My watch is smarter than yours - why Pebble got my vote

2013 was suggested to be the year for wearable tech, especially smart watches. So has it live up to expectation? In short they are still far from being mass market products, but they have surely attracted some attention.

Samsung Galaxy Gear, Sony SmartWatch 2, Pebble (retail version), Qualcomm Toq, were among the more prominent releases this year. Despite several rumors earlier, Google and Apple have not joined the party, which only tell us that the market is not yet ripe for harvest.

The answer to whether to get one now, really depends on one’s desire to toy with the concept. The watch part of it is still not ready for prime time in my opinion, mainly due to the balance that is required between battery life and features. While it is all good to have as many Dick Tracy tricks on your wrist, it will be a useless strap of rubber if it runs out of juice easily.

As for me, I am always game for new toy, and Pebble is my choice.

Although it only becomes available in retail this year, Pebble has made its name in early 2012 as the most backed Kickstarter project, which raised an astonishing funds of over $10 mio. I missed the Kickstarter version, and did not get the preorder delivery although I waited patiently for almost a year, until finally gotten mine from the Pebble online store directly in October. I have quickly forgotten the frustration of getting the watch, and have been wearing it daily instead of my pricey conventional watch since then.

During the time I have been wearing it, I find that Pebble delivers a good balance in providing the smart features without sacrificing its fundamental function as a watch.

I want to be able to see the time anytime.

Pebble is equipped with a monochrome e-paper screen that is always on and perfectly viewable at all angles even in direct sunlight. The screen is also assisted with backlight, which can be triggered with a simple twist action.

While the idea of a b&w pixelated screen may sound 1990 in 2013 context, it is a good sacrifice that improves its usability as a watch. The low resolution screen may even stands out, when you turn on that pixelated Mario watch face. It will be challenging to read an essay style email on Pebble, but short messages or notifications display just fine on its 1.26’ screen.

The idea of charging a watch is dreadful.

Mobile phone, tablet, laptop, power bank, shaver, you name it. These are the things that one may need to charge, some even on a daily basis. But watch is not in that category, at least not to most people.

One may argues that smartwatch is a new category, and empathizes that extra juice is needed for its features. But how willing is one to charge his/ her watch, and how frequent? Personally I find it hard to manage if I need to charge it daily.

With Pebble, I need to get it plugged in once a week. Of course I hope for a longer battery life, but at the moment it is as good as you can get, and it is way better than what the others are offering. Pebble makes the process connecting the power cord less painful, by making the charging contact points magnetic. It also serves as a water proof measure, so there is no hole exposed to the internal.

My $20 watch provides certain level of water resistant, and I expect nothing less when I spend 10 times more.

Says it all.

I can wear my Pebble at all times without any worry - when I wash my hands, take a shower, or even swim.

Watch should look like a watch.

Being geeky doesn’t necessarily mean that I want to look like a nerd. Aside of telling time, watch is also an accessory that complements how one looks.

While Pebble is not designer watch, its slim design is in line with conventional watches' dimension, hence making it less ‘special’ in a good way. If its design or its plastic builds start to become boring, the watch strap is exchangeable with any standard 22mm strap, and there are some third party decals that help to make it fancier.

Is it smart enough?

There are 2 types of smartwatches, one that acts as an active and self-sufficient device, and one that acts as a companion to assist a primary device. Pebble is more of the latter.

What Pebble doesn't have are hardware like camera, mic/ speaker, colored touch screen, and software wise may be comparatively less smart than say a Galaxy Gear. The area where it shines is its delivery of simple task in simple manner, primarily in notification. By default, I can receive notification from the more common applications like calendar, email, messaging, etc. With Android and the help of certain notification apps (e.g. Notification Center), one can get notification from almost every applications.

Pebble CAN be very smart, with the help of Tasker. The Pebble Tasker app allows Pebble to instruct the primary device to perform scripted tasks. On my Pebble for example, I have programmed actions e.g. taking photo (front or rear), find my phone, voice recording, lock my phone, trigger ring mode, etc. among others. The most useful feature I scripted is such that when I am around wearing Pebble, my phone will not ask me for pass code when unlocking the phone, the requirement will only be activated when I (and Pebble) am away from the phone.

