Scott's List

My eclectic list of technology and products to improve your life - or at least let you have a bit more fun living it

[scottslist]

Best Travel Bluetooth Speaker 

Mini Jambox by Jawbone

There are louder and bigger bluetooth speaker systems but none better for throwing in a bag and heading out on a trip.  

One could call it "the iPhone of" Bluetooth speakers.  It's well constructed, durable, always pairs, made from some cool metal, comes in lots of colors and sounds great.  You can recharge it from a micro UBS wire and even input a non-Bluetooth device with a 3.5mm cord. 

The battery is long lasting and it speak to you in multiple voices (I prefer the English female voice, but to each his (or her) own).

On the downside, there is not a lot of bass and its not very loud. As to the bass, what can you expect from a speaker you can carry in your back pocket. Don't get me wrong, there is bass but not the "boom boom" response from larger speakers.  As to loudness, its perfect for a hotel room or next to your lounge chair by the pool but not for a beach party or large outdoor gathering.  Your neighbors will not complain about the sound. 

Jawbone has always produced superior Bluetooth headsets for making calls on your cell and that experience carries over to the Mini Jambox in that it can handle conference calls with its builtin microphone.  Again, perfect for a business trip. 

Best part about it is the price.  The Mini Jambox can be had for under $120 (and sometimes under $100) in lots of color and design options. Pick one up and you will be thanking me. 

Buy it on Amazon with this link:  Mini Jambox

[scottslist]

Best Travel Laptop 

Apple MacBook Air 13 inch Screen

There are lots of things to consider when looking at travel-worthy laptops - op system, screen size, memory, durability - but first, and foremost, has to be weight and battery life.  Let's face it, if it weighs too much or battery life is too short, you won't bring it on your trip or your commute.   Enter the 13" MacBook Air - only travel laptop you should consider - up to 12 hours of battery life and less than 3 pounds - and not a single moving parts (no spinning hard drive in this one - all solid state flash drives).

It has a vivid 13" screen (11" option is just to iPad-like in size), is less than an inch thick and sports a built-in / mic camera combo for FaceTiming.  Also worth mentioning the advantages of OS X (over Windows) and the extremely solid Apple industrial design (built from a solid block of aluminum).  It's so ahead of its time that all of the Windows-based travel laptop makers have copied the design (Acer, Asus and Dell call their tribute copies "Ultrabooks"). 

This design does to travel laptops what the iPhone did to the Blackberry.  It's simply the next evolutionary step forward.  I take so much joy from using my MacBook Air that I simply ignore my high-end MacBook Pro (with it's larger 15" screen, DVD drive and extra weight).  

If you are a Windows user and intimidated by the switch to Apple's OS X, don't be.  It's the most intuitive operating system available and wait till you see how it handles your photos and videos (I haven't had to deal with downloading "drivers" for years).  

Granted, the MacBook Air is not a "desktop replacement" laptop for complicated video editing, people who still rely on CD's and DVD's or like to have a giant hard drive, but for the average user, you will not need more computing power than this - and all at under 3 pounds. 

Seeing is believing, so make your way to an Apple store and lift up one of this feather-light marvels.  That alone will sell you.    

Buy it at any Apple Store. 

[scottslist]

Best TV Add-on Box 

Apple TV

I look for products that have a great "bang for the buck" and AppleTV takes the prize in this category.  At less than $100 and with no subscription fee, AppleTV brings so much functionality to your living room TV.  Apple refers to this product as a "hobby" but with sales topping $1B in 2013, its more than a hobby - and its probably the template for a true Apple television. 

My favorite feature is the ability to link your TV to your iTunes library.  I can access movies, TV shows, home movies, photos and both my music and iTunes Radio - all directly from my main home desktop - that alone is worth the price of admission.  Once you get used to converting your DVD's to digital (cue Handbrake), you'll never search for a DVD again.  

Throw in all the included services which it allows you to access - including YouTube, NetFlix, HBOGo, huluplus, ABC, ESPN, Disney, PBS, NHL, NBA, MLS and MLB - and you have a true portal to non-cable based content.  Can you say "the future of TV usage"?

The final straw to push you over the top is the AirPlay capabilities - meaning you can stream almost anything from your Apple iOS devices to your living room screen.  Whether its individual photos or videos - or total screen mirroring (that's right, copy your iPad or MacBook to your home TV - then open up Candy Crush and go at it).

We have added an AppleTV to each conference room TV in our office so clients and mirror their iPads and run presentations. 

All this for under $100.  If you're in the Apple universe of products, no need to buy a more expensive Smart TV when you only need to add this little black box to one HDMI port. 

Buy it from Apple, Amazon or just about any other electronics retailer - just buy one already! 

[scottslist]

Best Way To See Your Home TV from the Road

Slingbox 350

Have you ever been away from home with your iPad or laptop and wished you could watch your home TV (your own cable channels or your TiVo / DVR recordings)?  Slingbox does this amazing thing and has no subscription cost. Just buy this unit for about $150, hook it to your favorite TiVo / DVR and you can see all the programming on your home TV from your laptop.  Add the $30 app from the Appstore and you can do the same from your iPhone / iPad.  Great for catching your local team from vacation or the show you missed last night while on your commute.  Obviously it works better over WiFi but its not too bad over 4G.  

