Coin 2.0 Review

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This will be a continuous review through the end of... well the end of the life of the Coin.  

Coin 2.0 In Its Full Retail PackagingCoin is a e-card used for payments, and to store and retrieve payment information.  I first saw and reported on these devices a few years ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (now called CES) and it was really exciting technology that took quite a bit longer to realize than originally anticipated.

Think of it as a blank electronic credit or debit card that, if worked well, will clone your payment cards and provide a bit of security, convenience and rewards.  It costs about $99 right now ( December 16, 2015 ), and I think makes a great gift for anyone that uses plastic.

Here is Coin's marketing video:

More after the break.

Why would someone want a Coin 2.0 Smart Payment Device?

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Bose Solo TV Sound System Review and Audio Samples

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Bose® Solo TV Sound System is Bose's answer to horrible sound from your flat screen TV.  Its clean, simple, elegant, and does its job all without making your living room look like a home theatre.  To be clear - this is no substitute for a home theatre system setup, or even a 2.1 system for that matter.  The sound is crisp though and really brings out what is most lacking in flat screen TVs sold now - the speech and center channel sound quality.

Is it worth the $399 price tag?  Hopefully a listen to my sound samples below will help you answer that question.

I did a personal comparison (not recorded) between the sound system and a  Samsung DA-E750 2.1 Channel 100-Watt Dual Audio Dock and the Samsung had deeper bass and richer sound overall.  (But not substantially so.)

Canon Vixia Mini X

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Canon VIXIA mini X is the upgraded version of the Canon VIXIA Mini, featuring quite a few improvements - most notably the audio portion with much better mics and external mic jack input.  I also caught image stabilization, and remote pan-head capabilities with the Canon Pan Table CT-V1.  It also features a bigger battery too.

Read my review of the Canon Vixia mini here. (not the new X)

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Tenergy TN160 12 Bay NiMH Battery Charger Review

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The new Tenergy TN160 battery charger is a god-send for strobists and battery hungry mobile devices that run on AA or AAA NiMH or NiCd batteries.  It features 12 independent charging bays which allow users to charge anywhere from 1 to 12 batteries of the NiMH / NiCd variety.  (Most chargers charge them in pairs, and don't monitor batteries individually for maximum charge.)
The The Tenergy TN160 12-Bay AA/AAA NIMH/NICD LCD Smart Battery Charger is a great deal for around $30 USD.  I recommend getting some Sanyo Eneloop batteries to go with your charger.

Tenergy TN160 features 12 bays of independent charging power.
Video review portion goes over the charger in further detail.
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Samsung DA-F61 Portable NFC Bluetooth Speaker Review

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First a confession - I expected more out of these speakers given the $250 price and the fact that I have been listening to the awesome Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker this past month.  Not only are the Samsungs physically bigger, they claim 20 watts of power, and APT-X capability (which I did not test) - but they didn't super impress me.

Here's an audio sample:

It sure does look cool and slick though right?  

Pros:

  • Looks really nice
  • Fantastic battery life
  • NFC makes it really easy to pair with NFC capable phones
  • Good sound quality, fairly well balanced (with bass boost off)
  • Vocals sound good
  • Strong bluetooth connection with no dropouts during testing
  • USB charging port for your music player or phone

Cons:

  • The black cover is only for speaker transport - leave it on and you have one cheap sounding speaker
  • No USB charging option, in a portable speaker
  • Manual says you should should not keep it plugged into the charger, it will shorten battery life
  • Sounds somewhat muddy compared to Big Jambox; missing some detail playing rock music
  • Lacks lower level bass that Bose Soundlink Mini seems to boom out of nowhere
  • Should be priced around $179.99 retail

Overall I give this speaker a 7 out of 10.

So here are my rankings given portable bluetooth speakers of this class/size:

  1. Jawbone BIG JAMBOX (Better sound, speakerphone, louder)
  2. Sony SRS-BTX500 (40 watts of power)
  3. Samsung DA-F60 
  4. Sony SRS-BTX300 (less clarity)

If you want portability, get the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker.

 

 

Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker, Best Portable Speaker?

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Bose took a long time to come up with this speaker system to compete with the other small bluetooth speakers out there.  So far all the reviews I've read or heard from say its simply awesome, and worthy of the crown as the best bluetooth speaker out there.
Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker, Upto 30 ft Wireless Range, Silver
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Boxee TV 2013 Update Review

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Sony X Series SRS-BTX500 Bluetooth Speaker Review

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Sony SRS-BTX500 Premium 2.1 Channel Bluetooth Wireless Speaker, 40 W Output Power, NFC Technology, USB Charging Port, Built-in Rechargeable Battery

Sony SRS-BTX500 Premium 2.1 Channel Bluetooth Wireless Speaker, 40 W Output Power, NFC Technology, USB Charging Port, Built-in Rechargeable Battery