just like to argue, you have to admit there is something very nice about someone else providing you a clean library of your music, with no hassle. Check out dmp3 at www.dmp3music.com, and rediscover your music.

    Or you can go back to cleaning the toilet yourself.

    Slappa CD/DVD Case Review

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    Yes, we are reviewing a CD and a DVD case. Yes, there are plenty of reviews of these exact same cases out there already. So what can we possibly do different? One word. Fire. 

    Our review team here at LIVEdigitally decided if we were going to review a “hard-body” case with “DURO-SHOCK” protection and a “heavy gauge zipper”, we wanted to make sure it lived up to its promise. Total Impact Industrial is the manufacturer of the Slappa brand of CD and DVD cases (iPod case coming soon), which promise to “Protect Your Digital Gear.”

    Our tests involved a series of semi-typical day-to-day events that a CD case might go through, including: spilling coffee on it, dropping food on it, sitting on it, and a whole lot more. Oh yeah, and fire. Our good friend Ron joined us to put the case through the ringer.

    Continue reading →

    Sony Ericsson s700i review

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    Sponsored by Reyox Hosting

    By Asher Saeed
    The Sony Ericsson (SE) S700i is a cellular phone that I have been waiting in anticipation for, ever since I ‘played around’ with the NTT DoCoMo SO505i. The SO505i is what the S700i is obviously inspired from. Unfortunately given Japan’s totally different cellular phone network (W-CDMA as far as NTT is concerned) a state of the art cellular phone such as the SO505i is unlikely to launch in any other country except Japan considering the vastly different cellular networks. Moreover, even given the advent of 3G networks in other countries such as the UK, the SO505i still is unlikely to work outside Japan considering how the phone is completely and totally locked to the NTT network.

     

    SE, finally having some pity upon our poor GSM-using selves, announced earlier this year the S700i, a phone which shares the same swiveling screen design concept as their SO505i and has a similar 1.3 Megapixel camera with photon flash and memory stick DUO support.

    After waiting for several months hoping that a definitive release date would be announced, SE out of the blue launched the S700i in early November pretty much all around the world. The S700i is available from various carriers worldwide as well as completely OEM unlocked (which gives the user complete access to all of the phones features, and is, of course, how I have it).

    Now you might be wondering what sets this phone apart from its competition. Well first of all, it is just gorgeous. The S700i boasts an eye-catching metallic type silver finish (which thankfully doesn’t scratch that easily!) and an amazing 262,000 (18 bit) active matrix TFT display. The screen resolution and glossy quality is simply stunning. The phone has one of the best 1.3 Megapixel cameras I have ever used (and I’ve used many). That’s it for the overview. If that’s not enough for you, the phone also features support for memory stick DUO and has an integrated MP3 player and FM radio. Still not enough? It has onboard 32 MB of memory and an additional 32 MB memory card is included with the package.

    For the first time ever, we are proud to show off a product review with a video! Watch this 60-second preview of the phone.

    In one phrase: “The phone simply oozes sex appeal!”The phone sports a 180 degrees swiveling design. Now what’s different about this design is the fact that it only swings 180 degrees (in case you missed it the first time I said it). Once you flip it to full length you cannot turn the screen ‘the other way’ but must turn it back to closed position the same way you opened it. I actually like this concept; I think it has something to do with hinge reinforcement.

    As expected by a ‘swinging phone’ the hinges do get loose after several openings and closings (although not as loose as some Samsung or Motorola I’ve tried).

    The front of the phone has a large, extremely bright screen. The facade has four action buttons and a d-pad in the center with a key in the middle of the d-pad. This is quite effective for using the phone without requiring the user to open the flip.

    Once you swing open the LCD screen, a set of keys are revealed. The S700i has, by far, the best set of keys I have ever used in a SE phone. The finish is striking, although it might take some getting used to as the keys are ‘inset’ which means they’re not exactly protruding outwards. But once you get used to it, it’s very satisfying to use and easy to “type” with (T9-style input is supported as well).

    On the right side of the phone is a soft plastic hatch which conceals the memory stick DUO card slot. As I previously mentioned, SE was kind enough to supply one 32 MB MS DUO card with the package and an adapter for using it with the bigger memory stick card readers. Right above the memory card hatch is the camera button (more on that later), and right above that are the two volume up and down buttons.

    On the left side of the phone is the infrared port (pretty self explanatory and very effective as with all SE phones). Above that is the dual function slider button which basically locks/unlocks the keypad and acts as an activator for the flash when the phone is in camera mode.

