Win an XBox 360 courtesy of Boored at Work and SomeGadgetGuy!

xbox 360 giveaway contest booredatwork somegadgetguyWe’re sending off the last generation of consoles with a Youtube giveaway!

We’re giving away an XBox 360, and entering is easy!

  1. Subscribe to Boored at Work on Youtube.
  2. Subscribe to Some Gadget Guy on Youtube.
  3. Leave a comment on THIS video explaining why we should give you the XBox.

You have to do all three, which means you also have to figure out the whole Google Plus comments thing. Sorry. Thems the breaks.

plantronics backbeat go contest giveaway booredatwork somegadgetguyTo sweeten the deal, we’re giving away a pair of Plantronics Backbeat Go 2 Bluetooth headphones to a runner up courtesy of AT&T in Southern California! They’ve been stocking some killer accessories lately, and are sharing some goodies to give to you! We’re all feeling generous. We’re cool like that.

We’ll accept entries until Thursday November 14 at 8pm Eastern, when we’ll go live on Youtube to announce a winner and a runner up, so get subscribing, and get commenting!

Review: Nokia Play 360 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (with audio quality test samples)

nokia play 360 bluetooth speaker nfc pairing android windows phone somegadgetguyNokia generally does a fantastic job of creating a whole ecosystem for their products. Getting ahead of the tech curve by releasing cases, covers, headphones, and speakers alongside their smartphone offerings.

One such example is the Nokia Play 360 portable speaker, which not only offers up Bluetooth wireless connectivity, but the ability to pair over NFC. While it features some cutting edge tech, how does the speaker actually sound?

Let’s take a listen!

Shop for the Play 360 on Amazon.

Listen to Previous Speaker Tests:
HMDX Jam Classic
Motorola Roadster II Speakerphone
Jawbone JAMBOX

The best comparison you’ll ever see (or hear) between a Motorola Roadster II Bluetooth speakerphone and a smartphone

motorola roadster bt bluetooth speakerphone somegadgetguyWe’re just covering all kinds of Bluetooth audio right now! Leading off with the Jawbone JAMBOX and then looking at the HMDX Jam Classic, now we’re taking a brief look at one in-car audio solution.

There are a number of ways that you can answer calls while on the road, though it seems the BT headset has fallen out of vogue, especially with many vehicles incorporating BT speakerphone capabilities standard. If your car DOESN’T have Bluetooth however, fret not, as there are some pretty terrific solutions you can clip to a visor. Specifically we’re going to take a listen to Motorola’s Roadster II, and compare it against a Smartphone to see how much of an improvement it might offer.

Marvel at my incredible pantomime abilities!

Shop the Roadster II on Amazon.

Review: HMDX Jam Classic portable wireless Bluetooth speaker

hmdx jam classic bluetooth wireless speaker test review somegadgetguyYou asked for it! I’m covering even more audio gear!

Following the recent wrap up on the Jawbone JAMBOX, we’re taking a look at something smaller, and a little more affordable. It’s tiny. It’s cute. It comes in an adorable jam jar container, and for its size it packs a surprising audio punch. Can a portable audio solution for $32 compete against some of the other “premier” solutions on the market?

Let’s take a listen to the HMDX Jam Classic!

Shop HMDX on Amazon. What’s with all these speakers being named “Jam-something”?

(Video) Looking back at the Jawbone Jambox – Review and Audio Quality Test

jawbone jambox bluetooth wireless speaker audio quality test somegadgetguyMoving forward, I’ll be testing more accessories like I do smartphones.

You can find a collection of videos where I test the speakers on phones for example, using the same audio and video clips, so you can see and hear the differences between different phones. Bluetooth speakers are becoming very popular, and now I’ll be building that same audio test into my reviews. Starting with a speaker which really helped to popularize wireless audio, the OG Jawbone Jambox.

Coming soon, reviews on the HMDX Jam and Nokia Play360
Shop for the Jambox on Amazon.

ZAGG Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard Case for Galaxy Note 8 now available

zagg bluetooth slim keyboard for Galaxy Note 8 somegadgetguyI liked the Note 8 when I got to play with it. Tablets have always been good solutions for media consumption, and they’re getting better at media creation. For writers using a Note 8, ZAGG might have just the accessory for you.

The Ultra-Slim case connects to your Note 8 with a new hinge system, turning your Note into a small Android clamshell. The case also offers full protection of the back plate of your tablet. Connecting over Bluetooth, ZAGG estimates the keyboard should last up to three months of regular use on  a single charge.

Also a nice touch, the keys are backlit, and that back lighting is customizable with seven different colors at your command. The combination of a proper keyboard and S-Pen should make the Note 8 a mini writing powerhouse.

Available today on ZAGG.com for $99.

Qualcomm Toq competes for your Smartwatch affection

toq smartwatch qualcomm somegadgetguy mirasolWell Qualcomm. The one piece of advice I might give is to not announce your new smartwatch at the EXACT same time as a Samsung press event. That said, with Toq they are launching an interesting alternative to the other smartwatches we’ve seen so far.

First off the display uses Qualcomm’s Mirasol tech which reflects light around it to enhance view-ability.  Not using a traditional backlight should also reduce power consumption, a nice side effect for a gadget which should last all day and all night with you.

Unlike the Galaxy Gear, Toq will be compatible with every Android handset using 4.0.3 or higher through their Toq app in the Play store. The idea here is for sleek simplicity and at a glance functionality instead of Samsung’s approach which is almost a proper phone replacement. Toq will have simple controls for interacting with notifications and controlling apps like music playback. Plus you’ll have the ability to see caller ID to accept or reject in coming calls. No other buttons or controls. Qualcomm is keeping this set up simple.

toq smartwatch qualcomm somegadgetguy bluetooth headsetsAs an optional accessory, Toq can pair with a set of truly wireless bluetooth headsets. No cable or band connecting right ear and left ear any more, these are truly wireless. They link up and are controlled through Toq for all your audio needs.

A wireless charging base comes with Toq which can also juice up the bluetooth headsets. Again, simple and clean presentation, Toq looks like any other watch in a nice stand or case even when charging. No “geeky” cables or flaps hiding USB ports. Hopefully his should mean decent water resistance.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, this is one of Qualcomm’s first forays into the consumer space as its own brand. The techiest of folks might know which phones use Qualcomm internals, but few consumers probably have Qualcomm on their radar. This is a big step for a company which formerly operated in a somewhat “behind the scenes” fashion, and will likely be the beginning, the first product in a chain of future releases as they try to form relationships with consumers directly.

toq smartwatch qualcomm somegadgetguy wireless charging

More info on the official Toq site, and intro video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzTrqifCOhs&w=640&h=480]