Introduction

As somebody that’s passionate about music, I prefer a very specific combo: in-ear type earphones with a portable amp. The reason is simple, if audio is your number one priority, this combo easily outperforms any other setup. An added bonus is the fact that in-ear earphones basically act like earplugs, passively providing lots of sound isolation.

As always, there’s a catch: this setup isn’t that very portable or convenient: In-ear earphones, usually called In-ear-monitors or IEM require a tight seal in order to perform, requiring the need to be placed uncomfortably deep inside the ear-canal. For this reason they also require constant cleaning and it’s also the reason why IEM are not something you could share with others.

Another difficulty comes from the fact that you need to put them in correctly, requiring specific techniques like slightly opening the jaw or moisturizing the sleeves. Many first-time IEM buyers usually don’t know about these techniques and end up with a subpar listening experience. They are extremely effective at blocking out all sounds, meaning that throughout the day you’ll find yourself constantly taking them out just to have a normal conversation.  Lastly, there’s also the issue with wires and lugging around an amp isn’t my idea of fun.  I needed something more practical which brought me to the Nokia BH-905 and the updated BH-905i. Armed with almost $500 worth of 905 goodness I set to answer the question: IEM (Shure SE535 and SE425), 905 or 905i?

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The current trend of thin, large screen slate-type smartphones might offer more power and lots of screen real-estate, but due to the the lack of a stand they sure make it more difficult for you to just glance at the screen and get the information you want. As screens get larger and widgets more advanced, it’s seems like every new generation of devices seems to be able to show more info at once, on a single screen. Yet at the same it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a device that can stand upright or sideways on its own and actually allow you to see what’s on the screen, without having to pick it up, sort of like a night clock.

Earlier devices like N96, N86 8MP made it easy due to the inclusion of a kickstand, while smartphones with a flip-out keyboard (E7, N97) also have an angled screen that make this possible. The same can’t be said about the N8, for example. It’s even worse with those 4.3” monstrosities that can’t stand upright, at least not at an angle, requiring you to constantly pick it up. Holding a phone upright, even for a 15 minute video can get tiresome. I’ve had my share of trying to balance my N8 in front of a heavy device, only to find the angle not quite right or the device falling flat.

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Nokia N8 cover

As a camera-centric device, the N8 almost begs for an “always-on” case that doesn’t require you to constantly take it out and put it back in, matching the N8’s “ready to shoot” philosophy. Could Nokia’s own Silicone Cover CC-1005 be that case?

The CC-1005, as the name suggests, is a silicone case made specifically for the N8 and is Nokia’s first foray into the silicone case business, which traditionally has only been about cases made out of leather or cloth. The 1005 is available in 4 colors, (almost) matching the 4 colors available for the N8: Blue, Black, Green and a Pinkish Red. I say “almost,” because even though Nokia is offering the Pink CC-1005 color, there is no matching Pink N8. As you know by now the N8 is offered in Orange, so it’s a mystery to me as to why Nokia wasn’t able to create a matching case. If you’re the owner of the Orange N8, you’re pretty much out of luck here, unless you decide to settle for the Pinkish Red color or choose one of the other three colors.

Compared to cheaper silicone cases you find on Ebay, the 1005 offers a case that’s not too thick or too thin, yet it still able to keep it’s shape without deforming from the simple act of taking it off. Unlike the those really thick silicone cases, that add way to much material, the 1005 seems to have gotten it just right with just the right amount of padding without looking too chunky. On the other hand there are those cases that are way too thin that wiggle and shift just from holding the device, this is not the case with the CC-1005.

Worth noting however, is the fact that this shade of Blue is quite a bit different than the Blue on the N8 itself, going for a darker  Blue instead of the N8’s more neutral light Blue. In the image above you can’t quite see  the true shade of Blue of the case, but what you can see is that the two colors don’t quite match fully. For most this should be fine and overall it does look  good on the N8, but those looking for the colors to match exactly should look elsewhere. The case is also very easy to put on or take of and doesn’t add any measureable weight to the N8. What it does add however is much needed grip as the N8 is a very slippery device.

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A headset that has a reasonable price, is splash resistant, wireless and even sounds as good  as other headphones in the $250 to $300 range? And did I mention that it even supports the futuristic NFC feature? Sounds too good to be true? Surprisingly such a product does exist and it’s called the Nokia BH-505. The BH-505 is one of those hidden understated gems, that doesn’t get much attention when in fact it should. Let’s take a closer look at the 505s and see what makes them so great.

