Ithaca can also be quite pictureqsue too (only for those 3 months out of the year though…)

Today I was going to write a post about being unemployed during the middle of this deep recession, in a state that holds a $28 billion deficit, and in a country that’s down 2 million jobs compared to four years ago. Instead, I drove through the hills of The Valley and made it down to Malibu, seeing the California coast for the first time ever. I think I made the right decision today.

Originally published: February 9th, 2006

Content is the property and copyright of LaptopLogic.com and Logic Media LLC

Essential Utilities

Everyone loves getting something for nothing, but how often do you actually get something useful and of value without putting a penny forward? Sure, that free cup of coffee might be vital for your daily caffeine fix, but was it really worth purchasing the previous nine cups for the free offer? Case in point, there is a lot of really good software out there which can give your laptop a much needed performance boost or help you be more productive at your desk, but are the little shareware annoyances or expensive cost of some programs really worth it in the long run?

Maybe it is, but with Freeware you never have to worry about paying for a product that may or many not perform to your standards or have to click through dozens of “Buy Now” messages. The road to the perfect Freeware program is rocky however. With Ad-ware infections at an all time high, users stand to do more damage to their computers than good by downloading utilities and other programs from non-legitimate websites, and even worse, those programs might not even do what you need them to do. As a result, many lists of excellent Freeware utilities have been published across numerous magazines and websites. The only problem with many of these guides is that the programs recommended do one very specific task or promise to deliver exceptional usability but ultimately leave the user feeling jilted once they try it out.

There will always be better utilities out there, that’s the nature of software, but with this series of guides I intend to present the best all-around programs for laptop users in some very specific areas. In this edition you will read about utilities that help improve, tweak, test, and display vital information about the basic hardware in your machine. Many of the utilities that follow are essential to keep your laptop running in tip-top shape. I know this because I use almost all of them. They’re the programs that I consider to be the most effective, easiest to use, and contain the most features in their given category. I did a lot of scouring and searching to find them, but they’ve been the best choices for me and my machine. I hope that you will feel the similarly and maybe take a few new tools away from this guide.

Note: This guide is designed for laptops based on Intel processors. Check back in a later edition of this guide that is tailored for AMD based laptops.

Best Overall System Utility

Notebook Hardware Control

When it comes to tweaking and monitoring normal system operations, Notebook Hardware Control blows all other freeware utilities out of the water. Not only can you keep tabs on the performance and temperature of all your essential hardware (CPU, Hard Drive, GPU, and Battery) but Notebook Hardware Control allows you to overclock and underclock any of those to your heart’s content, which you of course use at your own risk. Not satisfied with the stamina Microsoft’s performance profiles provides? Leave NHC to manage it. You can even manage the acoustic properties of your hard drive through S.M.A.R.T (provided you use a hard drive with this technology). Add in handy system tray icons that provide information at a glance, a good looking interface, and an unbeatable price and you have one of the most useful and powerful utilities out there for Intel laptop owners.

System Information Tools

AIDA32

Any mechanic worth his salt will tell you that it takes a good understanding of all the essential components under the hood of a car to keep the engine running efficiently, and when a problem arises, the more you know the easier the problem is to diagnose. For users who want to know the essentials of the components running under the hood of their laptop AIDA32 is an indispensable and free tool. AIDA32 presented me with more information about my system than I knew what to do with. I was able to look up mostly anything, from the supported resolutions of my LCD screen to the hardware address of my ethernet adapter and even the codec ID of my laptop’s audio chip.

AIDA32 also lets you look into the software side of things. You can view what programs run on startup, DirectX information, information about Windows, and even a list of every program currently installed. That last one sounds kind of standard, buy AIDA32 gives you a comprehensive list of literally everything installed currently right down to the different versions of one program you might have on your hard drive. For the geek who wants to know everything about their system, AIDA32 is for you.

Hard Drive Performance

Defragmentation: O&O Defrag 2000 Free

Many of us know that Microsoft’s Disk Defragmenter is kind of a joke. A good deal of their standard system tools could stand some improvement (which will be the subject of a later edition of this guide series), but thankfully for the user the Freeware community has your back. Even though you have to purchase many of the systems tools they make, O&O Software offers a completely free version of their award-winning disk defragmentation software.

O&O Defrag 2000 harkens back to the old Microsoft defrag software where disk clusters were represented by blocks, not by lines that form some kind of abstract art like in the more recent version. The reason I chose this utility over many of the others out there wasn’t just because of the software’s ease of use and quick execution, but because the program provides a very detailed summary of what happened during the operation which can help you diagnose other problems if they exist. Never lose that hidden extra space again with O&O Defrag 2000 Freeware Edition.

Drive Cleaner: CCleaner

Defraging your hard drive will only take you so far in terms of freeing up extra space. When every megabyte counts, Crap Cleaner, more acceptably known as CCleaner, will find every last bit of useless  data and purge it. CCeaner offers an extensive list of space wasters to select during a system scan. Not only can you manage the waste that Windows tends to produce, but this utility will also help you wade through the junk other programs can generate as well. A registry cleaner is also provided as well as tools that let you manage your installed programs and determine what gets loaded when you start up your machine. All in all, CCleaner is a very effective utility that helped me free up around 170MB of space, most of which was cached images and cookies from IE, deleted 154 old registry entries, and let me remove software that Windows couldn’t even uninstall. CCleaner is a must for users who want to keep their system free of cobwebs as well as those who like easy to use software at very little cost.