…

At US$150 with shipping, Pebble is value for money if you compare it to some expensive dress watches that do nothing more than tell time. It will definitely make a good Christmas gift, whether he/ she is techy or not.

Tidy up that messy wiring!

Sometimes the sight of messy wiring frustrates me.

While browsing on the net, I found a cheap, low tech "gadget" that provides simple solution, in the form of a plastic box with holes.

How it works - dump all your wires and plugs into the box, close it, and your are done!

The end result is pleasing. Plus, it keeps the dust away too.

Wireless Transmitter + Receiver BTT009

It is a Sunday night, big football game at 11pm. You are watching the game with great excitement, but you need to be considerate, as your wife and kids are asleep. You wish you could turn on the volume a bit louder...

Well that happened to me, and I have decided to fix it - with a Bluetooth Transmitter! The idea is simple, output the audio from the TV to your headphone wirelessly.

They used to come in a set, a wireless transmitter and a dedicated headphone. These days however, some of us may already have a BT earphone or headphone, so why not make full use of it?

Being me, I was not ready to pay much for it, so I started the search on Aliexpress, Ebay, and Amazon. Finally punched in my credit card details for this no brand BT transmitter (model BTT009) which also work as a receiver.

Nothing special with its packaging, and I suspect it needs a good outer box to protect the device from damaging during shipping. It comes with the transmitter itself, a micro USB cable to power the device, and a 3.5 to 3.5 mm cable to connect between the transmitter and the source (e.g. a TV).

The size of the transmitter is rather small, it's length is about a third of a pen. Making it very portable, which mean you can convert a media player or a earphone that has no BT capability. For that matter, this device comes with built-in battery. The transmitter has a solid build. Though it is brandless, it doesn't feel cheap.

Pairing it is easy. Set the devices, both the transmitter and headphone, in pairing mode (by long pressing the power button), bring them near physically, and they should pair.

Not much comment about the audio quality really. The sound passes through a few interfaces before reaching your ears, so don't expect it to be of very high quality. Doesn't mean it is bad though. Jon Champion still sound like Jon Champion. There is no noise or distortion.

Now excuse me, I am going back to watch my game **putting on the BT headphone**. 

"GOAL!"

"SHUT UP!!!"

"......"

External battery that actually look sexy - Anker Astro Slim 3

Mobile phones, tablets, even watches, gadgets get more advance and shinny each year, but battery technology doesn't seem to be keeping up in the same speed. It is a familiar scene to many of us, when you were in need to call somebody, or looked for the way home on GPS, but only found your phone turned flat. It is no wonder why the external battery or 'power bank' become a popular accessory these days.

Depending on one need there are many brand/ brandless, with different sizes/ capacity, of battery pack out there. I have been using a few brandless batteries myself, which I got it from places like DX, or Aliexpress. Most of them did the job somewhat, but not without flaws. For instances, inflated mAh, bulky size, and some even exploded.

Check out the sexy Anker Astro Slim 3!

The impression started with the packaging, which was simple, and elegant.

The package include  the battery itself, a short micro usb cable, and a 30-pin Apple connector.

My photos may not do it justice. The Astro Slim 3 is one very well design battery pack. As suggested by the name, it is extremely pocketable and slim in profile. It remind you of a mobile phone, something like the Nexus One, both in terms of size and material.

The design is well thought out. It has a built in micro usb cable, which mean you don't need to carry an extra cable; not unless you need to charge the battery pack itself, or you use an Apple product. The built in cable is short and flat so it won't dangle. The micro usb when taken out, expose the port for charging (by micro usb). There is a secondary usb port, so you can charge 2 devices concurrently. On the front, there are 4 light indicators, which will be lighted up in white when you unplug, plug in the cable, and during charging.

Don't be fooled by its physical, at 6000 mAh, Slim 3 was able to charge my Galaxy S4 twice fully, and still with some juice left. The charging speed during the test was fast - it took about 2 - 2.5 hours to fully charge the S4 (2600 mAh) from flat. However, you may need to leave the battery pack charged overnight, as it may take a while depending on the charger.

