For all your listening needs…

By Dave Roach on January 5, 2009 at 1:22 pm in Hardware, Reviews

Sometimes I find the best way to concentrate on my work and get a lot done is to just put on some headphones and work in my own little world. This (hopefully) will decrease outside distractions and allow me to not only get work done, but get it done well. I find that music is is one of (if not the best) way to get some creative juices flowing. These are the main reasons I have decided to buy some new headphones!Sennheiser HD-280 Pro

All this being said, I first wanted to find some headphones that were comfy. If I’m going to be wearing them all day, I don’t want my ears to hurt. Also, I want them to be easily removable in case I need to take them off and put them back on a lot. For these reasons, I decided that over the ear headphones would be best. Currently, I have a pair of Sony MDR-V150 which are decent, but after a couple hours they kind of hurt because they are a tight fit. In looking for a new pair, I know Bose makes nice headphones, so that’s where I started. I actually listened to a pair of Bose around-ear headphones at Target, and they sounded awesome, but after some research, I found out that Sennheiser makes some of the best headphones out there.

After some more reasearch on Amazon.com and Headphone.com (which by the way has excellent reviews) I decided to go with a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones. I have to say that these are the best headphones I have ever used. They sound even better than the Bose around-ear headphones and are extremely comfortable. I got these $200 headphones off Amazon.com for about $75.

If you are in the market for some headphones of any type, I would recommend starting your search at Headphone.com, they know their stuff. I actually used this article that recommended the best headphones to use with an iPod, which is how I ultimately made my decision.

That website’s colors look terrible!

By Tim Priebe on September 25, 2008 at 6:30 am in Design, Hardware

Sometimes websites look awful. You’ve probably looked at a website and thought the colors were a poor choice. Or maybe you have worked with a web designer and the colors on your site didn’t turn out exactly like you wanted. While it may or may not be the designer’s fault, things are not entirely in his or her control.

Inexpensive monitors (the ones most consumers purchase) each come off the assembly line with slight differences in color. And even after that, the color on those monitors will drift over time. On most monitors, the drift is so small and the life of the monitor short enough, that it just doesn’t matter in day to day use. But when you’re approving designs for your business, that small difference will seem bigger to you.

So there are slight variations just from monitor to monitor, and that’s an unavoidable fact. While your designer can (and should) calibrate their monitors, that won’t let them see exactly what it looks like on your monitor, or anyone else’s, for that matter. All calibration does is give them a good average of what the site will look like on most monitors.

If you are about to embark on some web design work on your computer, or if you’d just like better color, there is an affordable option. While monitor calibrators used to be much more expensive, you can get one like the Spyder 2 Express or the Pantone Huey MEU101 for between $50 and $100. Although I’m not a graphic designer myself, I do use the Spyder 2 Express and calibrate my monitor on a fairly regular basis.

Another, less expensive option, is to simply check your website on a few friends’ computers. Or, failing that, email them a link and ask them if they could check themselves. Get some feedback on the website color. Your monitor may be way off, or it could be that you were absolutely right, and the color is horrible.

Either way, don’t judge your website by its appearance on a single monitor.

The Logitech V200 Cordless Mouse

By Tim Priebe on August 27, 2008 at 6:30 am in Hardware, Reviews

Since Dave reviewed his mouse he’s only had for a week or two, I thought I’d go ahead and comment on my no-frills red Logitech V200 cordless mouse I’ve had for about six months now.

This is my third mouse in about two years, and it’s finally the one I think I’ll be sticking with. It’s simple and usable, and goes fantastic with my other red desk accessories. I use it on my desktop, and it’s only a hair smaller than some of the desktop mice I’ve used.

As you can see, the USB receiver isn’t nearly as small as Dave, but if you’re using it on a desktop instead of a laptop, it’s not a big deal at all. And if you do use it on a laptop, the receiver snaps on the bottom with no problem.

Unlike some of the other mice I have, this one will go a couple months before I have to swap out the batteries. I’ve literally had zero problems in the six months I’ve owned it.

The Logitech VX Nano

By Dave Roach on August 20, 2008 at 6:30 am in Hardware, Reviews

Recently I decided to buy myself a new mouse, since my old one was getting, well, old. After some research, I found that the Logitech VX Nano got really good reviews, so I ordered one. I eneded up getting it in the mail about two weeks ago, and I have to say that this mouse is awesome!

The features of this mouse are awesome, a scroll wheel that you can change between hyper fast scrolling and precise scrolling, side scrolling, forward and back buttons (programmable), another button for switching programs (also programmable), low battery indicator, side grips, and best of all, the nano receiver. You know that usb receiver you use to get signal for your wireless mouse? If you’re lucky, then it might be the size of a thumb drive. How about the size of a nickel? The nano reciever is so small, you can stick it in your laptop and never take it out, since it can fit in the bag just as well with it in as with it out.

It can also be stored inside of the mouse and can be ejected with a little button which I thought was cool.

When I first got it, I tried scrolling it noticed how the scroll wheel spun all by itself which is awesome. I didn’t realize until later that it could be changed to the standard clicky scroll wheel until I pushed it down and it changed. At first I though I broke it! Pretty cool feature. It also came with Duracell batteries (always good), a USB extender dock thing for easy access to a desktop usb port and a nice mesh protective case. The only very small issue I have with this mouse is its size. While it’s not a tiny mouse, it still is not a full size mouse either. For someone with smaller hands it would be perfect, but I prefer larger mice. When I ordered it I knew that it was going to be smaller, so I don’t want to say that this mouse isn’t good because it’s small, it’s meant to be that way. If I want a bigger mouse for my desktop I would probably go with a Logitech MX or Logitech G5. Anyways, that’s my two cents. If you are considering getting a portable mouse, I would definitely recommend this mouse first.