File Visualization: WinDirStat

To truly be able to effectively manage your hard drive a user has to know what programs and directories are taking up the most room. All to often I’ve found myself wanting to install a program that takes up more space than I have to offer on my hard drive. File visualization tools, such as WinDirStat, help locate directories which contain the largest files on the drive which can help me make a decision as to what I should uninstall to free up space. Many programs in this category simply scan your hard drive and give you a list in descending order of which files are in what directories and how much room they take up on the disk. I like WinDirStat because it not only gives me this list but it also categorizes files by extension and generates a graphic that can sometimes be more helpful than just a list of files and numbers.

LCD Utilites

Dead Pixels: Dead Pixel Tester 2.0

This is normally overlooked by most utilities guides. As laptop users we are forced to use flat but sometimes finicky Liquid Crystal Displays. This technology, while it has made laptops viable, has become one of the biggest problems out of the box with our machines. Combine the possibility of getting a laptop with a dead pixel or two with the fact that some companies require a certain amount of pixels (sometimes as many as eight) to be dead before the computer is eligible for a replacement and you have a good reason to stay away from notebooks altogether.

There is a solution however! While it is a very hit or miss, these dead pixels can sometimes be “exercised” out of your LCD. By quickly flashing patterns or frantically shifting between red, green, and blue some dead pixels can be cured. But how do I know if I have a dead pixel? The aptly named Dead Pixel Tester can help you out. You can choose from a variety of patterns to display in order to uncover a tricky pixel and if you find something you can use the pixel exerciser to hopefully pop it out. In most cases you’d need to download two separate utilities for this, but DPT is an all-in-one and therefore wins my praise.

Monitor Tweaking: Powerstrip

This program break a little bit with my definition of “freeware”, but I’m willing to let it slide because of a lack of annoying pop-ups and reminders to register. The only thing Powerstrip asks you to do is wait a little while before the program fully loads. As far as I know, Powerstrip is the only program of its kind that does what it does. I stumbled upon this utility when I was looking for a way to manually set my old CRT monitor’s refresh rate because certain games would cause it to flicker for no good reason. Powerstrip essentially gives you complete control over your computer’s display.

With the ability to set up different profiles for certain applications you can configure Photoshop, for example, to use a certain color scheme, have the computer overclock your video card, and use some special tweaks such as turning off your screen-saver or enabling OpenGL multi-monitor support. Under the Display Profiles option you can tweak every aspect of your resolution, refresh rate, and color depth as well as set up custom resolution profiles and timing for specific applications. With Color Profiles you can adjust your monitor’s luster as well as adjust the levels of red, green, and blue as well as experiment with different gamma levels. Finally, Performance Profiles will allow you to overclock your laptop’s graphics chip as well as change options in the Windows registry and with OpenGL that may help with performance and compatibility. I highly recommend using Powerstrip in regard to any aspect of your computer’s display.

RAM

RAM Cleaner: AMS Fast Defrag 2

Are you a power user? Do you keep dozens of programs open across four virtual desktops and play Battlefield 2 on top of that? Do you laugh in the face of Adobe Premier or Final Cut Pro? If so, you probably run over a gigabyte of RAM and you use a defrager for it. Like a disk defragmenter, a RAM defragmenter keeps your computer and tasks running smoothly. Especially at higher capacities, defragmenting RAM is a good idea. The process is a little different from what a similar program would do to your hard disk. Essentially, AMS Fast Defrag 2 will look in your RAM, find a big unused chunk, and place it so that new programs will occupy that larger space.

Long term performance gains are minimal, but an increase in speed will be noticed during more CPU and RAM intensive tasks. I decided to choose AMS Fast Defrag 2 because of its ease of use and other helpful features. AMS tells you everything thats going on inside your RAM including what how much is being taken up, tasks are running, and even some useful Windows tweaks that will let you squeeze every last bit of performance out of your machine. The Memory Guardian feature is also quite useful, allowing you to set when your computer should automatically defragment its RAM.

Memory Diagnostic: Memtest86

It’s a sad fact that despite all the money we may put into our computers, parts are still going to get damaged and fail. While certain components can take a beating many other parts tend to have a shorter life. RAM is one of those components, and especially with “value memory”, a stick of perfectly good RAM could have some damaged bits. Regardless of when you bought it, scanning your memory for any defects is a good idea. It isn’t necessary to check too often but a scan or two could reveal a problem you didn’t even know you had.

I chose Memtest86 because it is accepted as the industry standard. The utility is also pretty easy to use, even though it runs in DOS,and can test for multiple memory patterns. Memtest86 is actually a very simple program at its core. To test for bad bits on a chip, Memtest86 will go through every sector on the RAM, change each bit from 0 to 1, proceed to the next, and then check to see if the previous bit has stayed the same. If the bit was corrupt it would revert back to its original state instead of changing to 1. Slowdowns occur in shoddy RAM because information has to constantly be reloaded in the memory since certain bits refuse to budge. Thanks to Memtest86 you are able to troubleshoot this type of problem before it becomes a real hassle.