Only complaints I have were 1) the built in micro usb head is too big and may not fit if you are using a case on your mobile, and 2) the light indicator was not accurate. It might be a localized issue with my unit, or that it was not thoroughly calibrated yet; the indicators went down to only 1 light quickly but was able to fully charge my S4 from flat.

In short, I love my purchase, and thought it was money well spent ($36/ S$46). Finally, I found an external battery that while serve it purpose functionally, it actually look great that I don't mind carrying it out, even when I don't need it.

Review of MINIX NT-1

This review focuses on experience and sound.
Please refer to my earlier post re: packaging, design, and my first impression of the headphone.

First of all, I am not a die-hard audiophile. So, to make this review more meaningful, I brought in 2 other devices as reference points to NT-1. The 1st device was a Creative WP-350, which was at a similar price range, and from a reputable brand (at least for audio devices). The 2nd device was a Plantronics BackBeat Go 2, which was slightly more expensive, from a mainstream bluetooth device maker.

Let's start with specification. As many reviewers would say, specs only tell half the story, what matter is the actual experience with the headset.

	MINIX NT-1	Creative WP-350	Plantronics BackBeat Go 2
Release Year	2013	2012	2013
NFC	Yes	No	No
Bluetooth Version	Bluetooth V3.0+EDR HSP, HFP, A2DP and AVRCP	Bluetooth 2.1 EDR A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP Apt-X	Bluetooth 2.1 EDR A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP Apt-X, SBC codec
Operating Range	10 meters (33 feet)	10 meters (33 feet)	10 meters (33 feet)
Driver Unit	40mm	34mm	6mm
Impedance	32Ω + 15%	32Ω	32Ω
Frequency Range	20-20KHz	18 – 22KHz	20-20KHz
Sensitivity	93 +/- 3db	102 dB	104 dB
Battery	320 mAh	240 mAh	?
Operating Time	10 hours	9 hours	4.5 hours
Standby Time	Up to 250 hours	?	240 hours

You probably can't find NFC Bluetooth headphone at around US$50-$60, from a mainstream brand. But the same is not true, if you can live without NFC. One example is Creative WP-350. As I was writing this, it was being sold at US$50 from Amazon. I managed to borrow 1 from a friend of mine.

In terms of build quality, WP-350 felt more solid, and you can tell more premium materials were used, as compared to NT-1. In terms of comfort, it is comparable. I like NT-1 better as the ear cups are bigger and cover my ears more comfortably. I will leave the sound part later as a consolidated comparison.

Now, the reason why I picked BackBeat Go 2 as a reference, was that I happened to own a pair of it. So I could spend more time comparing it to NT-1.

Obviously it would not be totally fair, as BBGo2 is earphones. There is no point comparing the build and comfort. But I thought it is sill a good reference for the sound comparison.

Finally, the audition. I used a Galaxy S4 as the source/ transmitter, and shortlisted 3 songs for the tests：

  1) Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight (complexed background music, with band and orchestra)

  2) Linkin Park - Papercut (strong music, mixed with some digital sound)

  3) 杨宗纬 - 怀珠 (rich vocal)

With the same setting on S4, NT-1 stood out in loudness/ intensity, and more importantly in bass (as MINIX touted). NT-1 can be very loud. I had to lower the volume on S4, but the same level would be low on the other 2 devices. The bass comparison was easy, NT-1 was clear winner among the 3. Thanks to its large driver unit, the bass delivered on NT-1 was deep, and punchy. However NT-1 seem to be a little cut off at higher frequency, for eg. the disc scratching parts in Papercut, it was clearer on the other 2 devices. The overall sound quality was comparable between NT-1 and WP-350. Worth mentioning WP-350 comes with Apt-X, but during the short time with it, I wasn't sure if it was any better than NT-1. BBGo2 on the other hand, had the best overall sound quality among the 3. Its Apt-X and SBC codecs might have played a part, as the sound on BBGo2 seemed to be richer. It was apparent in the starting of Tonight Tonight, with the layers of different instruments sounded more distinct. Sound isolation (not noise cancellation) on NT-1 was good. The tight ear cups, aided with strong sound intensity, I could not hear most of the external noises when I was commuting on the train.

