yoga27741

We have already tried out various A2DP headphones and we have found the Plantronics Pulsar 590A to be the best among all when it comes to comfort. But, we did find the audio quality to be a bit off from what we were expecting. Maybe we were having too high expectations for it, but you still can have a good listening experience with this set of speakers and headphones. Oh, by the way, you do get other things to as part of the whole package an audio streamer, a carry case, plus a stand.

And for its price of $299, you might want to weight things out first before you do go ahead and purchase the whole set. If you think this might be the kind of speakers and headphones that you have been looking for all your life, then maybe the $299 would be worth it.

Anyhow, the headphones do feel solid and it has got a silver frame to possibly add up to its appeal. The band that goes around your head is firm but it does not give you discomfort. Everything looks sturdy with this headphone.

The whole gadget has various types of controls including a switch to turn the power on and off plus a microphone just in case you would like to do some VoIP calls. If you are connected to a Bluetooth device, you will be alerted by a flashing light somewhere within the controls.

If you are thinking about where this one gets its power, just remember that it does come with a round charging connector. You also do get a stand so you can display your headphones while it charges up.

As previously mentioned, the sound quality was a bit off. We found the bass to be too overwhelming while the treble seemed to be definitely lost. But between this and everything else, this Plantronics Pulsar 590A seems to be quite a good buy at that.

More of the latest Plantronics headsets visit http://www.cordless-phones.uk.com/newest-products/ .

Jill Carron is a 32 year old native of Ireland and has a knack for research on Ligo news, mobile gadgets, VoIP and Skype and anything and everything about them. He works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading DECT Digital cordless Phones, cheap Telephones, and Headsets suppliers in UK today. For more product news and updates visit http://www.cordless-phones.uk.com/news/.

So you've finally had enough of battling with that dodgy old dial-up connection and are now contemplating going broadband. Or your current broadband connection is not meeting your needs and/or is too expensive and it's time for a change.

The choice you need to make is between Iburst, HSDPA (Vodacom and MTN) or ADSL from Telkom, which can be quite a daunting decision for the technically non-inclined. HSDPA and Iburst are "long range" wireless options not to be confused with "short range" wifi, while ADSL needs a fixed telephone line. So here are a few pointers to help make that decision a little easier.

Connection speed
first you need to decide what Internet speed you need. Obviously the faster the better. Below are the theoretically "maximum" speeds on offer:

Iburst: Up to 1Mbps
HSDPA: Up to 1.8 Mbps. Drops to GPRS rates in non coverage areas.
ADSL: Up to 384 kbps, 512kbps, 1 Mbps and 4 Mbps (1024 kbps = 1Mbps)

In South Africa, however, the reality is that these maximum speeds are rarely achieved (if ever) because actual average speed achieved is dependent on factors such as time of day, location, supplier capacity, remote site being accessed and technical problems. For example, right now my current speed is averaging around 175 kbps on a 512 kbps ADSL link. Obviously the higher the maximum speed capability of your link, the higher the average speed you will get while surfing.

Price per bandwidth
Next you need to decide between the different packages on offer. All companies charge differently although, after installation, price essentially boils down to cost per Mbyte. With Telkom this price is also dependent on the speed of the ADSL link chosen, as well as the cost of your isp (Internet service Provider). What you need to decide is how many Gigabytes (1024 Mbytes) you need per month and at what speed, and select a package that is appropriate for your needs.

As a comparison, I have listed below the comparative monthly costs for roughly the same packages (+- 3 Gigabytes of data) at speeds of 1 Mbps (or higher) as of 12th June 2007:

Iburst: R0.17/Mbyte/month (3500 Mbytes Pro Classic package, no modem)

HSDPA: +- R0.20/Mbyte/month (2048 Mbytes in bundle rate from MTN/Vodacom)

ADSL: R0.21/Mbyte/month (3 Gigabytes Cap with 1Mbps line using Axxess as isp at R125/month)

(Prices do not include once off costs such as routers/modems etc)

Although the Iburst option works out the cheapest at 1 Mbps (or greater), if you are happy with a 384 kbps line speed, then the ADSL cost reduces to +- R0.12/Mbyte i.e. you are sacrificing speed for price. On the other hand, if you need the faster speeds and are confident that the wireless coverage will be reliable in your area, then one of the wireless options may be the way to go.