CPU

Monitoring: Throttlewatch

Leave it to the freeware community to take a utility as simple as a CPU monitor and turn it into something complex and powerful. Even though Windows has a built-in CPU monitor, part of the Task Manager, most users demand more information and would rather leave process monitoring to a third party appilcation. No longer is it sufficient to just report what percent of my processor is chugging away at tasks. With Throttlewatch I’m not only able to monitor my CPU’s load but I can also check the processor’s voltage, current frequency, temperature, and throttling history. There is a definite benefit for laptop users here because now we can see just what our processors are doing when we unplug our computers. This can help when troubleshooting battery problems or if you just want to figure out if Speedstep is working properly. Throttlewatch can also output a log file in case you want to monitor all these variables while running a benchmark.

Processor Information: CPU-Z

Short and sweet. CPU-Z does everything CPUID does, can tell you all the same information, and looks much better. For the user who need to know literally everything about their processor, CPU-Z will give you data ranging from the useful, such as L1 and L2 cache sizes, to the more obscure, such as Brand-ID and Bus Width. CPU-Z also provides you with some vitals about your motherboard, RAM, and Cache and will even let you do a Registers Dump so you can go even more in depth with your processor, RAM, BIOS, PCI headers, and a host of other nuances related to your computer.

Overclocking: RightMark CPU Clock Utility

Now, I don’t necessarily recommend overclocking laptops. Cooling on most machines is sufficient at best and temperatures can get pretty dangerous inside our packed plastic boxes, so please don’t hold me responsible if you end up using this utility and bad things start to happen. There also a huge strain put on the battery, so only test this program out with your laptop plugged in.

Overclocking is the practice of running your processor at a higher clock rate than it was initially designed for by increasing the voltage sent to the hardware. Most modern processors are capable of some incredible feats of speed, but these are only possible with expensive cooling setups. Increasing the clock rate of your processor will also shorten its lifespan a good deal, so using overclocking as a longterm solution isn’t advisable. Overclocking in small doses, however, can be useful and may drastically improve the performance of some programs and games. The RightMark CPU Clock Utility helps you apply overclocks in these small doses by managing performance profiles for you computer. By configuring the voltages, multipliers, and throttling presets  for the included profiles you can improve your performance at the cost of heat and stability. The program is also useful for underclocking your processor, useful for slowing down the CPU even more during battery mode.

Ending Notes

There you have it, our list of recommended freeware utilities made to optimize your new or existing laptop. There are always cutting-edge software released frequently so stay tune Laptop Logic’s update to this guide. In addition, stay tune for more editions of utilities guides like this.

These photos get less and less flavor text every day!

Originally published: October 31st, 2007

Content is the property and copyright of LaptopLogic.com and Logic Media LLC

Intro & Design

Modern storage solutions, like online storage lockers or small USB storage devices, have come a long way and make it very to keep your data with you, yet users are still looking for more flexibility in external storage solutions. Small or virtual is nice but when it comes to sharing my music, pictures, work files, and other documents, more capacity is a necessity. Portable hard drive enclosures have begun to bridge this gap between space and size but it is only within the past few years that they have become light and convenient enough to use for more than just backing up your master hard drive. Having the ability to take your files with you wherever you go not only ensures that your data will be protected from harm but it also allows for a greater degree of ease with managing your external information. Two upcoming drive enclosures from Vantec attempt to bring even more flexibility to the external hard drive market with the Vantec EZ Swap EX, a 2.5′ enclosure that docks in a installable 5.25′ or floppy drive bay, and the Vantec NexStar SX, a sleek and lightweight 2.5′ SATA enclosure.

Packaging

Both the EZ Swap EX and the NexStar SX come in small, tightly packed boxes reminiscent of Apple’s latest iPods. Pulling the black plastic tab on the NexStar SX’s packaging reveals a soft black leather case containing the chrome and aluminum 2.5′ drive enclosure as well as the unit’s USB cable, SATA driver CD, and other install related accessories. The box is well fitted and none of the items seem cramped.

Unboxing the Vantec EZ Swap EX is a little less exciting but it is equally as packed with accessories and other bits to make your install go more easily. Since the EZ Swap EX contains both a 5.25′ mounting bay and a 3.5′ floppy drive bay unit the user can choose where to install the accessory in their desktop tower, a very thoughtful design feature. Included with the physical drive bays and 2.5′ enclosure is a carrying case for the drive and the extra USB data and power cables you’ll need to access the hard disk. SATA and Molex power cables are also included along with enough screws to build an Erector Set with. Unlike the NexStar SX and Erector Sets however, the EZ Swap EX does not come with a screwdriver. This is not a problem however since the screw heads are wide enough to accommodate most smaller Phillips-head screwdrivers.

