Staffer gives input on cutting-edge products in electronics industry

Technology today is changing too fast to follow. With it seeming like like Apple releases a new iPod every week, and other companies releasing electronics that look the same as the old ones, but touting them as bigger and better than the last, it can be hard to keep up. But, worry not, I have tested the products and verified that there is a difference between the old and the new, so that you don’t waist you money on something you already have.

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The iPod Nano is already on its fifth generation (I still remember pleading with Nicole in my World Geo class to let me test the new “shake to shuffle” feature on her fourth gen’ less than a year ago in). The fifth gen’ iPod Nano, along with minor revisions to the iPod classic’s, and the iPod Shuffle’s third and sixth generations respectively, came out September 9 with TV spots boasting of the newest feature to iPods: video capture. I’m sorry to break the news to you Nicole, but capturing video is a lot better than making a moron out of yourself hammering your iPod into the air to change the song. But if you really do enjoy doing that, the fifth gen’ won’t rain on your parade. Yes, the newest iPod though probably only for another week, looking at the rate Apple is popping them out has it all.

The Nano was only preempted by the iPhone 3GS which was released over the summer as the first iPod to provide video capture. The video is no where close to high-def, but it should be just fine for recoding and posting you and your friends’ “Party in the USA” dance-off on Youtube or Facebook… in fact, I’m glad those won’t be in HD.

It makes sense why Apple would pick the Nano to be the first iPod after the iPhone to capture video, seeing as it is the most popular one. However, the largest Nano is only 16 gigabytes. This size might suffice for some, but for others, like me, who enjoy having all 5,059 songs as well as favorite TV shows and movies synched you’re your iPod. All that to make sure your iPod is prepared for any mood you may be in… if your like that, you probably won’t be able to store too many “self-captured vids.’”

So, while the video-capture may come in handy, I’m going to hold out for the next iPod Classic which will surely include some type of video capture.

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Back in August, Bose released their latest noice-cancelling headphones, the QuietComfort 15s. The new headphones are a replacement for their QC2s which have been discontinued with the release of the QC15s.

I had the pleasure of trying out these bad boys at the Bose outlet located in San Marco, Texas. While my mom was paroozing the likes of Coach and Kate Spade on a hunt for a new purse, I stood in place, in front of the counter that flaunted the newest addition to the Bose line.

The experience felt awkward, because, for most of the time I was the store’s only patron. As all three employees stood beside each-other and looked on from four feet away, I slipped the headphones’ oblong cups over my ears. Immediately, the mumble of the music emitting from the stereos, as well as the pitter-patter of the rain outside was silenced (this was even before I had activated the noise cancellation). After sliding the noise cancelling switch to on, I felt as though I was in the deep-end of a pool; there was slight pressure on my ears coupled with a complete silence from the surrounding noise, something that I had never enjoyed with QC2s.

While the two pairs look virtually identical, the QC2s and the QC15s have some noticeable differences in sound. When I pressed play on the counter and the U2 song began to stream through my ears there was less of a strain (not that the QC2s had much of one) on my ears than I have experienced with the QC2s. It appears that Bose has reduced the bass that had been present in their audio headphones as well as the QC2s making much more of a tonally balanced sound. One warning though, the headphones do create a slight pressure and for some this might be quite an annoyance, but Bose does allow a 30-day home trial in which you can return they headphones if you can’t stand the pressure.

The QC15s run on a single AAA battery with a battery life of around 35 hours. The cups swivel to fit and fit into a stylish carrying case, this feature should not be taken for granted, because I can’t count how many lower end headphones after stuffing them into my backpack. All these features come at the steep price of $299.95 and they are only worth it for the frequent traveler who needs to silence the roar of a jet engine or maybe for the babysitter who needs to drown out the screams of younger siblings.