Under: The Influence

I’m not the sort of person usually seen with a headset, and I get lots of looks when I wear one in public, but it’s better than rummaging through my purse to answer a call. Perhaps people think I’m in the Secret Service. Cool. Where’s Obama?

In doing a bit of reasearch for the article, I was struck by the negativity some people feel toward this particular technology. It boiled down to “showing off” and “causing confusion.” I’ll address the “confusion” bit.

I would never look directly at a stranger while using a SmartTalk Bluetooth Headset. I would try to move to a private spot, but failing at that, I would at least look down. I would also give a “tell.” Those who follow poker understand “tells.” They’re the unconscious signals players give in response to their cards. A touch of the nose, a push of the glasses, a swipe of an eyebrow; all “tells.” I consciously touch my ear to indicate the presence of the headset. My bent arm also creates a small personal space. Everyone knows I’m having a private conversation. They can listen or not, but at least they don’t think I’m a dillweed. (more…)

by Brian Underdahl

I’m sure that a lot of younger people don’t really realize that long before the age of CDs and MP3 players we did have recorded music. In fact, a lot of us still have a bunch of those old records (LP’s to you young hotshots) sitting around. Today, though, we have media centers, MP3 players, and even smartphones where we keep and play our music digitally. Believe me, it’s sure a lot more convenient to just select a bunch of music from a list rather than having to turn over a record every 15 to 20 minutes.

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by Brian Underdahl

If you still think of Internet phone calls as cheap but low quality, it’s time to have another look. I recently tested the Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype with excellent results. Sure, I remember when making a call over the Internet was something akin to torture, but this winner from Belkin just works great. The sound quality is as good as any landline phone and far better than most cell phones.

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I got it to work without help from the techie; I’m so proud of myself.

Pinnacle Systems http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Support/Consumer+Support/?viewDownload=1downl has a download for the PCTV HD Ultimate Stick.

In my office, I prefer the PCTV HD Card, but there’s no denying the appeal of a grab-and-go laptop and small antenna rig for accessing TV stations in the Boonies and Beyond. Some quick research tells me I could check weather reports in China. If I ever got there… if I spoke Chinese…, I just couldn’t recharge the laptop from a hotel electrical outlet; wrong voltage, boom! I don’t think a surge protector would help that one. Well, it might. Once.

Funny stuff aside, the weather’s getting positively weird, so TV programs and warnings could be vital. There won’t always be internet access. Pinnacle Systems’ nifty little stick won’t add much weight to the luggage. Take it along.

by Brian Underdahl

MP3 players, iPods, and fancy Smartphones make it easy to listen to your music on the go. Given the choice almost anyone would rather listen to some “good” music (no matter how you personally define that) than to some bozo who wants everyone within 25 feet to hear about his inane ideas regarding politics, religion, sports, or whatever. And even if you’re in a no-bozo zone, who wants to listen to the constant din of an airplane, train, or whatever background noise there happens to be?

But there’s just one problem with listening to your portable music player. Could headset wires possibly be any more inconvenient? They’re always in the way or catching on something, plus they make you look pretty strange, too.

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by Brian Underdahl

A few months ago I tried out the Jawbone Bluetooth headset and loved it. The unit was sleek, it worked great, and the sound quality was wonderful. It was hard to imagine any way to improve it. Boy, was I wrong!

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by Brian Underdahl

Well, it’s getting close once again to gift giving season so naturally people start looking for goodies like digital cameras. But if you’ve tried this recently you’ve probably discovered that choosing a digital camera can be awfully difficult. There are so many choices and unless you spend all of your time on the subject it almost seems impossible to figure out what to buy. I’m going to try and give you a little help.

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by Brian Underdahl

There are times when we take a bit longer to test some of the products we receive here at Under: The Influence. Sometimes it’s a matter of being swamped with projects, but other times it’s because we have a semi-diabolical plot in mind. That is, some products simply deserve to be tested by our most critical testers. Sure, that sounds a little mean, but if a product survives that level of scrutiny you can be sure that it will work well for the ordinary user. I’m happy to say that the Pinnacle Video Transfer not only survived but it even earned the respect of our toughest tester.

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