Design
Solid and sturdy construction of an enclosure unit is essential if you plan on keeping your external hard drive around for a while. Flimsy panels and loose joints can spell disaster if you happen to knock the drive on the ground or drop something on it. Easy access to the physical hard drive is as well, if you plan on removing the drive even semi-frequently. Other products I’ve used over the years have frustrated me to no end with hard to extract screws, shoddy drive rails, and IDE/SATA connectors that could easily become detached. The Vantec EZ Swap EX enclosure feels especially well constructed. The solid and weighty aluminum cage is sandwiched by two tightly attached plastic ends, the rear of which is easily removed with a jeweler’s, or very small, Phillips-head screwdriver. Taking the back plate off, it is apparent that the drive connectors sit on a separate circuit boards that slides easily in and out of the enclosure. The advantage of this is that your fragile and sensitive hard drive won’t move around too much when you’re on the go.

The NexStar SX is another story. Forgoing plastic bits, Vantec instead opted for an all aluminum construction with the NexStar SX. This will earn points when it comes to keeping your external drive cool, but when it comes to design, the sliding plates that allows one to get inside the enclosure leaves a little to be desired. While it provides incredibly easy (and screwless) access to the interior drive the top cover feels loose even when it’s secured by the two side catches holding it together. The cage also vibrated a bit more while testing due to this fact. The back panel is simple enough, with an LED activity indicator, a mini-USB port, power cable port, and a handy on/off switch that will help preserve the life of your drive.

Installation & Conclusion

Installation
Adding your 2.5” SATA drive is relatively straightforward, as is to be expected from Vantec, a company who has been designing products for the PC market for over a decade. As I mentioned with the NexStar SX, two side catches hold top and bottom aluminum plates that slide out, allowing for access to the drive bay. After connecting your drive to the rear SATA port, place it on the drive rails and secure the base to the PCB with the included screws. Once tight, snap both of the covers back into place and connect the enclosure to the nearest computer, finally flipping the power switch on. Installation of the included drivers is recommended since it will help prevent any transfer or compatibility issues. When you’re ready to head off with your external drive, just slip it into the included leather carrying pouch. The case uses convent magnetic snaps that prevent the cover from accidentally swinging open and shouldn’t cause any demagnetizing problems.

The EZ Swap EX takes a little longer to get up and running but the installation is just as straight forward as the NexStar SX. Make sure to mount the 5.25” bay flush with your desktop tower’s front panel if you choose to use it. Conveniently enough, one could install the EZ Swap’s dock in a spare 3.5” bay, which is useful considering no one really uses floppy drive bays these days. Unlike the NexStar SX, the EZ Swap does not include a screw driver so grab one if you haven’t already. Once mounted properly, connect the included SATA and power cables to your motherboard and power supply.

To install the physical hard drive in the enclosure remove the two rear screws and slide out the circuit board. Once you’ve attached and secured the drive carefully slide it back inside the case and screw everything back together. Depending on your model of hard drive there might be some extra wiggle room inside the case. Sliding a business card or some other sturdy material into the gap between the case and drive will help prevent the disk from moving around too much. The EZ Swap EX enclosure slides pretty smoothly into the dock and clicks into place without a problem. The release catch also gently ejects the drive.

External storage solutions are necessary for most PC users these days, especially those who hold large collections of music, movies, pictures, and other media. Having the ability to take your important documents with you when you travel away from your desktop is crucial in today’s highly mobile, technology-filled lifestyle. Being able to easily and quickly back up your system’s operating system also allows you to add an extra layer of protection for your computer when serious problems arise.

While the two Nexstar products reviewed here today are designed to meet different needs, they are two of the more well designed 2.5” SATA enclosures on the market. Despite some heat dissipation issues with the EZ Swap EX, which will vary from system to system, the enclosure and docking bay provide a simple and speedy solution to traveling with and managing your external storage solution. The drive enclosure feels especially sturdy and well built which are also big pluses.

The convenience of the NexStar SX’s sliding design is worth mentioning, especially since it means not having to deal with screws every time you want to get inside the enclosure. Unfortunately on my unit, the top plate was a little loose on the chassis of the enclosure which gave the unit a cheaply constructed feeling. The bottom of the unit sat securely enough in place, but the other aluminum plate created some extra vibration noise during operation. Again, not a deal breaker, but this is something that could be improved on in future generations of the product.

Originally published: September 7th, 2007

Content is the property and copyright of LaptopLogic.com and Logic Media LLC

Green is Good

The future is now, and it looks to be pretty green.

It’s estimated that between 20 and 50 million tons of e-waste is generated per year around the globe. Surprisingly some of the biggest electronic waste offenders, according to environmental watchdog Greenpeace, include Toshiba, IBM, Panasonic, and even Apple. The problem doesn’t just exist among a select few computer manufacturers, however. Without the proper research, materials, and means of disposal, old electronics and their components will continue to pile up around the world, leeching harmful compounds into ground water and topsoil as well as continuing to drain many non-renewable resources.

There is a change in the air, however. With the world’s new found concerns for global warming, the environment, and living less ecologically harmful lives some electronics manufacturers have begun to set their sights on creating more eco-friendly products. With their new U5 ultra-portable notebook, the world’s first lead and halogen-free laptop, Asus has taken a step in the right direction by reducing the amount of harmful materials used to build their machines. By eliminating lead and other dubious compounds from their computers, Asus has earned approval from the RoHS, a British led initiative intended to restrict the use of harmful substances in products distributed in the United Kingdom and abroad. The U5 has since been discontinued, replaced by more powerful computers in the Asus lineup, but the green precedent that has been set by the machine is one that the industry plans to follow up on.