Conclusion - decision to get something unproven is always difficult. Especially at US$50-60, MINIX NT-1 is not the cheapest. NFC is clearly its unique feature to make NT-1 still appealing at this price. I truly like its convenience pairing up the devices by simple taps. But in reality, it probably only save you few seconds each time... I will leave it to you to decide whether it is a gimmick or not. The build quality is respectable, though I would prefer a more original design. More importantly, the sound from NT-1 is descent if not great. The reproduction does not suffer much via Bluetooth, even without apt-x, sounds are clear and loud. The bass, which ought to be the highlight, is impressive. If you are like me, who value convenience, like to keep up to new technology, and always look out for value for money, then you may want to consider NT-1. 

I hope my feedback was informative. Please hit plus 1 if you find it helpful!

First impression of MINIX NT-1

When I got the Neo X5, I did not know MINIX, nor was I interested to find out more. Afterall there were plenty of similar products then, with same hardware specs, and little differentiation.
I was pleasantly surprised soon, after using the device for some time, and more importantly I was impressed with the support channels available (from a smaller scale company).

I won't call myself a fan just yet, but few months after owning X5, I found myself getting another 3 MINIX products. That say a lot about building good reputation, especially for startup companies, to retain customers.

Now, I was more excited to explore NT-1, rather than X7, simply because I had X5, and know what I will be expecting.

Packaging

I got the products from MINIX TM store on Taobao, and the packages traveled a few places, before reaching me in Singapore. I was glad that they were still in good shape when it reached my door step.

I like the packaging of NT-1. It is simple, yet shows that MINIX mean business. The box is mainly duotone with blue and white, and the "NT-1" printed in silver. The two sides are transparent to show off the headphone.

After removing the outer box, you will see a smaller box holding the headphone itself. And inside the inner box, there's a micro usb cable for charging, and a manual.

Design & Build Quality

I wasn't disappointed when I saw the headphone itself, on the other hand, I was not wowed neither. There is nothing special about the headphone design, in fact you may find it rather similar to other headphones. That may not be a bad thing, at least not to me. I like its low profile, both in design and its size. It is not big for a headphone, definitely smaller than say a Beats headphone. **Edited** So similar, when I showed it to my friend, he said it was a Beats wannabe; Obviously, I wasn't very pleased. Other than the non-originality of the design, **Edited end** if there were something I could change, that would be to remove the "NT-1", and the oh-so-geeky bluetooth logo labels.

The build is good for what you pay for. The outer layer including the buttons are glossy plastic, and the inner layer comprised of matte hard plastic at the sides, and soft rubber on top. 

The headphones can be extended for about 2-3 inches at each side. There is a layer of aluminium (?) on the extensions.

Experience and Sound Quality

At around 50-60 USD, you are not going to get a NFC bluetooth headphone from a mainstream brand; NFC headphone in the first place are not common yet at the moment. I like the idea of dropping the wires, and have been using bluetooth earphones for some time. I am curious how NFC can help making life even easier.

Before I could test that, I needed to charge up the headphone. Connecting it to power cord is easy - it uses micro usb, which is very common especially for non Apple users. When you power it, there will be a red light indicating it is being charged. The light turn blue, when it is ready to be used.

Okay, I am ready to try out the headphone. Now, we need to pair it.... wait, this is a NFC headphone right? ** tapping my Galaxy S4 to where the NFC icon is on NT-1 ** the headphone switched on and connected to my phone effortlessly. Tapping my phone again to NT-1 disconnect the pairing, and the headphone goes to sleep after being left idle for a few minutes.

I can totally see how it will make my life easier, especially when I commute. No pairing is required, no need to dig into setting to switch on bluetooth on your phone nor on the headphone, and no need to repeat the reversal process. Just tap, and tap again.

Nice!

I considered my head to be quite big (often find it hard to find a suitable hat). I needed to fully extend the headphone, and it fit onto my head just nice. The headphone is also quite light, I am fine leaving it on my neck when not using it.

As of sound... I don't think I can provide an in-depth review yet. All I can say is first impression was good. It is loud, and can be very loud. The bass is there, and does stand out. I enjoyed listening to several pop musics I threw to it on NT-1.

That's it for now. I will add more on my experience when I spend enough time with it.