    Once you turn the phone around you can easily mistake it for a ‘real’ Sony CyberShot camera. The camera lens is enclosed in a shutter (finally a camera phone with a shutter!) and the shutter has a sexy silver rim around it which boasts of the camera’s mega pixel strength (engraved). Right next to the rim is the slider switch which opens/closes the lens shutter, as well as the tiny flash. The back of the phone also has the battery hatch cover (obviously) which requires a bit of strength to slide out.

    Lastly, the bottom of the phone is what I like to call the ‘port end’. This contains the ports for the charger and the stereo headset. The port end has a soft plastic covering which you cannot take off. But you can slide it upwards, which is better than those removable covers (I’ve lost way too many of those!).

    The phone’s internal system is similar to the system that’s in use on the SE K700i. The same menu system, the same features (pretty much)! For those who haven’t read a decent review of the K700i, I’ll recap the features for you.

    The operating system (OS) supports a dynamic wallpaper scheme which I like; SE threw in a set of trendy themes which are pretty decent. As with pretty much every other SE phone there are 3D screensavers and after a while the screen turns black (once the screen saver is over).

    The menu system has a wide set of features (all you’d expect, and more):

    • PlayNow (music download service by SE, I have not used this)
    • WAP browser (supports XHTML)
    • Entertainment section which features a music DJ, games and the sound recorder
    • Camera
    • Messaging (sports email, SMS and wireless village)
    • FM Radio
    • File manager
    • Phone book
    • Media player (MP3 and video)
    • Connectivity options (Internet profiles, data profiles for GPRS and HCSD, Bluetooth and infrared)
    • Personal organizer (All PIM features, including calendar alarm clock, notes, tasks, stopwatch, calculator, code memo and more)
    • Setting menu (themes, profiles, time date management, voice control, shortcuts, language, ring tones, call lists and more)

    SE completely redesigned the menu system and it is much better than the interface used by the ‘now older’ SE phones (like the T610, T630 and Z600, etc). Although the OS maintains the same features, they’re more polished now.The phone offers excellent voice quality, however it is a bit quirky. I recommend you avoid rubbing the phone against your cheeks too much or the other party will most likely go deaf. If not deaf, they will definitely have trouble hearing you clearly. The phone does include a loud integrated loudspeaker which serves well for hands-free use.

    The phone has excellent Bluetooth support. After thoroughly testing Bluetooth with the most popular headsets, and with my Sony VAIO’s BlueSpace software, and various other Bluetooth dongles I can safely say that connectivity is not an issue! As usual, SE shines brightly in the Bluetooth department.

    The phone has excellent battery life; I use my phone all day and receive calls pretty much every hour. By the end of the day I still have 3/4ths of the battery left. I rarely acclaim or support manufacturer-claimed battery times, as they’re rarely accurate; especially considering each user uses his/her devices differently. For me, the battery life of the phone is just what I expect from a top-end SE phone.

    The back of the phone: (click on the image for a full-screen view):

    The phone plays MP3s in stereo, and the included set of ear buds are of excellent quality. MP3 playback (according to me, a music aficionado) was very acceptable. In fact, if 128 MB memory sticks weren’t so expensive, this device would serve most music lovers well. The unit also has a 5-band equalizer that does a good job of reproducing bass and treble.

    It is obviously unreasonable to compare this MP3 player to an iPod or any other top end dedicated MP3 players. However it does give them a good run for their money and in my case it’s more than enough. Also, you can minimize the MP3 player to the background and play games and listen to music at the same time.

    The phone is also able to playback QCIF video (standard GSM quality, about 1/2 the resolution of a TV screen). Frankly, unless you encode a movie especially for playback on the QCIF format, the movie capturing feature of the camera is really only above average. The video feature is something I’ve never really found effective in a cellular phone. The only cellular phone which had the best video capturing and playback was my iMate Windows Mobile Pocket PC. It’s video capturing and playback was truly amazing. I suppose a comparison is not really fair considering the massive power of that device.

    As I mentioned before the S700i also has an FM radio, but don’t really listen to FM that much. For the time that I spent trying it out, the reception was crystal clear and quality was pretty good.

    The back of the phone: (click on the image for a full-screen view):

    I’m willing to bet that this is the part that most users have been waiting for. Without further ado, I’ll get into the details of this phone’s spectacular, yet quirky, camera.First of all, the camera won’t operate if the flip of the phone is open. It must be closed in order for the camera to function.  

    The camera is activated by opening the lens cover, which is done by sliding the switch on the back of the phone. Once the cover is open the camera activates itself and the huge LCD turns into an excellent viewfinder.

    Upon inspection of the camera’s menu system you’ll notice it is almost identical to Sony’s CyberShot cameras and with good reason too: Sony’s CyberShot division helped SE design this phone’s camera!