In May everyone’s favorite purveyor of trendy design inspired electronics, Apple, announced they will be making a change for the better with their products, shifting towards more environmentally friendly designs and materials. Steve Jobs, who penned the May announcement below, added other hopeful words of encouragement that help illustrate Apple’s new found interest in becoming a more eco-friendly company.

“Today is the first time we have openly discussed our plans to become a greener Apple. It will not be the last. We will be providing updates of our efforts and accomplishments at least annually, most likely around this time of the year. And we plan to bring other environmental issues to the table as well, such as the energy efficiency of the products in our industry. We are also beginning to explore the overall carbon “footprint” of our products, and may have some interesting data and issues to share later this year.”

Although Apple has yet to release a truly “green” product their recent policy shift is quite encouraging, and due to Apple’s juggernaut status in the industry, their compliance to a more sustainable computer might just be the kick in the pants other electronics manufactures need. By setting an industry-wide example Apple is not only atoning for problems in the past but is also creating a benchmark for other companies to aspire to.

For decades, the consumer electronics and computer industries have had their fair share of issues when it comes to disposing of unusable or old products. E-waste, as it has been dubbed, makes up a surprisingly significant amount of garbage that’s thrown out every year by consumers and companies alike in the United States and around the world. Some of this waste ends up in landfills, where anything with a PCB (printed circuit board) and other electronic components degrade and leech toxic compounds, including lead, cadmium, and mercury into the environment. Even more disturbing, however, is that a greater amount of electronic trash will inadvertently end up lining the streets of populated towns and villages in many developing nations including China, India, and Nigeria.

Recycle, Refreshed

The real solution for eliminating E-waste goes a lot further than simply restructuring a company’s environmental vision, however. As a recent article from Popular Science Magazine illustrates, creating a truly green notebook requires more than just removing lead and cadmium from the equation. A variety of issues exist with current machines that can be improved upon through some innovative thinking and natural know how. The biggest issue with creating an eco-friendly laptop involves cutting down on the amount of energy the computer uses. Any drain on your system ends up becoming a drain on the nation’s power supply and with users running their machines 24 hours per day, power consumption becomes a problem.

The solution? It’s actually a two-fold answer. The first part involves creating computer components that require less energy to power. In your laptop the biggest energy offenders are the backlit display and constantly spinning hard drive. By using alternative technologies, namely solid-state flash memory instead of magnetic platter hard drive and less power-hungry displays, one can minimize the amount of electricity their laptop eats up. The second, and more energy efficient factor, has to do with creating a solution that allows mobile computers to harness power completely “off the grid.” Popular Science points to solar energy as a means of powering future computers. By permanently unplugging your computer from the nation’s electric grid one not only reduces the net amount of energy they consumer but they also reduce the amount of resources necessary to generate more electricity, saving part of the environment as well as part of their paycheck.

A final part of the puzzle deals with the recycling aspect and how manufactures can use natural renewable resources to build their machines. Instead of using petroleum-based plastics to to build the notebook shells, bioplastics derived from corn and castor-oil could be used. The advantage is that these bioplastics would degrade naturally once recycled, decomposing and becoming part of the ecosystem, instead of piling up and taking eons to disappear as current plastics do. One other solution that would make it easier for recyclers to dismantle and salvage parts from old machines would require manufactures to include a built in “parts list” that catalogs every transistor and memory chip onboard the computer. Suggestions for accomplishing this include using RFID chips, which would carry such a parts list, and could be read wirelessly helping the recycler determine what they can harvest and what must be trashed. A great deal of research into such technologies is currently being undertaken, so hopefully consumers could start to see these and other eco-wonders in the marketplace before the end of the decade.

As computer companies begin to turn their attention inward in order to create more environmentally sound machines, the marketplace will begin to shift towards a greener tomorrow. Other industries, ranging from textiles to Hollywood films, have already begun to take steps to create “carbon neutral” and more eco-friendly products. Problems such as global warming and overflowing landfills will continue to get worse unless an initiative is taken to make a change. With these initial rumblings in the computer industry a wave of change may be on the way, and if companies like Apple and Dell can market it right, living a carbon neutral lifestyle via your gadgets might become the next popular craze.

“People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish. But that’s only if it’s done properly.” – Bansky

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” – Albert Einstein

Originally published: May 30th, 2006

Content is the property and copyright of LaptopLogic.com and Logic Media LLC

Overview

Wireless is the new digital. The chips and antennas are getting smaller and smaller, they’re using less and less energy, and they’re becoming more and more ubiquitous throughout the modern tech scene. In the last three years, since wireless cards have become a standard in mobile computers, we’ve seen an explosion in the different applications users can now have for their devices. This is no different with Bluetooth devices.

Even though the technology encountered a rocky start in 1999 developers have been implementing Bluetooth chips into more and more products. The majority of these products have been geared towards cell phone users because of Bluetooth’s ease of use and because users want to keep their wireless devices completely wireless. With the glut of “hands free” wireless headsets on the market today consumers now have the ability to pick out the device that fits their needs and style the best. With this in mind, Motorola has come out with a very different take on the Bluetooth headset.