Reliability
Unfortunately the reliability of each of the above connections is hard to predict and I have seen and heard of cases where all connection types have been unreliable and slow. This usually boils down to one of the following reasons:

Time of day: At certain times of the day, there will be more users online sharing the same resources, so overall speeds obtained will be lower than at other times.

Your location: Especially true for the wireless options as in certain locations, speed will be much better than in others. This is because the wireless signal coverage is affected by objects such as distance from the transmitter as well as buildings, weather, mountains etc between the transmitter and your router. For example, I have used HSDPA cards at the CTICC centre in Cape Town and got average speeds of only 270 kbps. While the coverage for all is increasing, ADSL is the most likely only choice for many areas because of Telkom's huge infrastructure. Iburst and HSDPA are mainly focused in major cities. It is however important to check the reliability of wireless coverage at your site before going ahead with using a wireless connection.

Technical Problems: All the suppliers will experience technical problems from time to time and that invariably effects connection speed - unfortunately in South Africa this is far too common a problem at the moment.

Internet Needs
If you are planning to use the Internet while on the move using a laptop, for example, then Iburst and HSDPA are the only options available ADSL needs a fixed phone line.

However, if you will be accessing the Internet from one location then you have the option of using any of the three. Personally I prefer using a fixed ADSL line because, in my opinion (and Telkom technical problems and personal dislikes aside), a physical wired solution should always be more reliable than the wireless options. If you need wireless with ADSL, you always have the option of using wifi, which will give you short range wireless connectivity (+- 35 meters from the router with longer ranges possible using the right setup).

Also, the type of applications you will be running will influence your selection. If all you need is "reasonable" Internet speed for email and browsing, then 384 kbps from Telkom may be all you need. On the other hand, if you are downloading large files or need a fast connection between two offices, then you will need a faster connection.

My Preferences
Home/Business fixed location: ADSL from Telkom (Non Telkom Router) Roaming user with laptop: HSDPA from MTN

This article is adapted from one that first appeared on the ITRoadblog published by Precision Networks

Once again, there is a technology format war looming on the horizon. Many people dont remember the VHS - Betamax battle that broke out when video players were first introduced, making it possible for people to watch movies at home. This was a case of two non-compatible technologies, each of which was a format for taping full length feature films. Ultimately VHS won out, and the movie companies put out their products in that format thus dooming Betamax and the product manufacturers that had adopted their technology, not to mention the thousands of consumers that had invested in Betamax players. We now find ourselves on the verge of creating a new set of sore losers.

Skirmishes over LCD versus plasma screen HD TV technology are ongoing, but that type of technology contest isnt as acute because you can watch TV or a movie on either type of screen. Currently, you can also play every dvd available on any dvd player that is in production and on the market. The next generation of dvd players, however, is coming over the horizon in the form of two distinct and incompatible technologies.

Toshiba versus Sony

Toshiba has developed a proprietary technology dubbed high definition dvd (HDDVD) and to support their format has developed alliances with Microsoft and Universal Films, among others. The HDDVD disks will be available in 15GB and two sided, 30GB versions.

By way of comparison, the current DVDs have enough storage for two hours of standard definition (SD) images, while the one-sided 15 gigabyte HDDVD disk can store up to eight hours of high definition (HD) images. The difference between SD and HD is simply twice the number of pixel lines displayed on the screen in the HD format, thus providing a crisper picture. The increased capacity of these disks will also allow for interactive features such as screen-in-screen directors discussion of movie scenes playing behind him that todays standard DVDs cannot support.