    Taking pictures couldn’t be easier yet it couldn’t be more difficult! One would think it’s as simple as point and shoot but its not. You need a stable hand in order to take a picture of excellent quality. I cannot emphasize this enough but the lighting conditions must be good or the picture will come out grainy.

    If you hold the camera steady and wait until the picture is clearly saved before moving your hand again, it will turn out pretty well. Here’s an important point: do not mistake the shutter sound as the picture being 100% saved, because its not! The shutter sound can be disabled once the phone enters silent mode (for all the perverts out there).

    What really makes this camera great yet quirky is the fact that it has a CCD sensor rather than an el cheapo CMOS (carbon metal oxide semi conductor) sensor. However its biggest shortcoming is in the sensor, given the tiny size of the sensor and its auto focusing system you need to be sure that the camera is being held steady before snapping a picture.

    Now you might be wondering why earlier I emphasized on the lighting conditions; that was simply because the built-in flash is more or less a joke. Although under some circumstances it does work well, but if you’re expecting to take pictures in pitch darkness you should think again. Unless, that is, you want a picture of perfect blackness. I recommend you look at using the flash as a torch.

     
    Sample pix
    Click on any of these pictures to see a sample set of pictures taken with the s700i

    Here’s a list of some of the other camera-specific features:

    • Spot photometry (which displays a t-bar in the viewfinder and adjusts the light around the t-bar, this is very effective if you want to make a certain object brighter than its surroundings)
    • You can choose the photo size (1280×960 is the maximum and best quality if used effectively)
    • Night mode (this helps considerably if lighting conditions are poor)
    • Timer (great for taking that perfect picture, place the camera on a solid surface, step away, smile, viola! Perfect picture!)
    • White balance options (avoid messing with this really unless you’re an expert photographer)
    • Effects (make the picture sepia colored, pretty cool if you want to give the pictures a quaint look!)
    • 8x digital zoom, the bigger the zoom the worse the picture turns out, don’t use this in all honestly it’s only a marketing gimmick

    By flipping the phone’s d-pad to the right you can operate in movie mode. You can shoot a mini movie from here; a very nice touch is the setting that lets movies span the entire length of your memory stick. I’m not going to go into the complete details of the movie recorder because it’s like most other camera phone video recorders, but of slightly better quality.Considering the CCD sensor the phone surprisingly does not lose too much battery life while taking pictures. Of course if you decide to go photo crazy the battery will rapidly drop because of the power-hungry sensor. Remember, the phone’s battery is small (780 mAh) and that CCD sensors are the same kind that are included in good cameras and accordingly use up a lot of battery.

    While comparing the camera to other 1.3 megapixel cameras I’ve used (including dedicated ones), the SE S700i shines very brightly (again, if used properly!). The new Nokias with built-in 1.3 megapixel cameras simply pale in comparison to the S700i. And no, I am not a Nokia hater. I’ve used almost all of the top end Nokia phones out there including the 7610, and their camera quality really is average compared to this.

    The camera shutter: (click on the image for a full-screen view):

    Simply put, the S700i is an excellent phone for all the features it packs (especially the camera). It’s great for tourists who don’t want to buy a dedicated camera, or for other point-and-shoot needs. It’s great for commuters who can listen to MP3s or FM radio while on the go. It has all the expected PIM and connectivity features and much more. In other words this phone packs quite a punch.

    Finally, it’s great for the executive who uses the phone a lot (being one myself). You honestly won’t be ashamed to pull this phone out of your pockets in front of clients or colleagues. I say this because frankly, many other phones which try to ‘differentiate’ in design turn out looking just plain weird and sometimes a bit too feminine (like the 7610).

     

    Pros and cons

    Pro: Excellent quality camera
    Con: It’s quirky at the same timePro: Great MP3 player and FM radio
    Con: Limited memory expansion (only up to 128 MB)

    Pro: Memory is expandable
    Con: MS DUO is expensive and this phone doesn’t support DUO PRO which means expansion is limited to 128 MB

    Pro: Great talk time and standby
    Con: Can’t hold the phone in weird positions and talk properly at the same time

    Pro: Intuitive design
    Con: Hinge will get loose but not unacceptably loose

    Pro: Great keypad
    Con: Will take some getting used to

    Pro: Nice exterior color
    Con: Limited at the same time because there’s only one alternative which is the S700a (for Americas) which is available in black and lacks FM radio but includes EDGE.

    Pro: Full featured phone
    Con: Massive price tag, $599+

     

    Tips and tricks

    • While talking, do not attempt to go ‘hands free’ by supporting the phone against your shoulder and cheeks
    • For the perfect picture, ensure you hold the phone steady and that lighting conditions are bright. For the ultimate sharp picture, put the phone on a solid surface and use the self timer.
    • Get the Noiseware.com noise remover software. That will touch up your pictures considerably. All pictures that I have taken with the S700i for this review have been touched up with the community edition of Noiseware.
    • Get a screen protector immediately, the screen will scratch considering its glossy surface
    That’s all for my review, I hope you found it sufficiently in-depth to help make your buying decisions.  