The HT820 Bluetooth Stereo Headset is a common enough looking pair of behind the neck headphones that promises to untether you from both your cell phone and from your computer. With the ability to stream, take phone calls, and listen to music from your computer as well as control your play list with built-in media controls, this pair of Bluetooth headphones sounds like it could be a complete solution for mobile  communication. Will this Bluetooth headset help free you from your tangled wired workspace or will it prove to be just another of the dozens of Bluetooth gadgets out there? Lets see how it holds up.

Design

The Motorola HT820 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones could pass for your everyday pair of Sony street style headphones, besides the fact that there aren’t any wires coming out of it and that both of the drivers are emblazoned with a big Motorola M. Media controls sit on the top of either driver. The right channel holds the forward and previous track buttons while the left channel has the volume up and down controls. The big Motorola M’s I mentioned not only brand the product but they’re also buttons that turn on the device, divert calls to the headset, put the headphones into “pairing” mode (more on this later), and have many other functions. There is also a 2.5mm headphone jack, for plugging in the included audio cable to your device for better audio quality, and a mini USB port on the right side of the headset which is used to charge the HT820’s internal battery.

One of the most notable characteristics of the Bluetooth headset is how big the ear pieces are, not to mention the pulsing blue L.E.D that emits from the M logo buttons. This feature can be turned off by holding the next and previous buttons, but it is still an odd design choice. The casings are sleek and stylish, but because of all the technology stuffed into such a small device the size is unavoidable. This is not to say they’re unattractive to wear, but don’t expect to blend in to the crowd while wearing them.

Quibbles aside, the HT820s really shine when one considers what they are capable of doing. The majority of Bluetooth headsets on the market only stream phone calls, but Motorola’s headset promises much more. With an additional adaptor, Motorola’s PC850 ($49.99), you can stream music and other audio from your computer, and with Motorola’s DC800 Bluetooth Home Stereo Adapter ($99.99) you can listen to music from your home entertainment system over the headset. Besides the ability to listen to your audio wirelessly the headset also lets you manage your calls with the push of a button, and if you’re listening to something when a call comes in it will pause your music so you can take the call.

Included with the HT820 Bluetooth Headset: Instructions and safety guide, cloth carrying bag, wall charger, 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable, warrantee information

Setup

This step can be tricky. Motorola was gracious enough to send their PC850 PC adapter with the headset, so I will cover how I set up both the headset and the PC adaptor. Instructions on the configuration process are included with the adaptor, but for those who are new to Bluetooth, getting things up and running could prove to be confusing.

First, for your computer’s sake, make sure you have all of the latest drivers and up to date software for your machine. Next, insert the included CD into your computer and plug in the PC850 adapter into a USB port. Windows should detect the dongle and ask you if you want to install software for it. Have Windows search the CD you inserted for the drivers and things should take care of themselves. Once everything has installed restart your computer. This concludes step one.

Step two involves getting the computer and Bluetooth headset to talk to one another. After rebooting, put the headset on and hold down the left M button for 10 seconds. The M button should flash blue three times and then stay lit. This means your headset is in pairing mode. You should start to hear some white noise come through the headphone drivers and after a few seconds Windows will recognize there is a Bluetooth device in the area. Your computer should go through a few dialog boxes before prompting you to enter a pass code. These codes were implemented so the device could be unique to your computer’s Bluetooth network and would only sync with certain devices you set them up on. This was buried in the instruction guide, but enter ‘0000’ for the pass code and the setup should finish after going through a bit more setup.  If successful the blue M logo will flash quickly and then go dark.

Hold the left M button down for 10 more seconds to turn the headset off. Then turn it back on by holding the same button down until the M flashes 3 times. Your computer should now recognize the headset without a problem and you can begin listening to your music. I tested streaming music from both Apple’s iTunes and Windows Media Player to the headset but it looks like only WMP is supported by the PC850 adapter. If you don’t hear music coming out of your headphones, try increasing the volume on the headset; the buttons are on top of the left ear piece. If this doesn’t fix things click on My Bluetooth Places and see what Bluetooth services are running. I had to double click on the My Audio Gateway service before I could make the headset produce music. Refer to the included instruction manual if these directions didn’t help solve the problem.

Performance

As a pair of wired headphones, Motorola’s HT820 shine. The included 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable allows you to connect the headphone up to any audio source, such as a laptop or an iPod. While the cord is a bit short, too short to use as a normal pair of headphones, the headset performs very well in regard to sound quality. While the bass doesn’t thump, the headphones reproduced a quality sound when listening to bands such as The Chemical Brothers and Jamrioquai. Mid range and high frequencies were also pleasant to listen to and did not give off any noticeable tint or pops.

In terms of comfort, the HT820 does not disappoint. With its behind the neck style these headphones will fit pretty much anyone. Both channels have padded muffs that not only keep in the majority of the sound but also keep your ears snug. The padding comes in handy since the headset weighs a little more than your standard pair of headphones and the black leather cups help your ears support that extra weight with little strain or discomfort.