This Slingbox sends out 1080 HD video which is more than you need - unless you plan to use it from a laptop or desktop at home to double your TV screens from the same Tivo - then HD comes in handy.  For use from the road, it provides a SD option which speedy up the signal.  

Get ready to amaze your friends when you can get Redzone during football season while everyone is watching the broadcast games. 

Buy it on Amazon with this link:  Slingbox 350

[scottslist]

Best Way to Add iPhone Bluetooth Functionality

CoolStream Bluetooth Receiver for iPhones

Do you have any old iPhone portable speakers, car inputs or clock radios that you wish you could magically switch over to wireless Bluetooth?  I have all three and found this great, inexpensive receiver to do just that.  Add this to your old portable speakers for the beach and suddenly its a new fangled Bluetooth speaker (which lets you keep your iPhone in your bag - sans the sand).  Works great in my car which has an old type iPhone connector - so now I control the music from the phone with no wires. 

Best part is that it's only $35.  Enjoy. 

Buy it on Amazon with this link: CoolStream Bluetooth Receiver

[scottslist]

Best Smart Phone Desktop Stand

Elago M2 iPhone Aluminum Stand

Where do you park your phone when at your desk? How about on this fine example of industrial design?

This beautiful aluminum stand is finished in the same manner as an iMac and the MacBook line, so its looks perfect next to any Apple gear.  There are many additional photos on Amazon which show the way the connecting cable elegantly snakes through the stand and can hold the phone vertical or horizontal.  I like it because it lets me read notification as they happen and charge it at the same time.  At $25, its pricey for a piece of metal that's merely a stand, but think about how much you spent on that lovely iPhone and how nice it will look perched on this baby.  

Buy it from Amazon with this link: Elago M2 Mobile Stand for iPhone

[scottslist]

Best Underwater Headphones

X-1 Waterproof Headphones

If you love the benefits of swimming but it bores the hell out of you, then here is your solution.  Match these headphones up with a waterproof iPod (or smartphone in a case) and you can swim with music or an audiobook to pass the time.  It may be hard to believe but they really work well and at under $40, they are in line with the price of any decent pair of landlubber headphones. 

Buy them on Amazon with this link: X-1 Waterproof Headphones

[scottslist]

Best Way to Extend Home Network With No New Wires

Actiontec Ethernet to Coax Adapter Kit

Have you ever tried to stream an HD show from one TiVo or DVR to another and when you try to view it, it tells you to wait till enough of the file transfers?  Does the Wifi signal from your router stop short of reaching your whole house?  Well, you could always run more ethernet cables through the walls of your house or you can buy this pair.  It uses your existing cable TV wire to transmit your home network from your router to ANY room in your home. Now, enjoy crazy fast, wired (NOT Wifi) networking without running a single new wire.  I use it with a 5 port network switch (splitter) at one end so I can wire up the Tivo, Sonos, PS3 and AppleTV directly to my network on the other side of my house.  It works at the same speed as if the devices were attached directly to your router.  At $120, it's not inexpensive but compare than to the electrician's bill to run actual networking wire. 

Using your cable wire is FAR superior to use of your home electric system - which is another common option. 

Buy it on Amazon with this link: Actiontec Ethernet to Coax Adapter Kit

[scottslist]

Best Drinking Card Game You Will Ever Play

Cards Against Humanity

It's a mix of Apples to Apples and the filthiest, funniest stories you have every heard.  Sounds like too much of a buildup?  Well it isn't.  This is the perfect drinking game.  Just be prepared for many raunchy responses from people who would never normally say such things.  

Not sure why, but this game can only be purchased from the company's website or at Amazon.

Buy it at Amazon with this link: Cards Against Humanity

[scottslist]

Best Minimalist iPhone 5/5S case

elago S5 Outfit Aluminum iPhone Case 

Not only is it thin and light but it feels like it's Apple-like quality and materials.  While it only provides minimal drop protection (and probably needs to be replaced if you actually drop your iPhone), but oh how good it looks and feels when you are using it.  The top and bottom of the case back has some rubber to prevent slipping and the front is slightly raised to avoid minor liquid damage.  Also comes in tons of colors for all tastes and styles.  

Personally, I'm partial to pairing the black case with black iPhone and white case with a white iPhone.  Best part about the minimalist case is its minimalist price - only $12. 

Buy it on Amazon: Elago S5 Outfit Aluminum iPhone 5/5S Case

[scottslist]

Best Tiny Bluetooth Bike Speaker 

iVation Bullet Bluetooth Speaker

Want to listen to music from your phone during a bike ride - here is your solution.  The bluetooth speaker pairs perfectly with smart phone and its rechargeable battery lasts up to 4 hours.  It is also packaged with all four colored skins so your can change things up.  All that for only $40. 

Granted, its not the loudest bluetooth speaker - weighing in at one 2W - but its a lot better than the internal speakers in your phone and this can fit in your pocket.  It's the lightest and smallest way to get actual bass tone from your phone. 

Buy it on Amazon with this link: Ivation Bullet Bluetooth Speaker