Posted 09/21/09 at 06:07:14 PM by Pulkit Chandna

Sony Ericsson today lifted the curtain on the world’s very first motion-sensitive headphones. The MH907 headphones possess a special sense for motion and automatically become active when they are comfortably deposited inside the listener’s ears. One can start listening to music by simply plugging in both earphones and pause it by pulling one of them out. Phone calls can be answered and terminated in much the same fashion.

But if the listener wishes to switch from an active music-listening session to an incoming phone call, they have to first remove both earphones and then plug in just one. The MH907 headphones are sensitive to body contact, which prevents inadvertent operation. The MH907 is only meant to be used with Sony Ericsson phones that feature the propriety Fast Port connector. The headphones will go on sale across the globe this week. Sony Ericsson did not reveal their price, however.

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Posted 03/09/09 at 03:19:20 PM by Andy Salisbury

Now that people wearing white earbuds has become the norm, it looks like inventor Kazuhiro Taniguchi is planning to make us all look goofy again.

With the announcement of some new earbuds that allow facial expressions to let you work your gadgets, there’s a small chance that we’ll be making funny faces for all the right reasons. According to Taniguchi, “You will be able to turn on room lights or swing your washing machine into action with a quick twitch of your mouth... An iPod can start or stop music when the wearer sticks his tongue out, like in the famous Einstein picture. If he opens his eyes wide, the machine skips to the next tune. A wink with the right eye makes it go back.”

While the idea of it is pretty neat, something tells me that most markets won’t be willing to go through this just to skip a track on their favorite playlist.

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Posted 01/10/09 at 09:13:39 AM by Pulkit Chandna

G2 Microsystems has pioneered a new technology that will allow devices like headphones, speakers and other WiFi devices to directly communicate with notebooks Intel Centrino 2 chips. The company’s WiFi networking module can be planted inside consumer devices to allow them to connect to Intel My WiFi-enabled computers without the use of access points.

The technology promises to make tasks “such as wireless printing and synchronization between a digital photo frame and your photo archives” less onerous, according to the company’s founder and CEO Geoff Smith.

With the advent of Intel My WiFi Personal Area Networks, made possible by G2 Microsystems, WiFi has sneaked into Bluetooth’s territory.

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Posted 10/10/08 at 01:55:42 PM by Reed Porter

You’d never credit your headset after winning a Team Fortress 2 match, nor would you ever brag about your soundcard after just acing a round in Call of Duty 4, but any gaming veteran knows that having a sweet set of cans is a must for even the casual gamer’s setup. This is especially true today with the vast majority of professional gamers using headsets instead speaker systems.

Unfortunately, deciding which audio hardware is right for you can become aggravating very quickly with USB headsets, 5.1 headphones, onboard mixing, analog inputs, and incompatible interfaces confusing the market. With this roundup, we’re going to scrutinize six gaming headset options, and examine the largely unspoken differences between analog and USB audio technology.

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Posted 08/13/08 at 02:00:00 PM by Tom Edwards

Every once in a while, we actually step away from our computers to get some exercise—and do our best to avoid the cavalcade of cars, bikes, and pedestrians that share the roads with us when we go for a run. Until recently, we had eschewed wearing headphones when we pounded the pavement, but AirDrives earbuds have us rethinking this position. By fitting around your outer ear and lying just in front of your ear canal, rather than inside it, AirDrives allow you to hear the music on your MP3 player but still be aware of environmental sounds, so you’re less likely to be clipped by a car you didn’t hear coming. And although they aren’t inserted within the ear, the AirDrives remain snug, even after a long run, and remain in place much better than designs that lack an over-the-ear loop.

Hit the jump for our full review!

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Posted 07/27/08 at 09:51:48 PM by Justin Kerr

As most audiophiles know, picking a new pair of headphones can be a very personal experience. At least, that’s what a new Canadian firm named Soundcage is hoping. They are one of the first companies promoting a revolutionary new concept of creating a custom ear bud that fits directly inside the ear cavity. This allows them to block outside noise and creates an air tight seal. Presumably this would allow the headphones to mirror the noise cancelling typically offered only in larger and more expensive headphone solutions that involve using white noise to mask outside sounds.  It only takes about 10 minutes to be fitted with the new ear buds, and is an evolution of Soundcage’s roots, which involved making custom earplugs for factory workers. With such a tight seal around the inner ear, the clarity of sound promises to be impressive. Early testimonies describe the audio quality as “hauntingly pure”. Additionally, the headphones carry the advantage of being made to fit you, and only you. So unlike my noise cancelling headphones, I wouldn’t have to loan them to my girlfriend every time we fly, a definite bonus. They are expected to retail for around $199 CDN, and we have no word yet on any US availability. But if the hype holds true, expect capitalism to bring these puppies to a store near you in the not so distant future.

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Posted 04/16/08 at 04:56:33 PM by Michael Brown

We’ve tested a lot of earbuds over the past few years and invariably find ourselves gravitating toward products at the very high end of that market—we’re talking buds that’ll set you back more than the most expensive iPod. At $200, Future Sonics’s Atrio m8 earbuds certainly aren’t cheap—but they’re competitive with some products that cost twice as much.

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Posted 01/28/08 at 07:59:37 PM by Michael Brown

We’ve never liked headphones that use active noise cancellation because they simply mask environmental noise by generating background hiss. But Creative’s Aurvana X-Fi headphones are almost good enough to win us over.

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