Bluetooth quality is a separate issue however. Since the headset uses the 1.2 standard, the information passed between the Bluetooth source and the headphones is not of the highest caliber. The best way to describe how the headphones sound over Bluetooth is as if you’re listing to music over the loudspeaker at Disney World.

Audio quality is fuzzy and distant, not to mention signal strength plays a big part in just how much of the song you hear. Even while sitting at my desk with my laptop right in front of me I would experience the occasional one second gap of silence or have white noise overpower some of the softer parts of my music. Then again, this is a Bluetooth headset, so I did not expect stellar quality for streaming audio. Motorola’s headset is marketed as an all-in-one solution for those who want to take calls and listen to music, but be wary that Bluetooth is not yet at the point that it can stream quality audio.

Using the headset for making phone calls is a different story however. You are able to use this headset with any Bluetooth enabled phone, but I chose to test call quality by using my Bluetooth enabled laptop and Skype. Incoming and outgoing calls sounded clear and voice delays were accurate. The built in microphone was responsive and my voice came through clearly as well.

Conclusion

Pros:

• Attractive design
• Effortless setup
• Good audio quality when wired

Cons:

• Music quality with Bluetooth below par
• A tad bit expensive
• Bulkier than most headsets

Recommendation
While it isn’t an all in one solution for those who want to stream high quality music and have the ability to take calls, the HT820 still gives you the superhuman ability to listen to audio, take or deny phone calls, and use voice dial all without wires or having to take out your phone. This product is really for power users who want the ability to do all of this without fail. Audiophiles stay away! These headphones sound like a pair of $120 when connected with the included cable, but their main function is to do everything wirelessly and listening to your music via Bluetooth is not the greatest.

Originally published: April 2nd, 2006

Content is the property and copyright of LaptopLogic.com and Logic Media LLC

Overview

Laptop users know that the greatest feature of any notebook, old or new, is that you can pick up your computer and take it with you to virtually anywhere. Some would also argue that this is mobile computing’s greatest weakness. The fact that users can take their expensive and most important piece of equipment out into the real world presents a lot of dangers such at breakage, theft, and similar disasters. Being able to transport your expensive notebook safely and discretely is an aspiration most users want to achieve, and with the Contour backpack from Kensington, laptop owners get an extra line of defense from the real world.

Touted as a comfortable and professional solution for trucking around all your computer and work-related things, the Contour backpack delivers a roomy interior and a bold design. The feature that sets this bag apart from the rest of the pack (no pun intended) is the Contour’s adjustable lumbar support located on the back of the bag. For those who are unaware, lumbar support focuses on the lower back and pelvis, where the five lumbar vertebrae are located. As a result, less stress is put on your back and shoulders and instead gets focused further down towards your center of gravity. This makes for a unique backpack experience, since many bags can become uncomfortable, sometimes even painful, after long bouts of use. With four different lumbar settings and a variety of adjustable straps and buckles, the Contour promises something for everyone.

Design – External

Portability
Weighing in at a surprising 3.9 pounds, the Kensington Contour is a bit heavier than most bags in the same class. Most of that extra heft comes from the adjustable lumbar support built into the backside of the bag, a feature I will discuss later in this article. The Contour also measures 15.75″ long, 19.5″ high, and 9″ wide, a big bag by anyone’s definition, but the size is justified since the Contour was designed to hold even the biggest notebooks.

External
The Kensington is a big backpack. Engineered to fit even the widest 17” laptops, the Contour spares no expense for interior room and this shows in the design of the bag. The hip hugging lumbar supports also factor into the size of the pack, keeping the sides at a wider length than most backpacks of this class. Black and gray make up the overall styling of the backpack which gives the bag a very conservative feel. The Contour is part of Kensington’s Executive series of notebook cases, so the look of the backpack is not a surprise. Materials include 1680 Denier Ballistic Nylon, which makes up the bulk of the outer shell, faux-leather, and a very sturdy rubberized bottom.

There are five pockets in all on the backpack, three of which make up the main compartments of the bag and two which sit off to the side and can hold accessories such as AC adapters and CD cases. An exterior pocket also sits on the left side of the bag for holding a water bottle or a similar container. The straps of the bag also contain some features such as a cellphone holder, which kept my LG VX7000 snug and secure, and a cable router, which kept the cable to my iPod earbuds flat and under control.

Speaking of the bag’s straps, which I found to be extremely cushioned and comfortable, the Contour’s backside is feature-packed as well. A small loop allows the bag to be hung on a hook and a broader gray handle sits below the loop for easy carrying. Below that you can find the feature that sets this bag apart from most other laptop backpacks. Hidden behind the back cushioning sits the Contour’s lumbar support system which I can honestly say does a great job at keeping the strain from the bag in the right places. There are four different adjustable settings for the lumbar support, but there is no exact science to determining which setting is right for you. At six feet tall I found the #3 setting to be the most comfortable for me. It all depends on where your hips are.

Design – Interior

Internal
Like the external design dictates, the Kensington Contour has plenty of room inside to store all your essentials. The front most pocket provides your standard backpack organizer complete with pencil and note holders as well as a small mesh pocket for storing odds and ends. I found the compartments themselves to be very roomy, especially since the pockets curve up past the zipper. This allowed me to stuff a few extra items in that normally wouldn’t have fit.