In the other corner is the Blu-Ray technology developed by Sony, who has lined up support from Apple, Disney and 20th Century Fox. Both formats use blue laser technology, which has a shorter wavelength than red, allowing it to read the smaller digital data "spots" packed a lot more densely onto a standard-size disc. Blu-Ray disks are designed to carry up to 50GB of digital material, which may mean that Sony wins the compression competition.

The Early Rounds

Sony Pictures released the first six films on Blu-Ray disks in June of this year, and have released a few more since. Samsung has a Blu-Ray dvd player in the stores, while Sonys hardware division has released a Blu-Ray compatible PC. Toshiba has its initial HDDVD player on the market and there are a limited number of titles available in the format, mostly re-releases of previous first-run features.

Sony clearly jumped out to an early lead, with support from Dell, HP, Mitsubishi and a number of other hardware manufacturers. In addition, Sony Pictures also owns Columbia and MGM, giving them an enormous library to work with. Sony will also fold its technology into the PlayStation 3 gaming machine, their proprietary product whose 2nd version rules the roost in the videogame market.

On the Toshiba side of the battlefield, proponents argue that the HDDVD disks will be cheaper to produce and that it will be comparatively easy for disk replicators to retrofit their equipment for production purposes. The HDDVD format also makes production of recordable DVDs much simpler than with the Blu-Ray design.

Further, an alliance with Microsoft will be a formidable edge in this battle, should it turn into a protracted conflict. Microsofts operating systems are going to be important cogs in the development of future home viewing systems, as the technology moves closer to merging the functions of computers and televisions. If movie downloads become a commercial success, PC compatibility will be critical for these disks.

The Consumer Issues

One of the reasons that Microsoft aligned with Toshibas technology is that HDDVD provides for mandatory managed copy. What that means is that unlike with today's conventional DVDs, managed copy allows consumers to make legitimate copies of their HD movies and enjoy this content around the home or across their personal networks. Making this feature mandatory will ensure a consistent consumer experience across all next-generation dvd content.

Then there is the element of iHD, which is the concept of maximizing high definition video for transport across the internet. This is a specific set of video specs which the iHD.org, a group of tech and media companies, is pushing as a cross-platform standard.

The theory is that next-generation HD movies will provide a level of interactive experience well beyond that of today's conventional DVDs. iHD technology is meant to provide a broad foundation to enable new interactivity with standards-based development tools and technologies.

The pitch for this standard is that it will provide consumers with enhanced content, navigation and functionality for HD films. The business reality is that Microsoft plans to implement iHD support in its Windows Vista operating system, which will not only be a significant step towards integrated video and computer systems but will make help drive adoption of the new Microsoft platform.

Duel to the Death Unlikely

There is some indication that all of these conflicting issues may ultimately force a compromise some sort of merger or unification of the two technologies. Hardware manufacturers are hedging their bets, with the latest wrinkle being that Blu-Ray-aligned Hewlett Packard has requested that mandatory managed copy and the iHD standard be included in Blu-Rays feature set. Sony has agreed to include the managed copy feature, but said no to iHD.

The Betamax VHS battle was a tussle over hardware with the movie companies playing a predominant role, one Sony lost. This time around, there is much more uncertainty about how the next generation of home video will roll out. How will the Web and the PC fit in? Will the movies be delivered via disk or via download? How will the film industry protect its content rights and how can the hardware companies maximize their role?

PCs have become a commodity. If a scenario arises where every household needs a new computer to match up with new video technology, the Dells and HPs of this world stand to win big. If competing technology keeps people from investing in either, every involved business will suffer. If the film and dvd houses have to produce two sets of content and two disks for every film, their margins will grow considerably thinner as well. The tech bloggers seem to be increasingly inclined to believe that unification of some sort is inevitable. The corporations with the most to lose are too smart not to insist on it.

Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for http://www.apollohosting.com. She helps clients understand how a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, & VPS hosting to a wide range of customers.