    Asher Saeed
    LD Reviewer

    Here is a picture of the s700i next to a mini-A4 mouse: (click on the image for a full-screen view):

    IF YA MISSED IT… Video demo

    TV POKER review

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     TV POKER, from Senario, brings Texas Hold’em from the card table to the TV set. The system comes with a small “console” and six controllers, and allows for one to six players to play against each other or the computer. I spent a bit of time trying out the solo play mode, as well as with a few groups of friends, including my weekly poker buddies.

    The unit is nicely packaged, with one section containing the console, and the other the six controllers. Setup is easy, the only parts you must provide are the TV set and the batteries (4 AA, not included) – the console has AV cables built into the unit, which was a nice convenience. The controllers easily plug into the console, in fact the connectors seemed to use the same interface as the old Atari 2600 – probably not intentional, but a nice homage nonetheless.

    The controllers are lightweight, and have a simple LCD interface and a single LED to indicate whose turn it is. Only two buttons are used for the gameplay, “Select” and “OK”, which for the most part, are exactly enough.

    Here are some pictures of the supplied packaging (click on the image for a full-screen view):

    The console:

    Controllers:

    I referenced the Atari 2600 before in a positive way. Unfortunately, when it comes to the graphics and sounds, TV POKER is a reminder of those times. The graphics are very lacking, even for a game that doesn’t really need to emphasize graphics. I don’t really think this is a major criteria for making a quality game, and in fact, I believe that most modern video games are too visual effects driven and lacking in gameplay. However, the poor quality of visuals in TV POKER made it feel somewhat cheap. Not quite janky, but a little too close for comfort.

    Sound effects (again, NOT important in the grand scheme of things) were almost comical. The background music sounded like someone was playing the soundtrack from Seinfeld, in reverse and n the wrong key. The digitized “crowd noise” was a nice plus, although it did get on my nerves after a while, and while you can disable it, you must make the decision before the game starts. I recommend muting your TV volume and playing something else in the background. Or just whistling.

    Here are some screenshots (click on the image for a full-screen view):


    For new players, or for very casual situations, the game play is good enough. As I watched each new user interact with TV POKER, they were generally able to pick up a controller and play with no instruction. The gameplay is very straightforward, with the TV screen showing the “public” action, such as the size of the pot, whose turn it is, and the community cards. Your controller’s LED lights up when it’s your turn, and the LCD screen displays your hole cards. Interaction is pretty easy, you push the “Select” button until the action you want to take is highlighted on your LCD screen, then push “OK”. That’s pretty much all there is to playing TV POKER.

    Here’s our problem area. The gameplay has some problems. Some of them are based in the user interface, and are mere nuisances. The more serious ones have to do with the logic of the poker play itself. For the on-screen interface, my biggest complaint is that, when it’s your turn to act, the display does not tell you how much the current bet is. In fact, there is no way to find this out. This fact, combined with the sluggish response of the controller, caused us to have a lot of erratic folding and calling “all-ins” during our test games. Once we caught on, we worked around it, but it was very annoying, and a glaring mistake in the user interface design. Also, I found it odd that you could only see your hold cards when it was your turn – at all other times, your LCD screen remains blank.

    The bigger issues have to do with flaws in the poker game. If you are purely looking at this for lighthearted play, or want a fun intro to the game, they can probably be overlooked, and you should continue to the next section. However, if you are considering this for any kind of “real” poker play, here are the most critical problems to the gameplay:

  • In solo mode, the computer opponents will call just about every bet, and will often raise completely erratically. I could find no logic or pattern, whatsoever, to the computer play.
  • You are unable to raise when posting the big blinds.
  • In “no-limit” mode, the interface for raising only allows you to raise the amount of the big blinds, or to go all-in. No in-betweens.Here are some more screenshots (click on the image for a full-screen view):


    Let me start by saying, I really, really, wanted to like the TV POKER game more than I did. Some of my friends did get a big kick out of it, and said they would use it some fun play. For me, I felt the unit just had too many problems.

    At the end of the day, as a frequent poker player, I found the novelty of TV POKER insufficient to get me to switch from a deck of cards and my poker chips, but I can see the unit achieving some good success. Especially right now, with the game leveraging some of the most popular trends around.

    If you are up for some fun, want a new toy, and aren’t playing much poker already, then absolutely, give it a shot.

    Links

  • Official Senario site
  • Buy TV POKER
  • Buy Poker Chips
  • Buy Poker Books