The middle compartment offers a little more organization in the way of accessories. Four mesh pockets sit on the divider and can easily hold extras such as game pads, AC adapters, mice, and external hard drives. There is also enough space at the foot of the bag to hold a few magazines or a textbook, as well as any extra cables and cords. There is also a port at the top of the compartment to thread a pair of headphones or another such cable out of the bag. Quite convenient.

Most of your true storage needs will take place in the third compartment of the bag. The pocket is roomy enough to store binders, a text book or two, and any extra papers you may need as well as your laptop which sits in its own cushioned compartment. Kensington did have a hiccup in their design when it came to the laptop sleeve however. Because of the shape of the lumbar support mechanism the Contour’s notebook compartment can be very tight. This is great for traveling with you computer because you can be certain your machine is secure between two cushioned barriers, but taking the computer out afterwards can sometimes be a struggle. Coupled with the fact that the Contour is designed to hold computers with 17” screen and bigger, my 14” Thinkpad felt like a kid on a king sized bed.

Features

Lumbar Support System
This unique feature sets the Kensington Contour apart from most other backpacks in the market today. To test the lumbar support system out I decided to carry the bag with me during my daily routine with different amount of cargo inside. I chose setting #3 for my tests because at that height the bottom portion of the lumbar support fell on my hips, very comfortable indeed. On my first experience with the Contour, I loaded the bag with my laptop, a mouse with pad, a small CD holder, and a binder. Walking around with only eight or so pounds on my back felt a bit odd with the Contour. Due to the lack of weight that would normally keep the bag situated on my hips, the pack shifted around as I walked; however, my impression changed as the weight distribution in the bag changed. When I finally loaded up the pack with all the essentials and some additional accessories, in total about twenty pounds of gear, the bag felt both balanced and comfortable. I can see why the American Chiropractic Association would endorse such a product.

Headphone Port
One feature that is starting to become more standard on backpacks, especially tech backpacks, is a place to thread wires to the outside of the bag. There are a variety of uses for this feature, but mostly it is used for routing headphones that are attached to a media player stuck inside the bag. On the Contour this port is located on the second compartment. This is convenient because of the mesh accessory pockets inside that part of the bag. Instead of leaving your iPod or CD player among the other items inside your backpack the Contour provides a safe haven for your media player, not to mention easy access for the headphones cable to break out of the bag.

Performance

The Kensington Contour performed as I expected. I spent a week with the bag, taking it to and from classes with me as well as traveling with it. All of my essentials fit in the Contour with ease. These essentials include my IBM ThinkPad T42p, power adapter, external hard drive, five-subject notebook, three or four books for class, iPod, cell phone, some magazines, a CD binder, and various odds and ends. Even though the bulky size of the Contour was a turn off for me, I can’t complain considering the ample space and comfort it provided.

It was a bit difficult to judge the overall performance of the lumbar support feature since that would require strenuous activity and for me to carry around the backpack for a couple of weeks, but I can say that when adjusted properly, the Contour is quite comfortable. The bag took much of the stress off my shoulders and delivered it down the rest of my back and hips which made it a pleasure to carry around.

Some minor complaints I have with the backpack concern the quality of construction, the ease of use of the laptop compartment, and the bag’s appearance. When I first received my Kensington Contour there was a bit of gray thread sticking out of the zipped up zipper in the front pocket. As it turns out, there are at least a dozen or so pulled threads that come off of the material inside the compartments. The zippers would constantly snag on the loose threads, making it frustrating to open and close the bag as well as bringing down the over-all appearance of the pack. Finally, my biggest gripe with the Contour was its laptop compartment.

Designed to fit your laptop like a glove, the built in sleeve acts more like a Chinese finger-trap than a pair of Isotoners. Not only did my 14” notebook sit very deep in the pocket, but when it came time to remove the computer I had real problems trying to extract it. The sides of the compartment are built to constrict to the edges of your notebook, which comes in handy when traveling, but the hold is so tight that I had to grip my laptop extremely hard to take it out of the bag. Putting stress on the latch, screen, keyboard, and the rest of the case is not something I want to have to do when I want to use my computer.

Conclusion

Pros:

• Plenty of space for all your gear
• Comfortable and ergonomic
• Loads of useful features and pockets

Cons:

• Bulky construction
• Laptop compartment is only useful for big notebooks
• Mass-produced quality

Recommendations

Kensington’s Contour backpack is a great bag for students and professionals alike. Those who have to carry around a great deal of accessories and books will find the lumbar support system especially useful and comfy. The Contour’s size can be imposing to users who don’t quite have enough to fill the space, but the backpack was designed for roominess and its ability to hold all that it can is a big plus. Features such as a cell phone pocket, water bottle holder, headphones port, and accessory pockets help organize the space inside the bag as well as give the user easy access to essential items. Build and quality issues exist with the interior of the bag and the laptop compartment isn’t as effective with computers that have screens smaller than 15”, but overall the Contour is an excellent choice for the comfort-conscious and those looking for a laptop backpack with room to spare.

Price and Availability
Available at most big name computer stores. Retails for around $70 and comes with a Kensington Lifetime Warranty.