The BH-505

The BH-505 is a futuristic looking beast, looking like something you’d expect a jogger to wear if you were to head ten years in the future and step straight out of a time machine. That’s nothing new for Nokia Nokia accessories as they generally tend to look very green, organic and futuristic. This is especially true for the BH-505, that seems to push the bar just a tad higher. This effect is further enhanced by the curvy shape, the choice of very neutral colors and lastly the fact that it is incredibly light yet extremely tough and flexible. In fact, when you first pickup the 505s it doesn’t even seem electronic in nature, let alone something that produces sound.

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Cheap Calls to Australia

Nokia is known for it’s excellent camera smartphone’s but what many are not aware of is that under the hood, some of these are amazing music devices. We’re not just talking about devices marketed as “Music phones”: edgy look, bundled improved quality headphones (or speakers) and media keys. While some of the Nokia devices do have many of these traits, they’re actually capable of pumping out some seriously good tunes using audiophile grade head/earphones. Perfect examples of these are the N91, N91 8GB, N81, N81 8GB and even the N900.

With the N8 now readily available, we wanted to check out how it truly faired on the music front. Testing the N8 would also give you an idea of what to expect from the C6, C7 and E7 as they all share essentially the same hardware.

When we’re talking about audio quality, we’re not talking about the built-in speaker or the Dolby surround feature using HDMI out. In fact surround sound does not necessarily equal good audio quality, as many would think. In this case it’s purely the stereo output through the built-in 3.5mm headphone jack and doing some serious listening, using some audiophile grade in-ear monitors (IEM) from Shure and 320kbps MP3 and Wav files.

I started the test with Lakmé’s The Flower Duet, testing the N8’s capability to cope with a very dynamic classic. The N8 passed the test with flying colors, faithfully producing The Flower Duet with all it’s dynamic complexity while still being able to drive the Shure earphone without a portable AMP at glass breaking volumes. I was also impressed with the amount of detailed produced during the low-volume parts of this piece. Older Nokia’s were plagued with lack of ample audio headroom, but the N8 is another those devices can go loud, and I do mean loud.

I played a bit with the equalizer, but felt that using the default setting, the N8’s output was good enough to get the most out quality headphones without the need for further adjustments.

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Well, technically it’s about 56.93GB of total storage, since the way electronic devices process these Gigabytes is different. So in reality that 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card is actually more like 29.8GB. Same thing can be said for the N900’s built-in 32GB, minus a few system files of course.

Thanks to our friends at MobileFun, we’ve gotten our hands on the new Sandisk 32GB microSDHC, the SDSDQ-032G-A11M to be exact. Putting this into N900 adds A LOT to the already impressive storage amount available on the N900. So yes, that’s 57 GB(!) of storage, on a mobile device! Stay tuned for our full review.

The Nokia BH-214 is probably one of the most overlooked Nokia accessories, standing in the shadows of the popular “single-ear” Bluetooth headsets such as the BH-607 and the stereo Bluetooth headsets such as the mighty BH-905. Considering it’s versatility and performance, we kind of expected these to be more popular, but it seems that the majority of the consumers prefer standard Stereo Bluetooth headsets or the traditional Bluetooth headsets. Next time, should you consider the BH-214 instead?

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When we took a look at Nokia’s first and official case for the N900, the CP-321, we liked the stylish and simple design, but it was several steps back in convenience: It lacked any access to the lock switch, microUSB port, 3.5mm headphone jack, camera button and both the camera lens and speakers were blocked. It was pretty and helped to to protect the N900, but it sure wasn’t useful. Nokia went back to the drawing board and came up with what we have here: the Nokia CP-408. Would we choose it over the CP-321? Is it the ultimate N900 case?

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I’ve always been impressed by those high-speed memory cards, offering speedy transfer rates of several MB/s over the standard vanilla cards. The advantages are clear in multi-megapixel digital SLRs and even compact digital cameras that are now capable of HD video capture. But how would these fair in the mobile environment? Are there any benefits when compared to slower Class 2 and 4 cards? One would certainly think so, especially since 8+ Megapixels, HD video capture and multi-Gigabytes of media is quickly becoming the norm. Enter Lexar’s High-Speed Mobile microSDHC Class 6 cards, with both 8 and 16GB flavors and includes their Mobile USB Card Reader. Let’s find out as we review Lexar’s speediest solution.

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Ever since Nokia discontinued the DT-22, it has become almost impossible to get your hands on one or even an alternative. Well, that’s until now. We’ve recently got our hands on another tripod that does the job quite well, the Fly Mobile Holder.

This little tripod is perfect for mobile phones, because unlike most digital cameras, mobile device lack a built-in tripod mount. By using the adapter (Mobile Holder) you could in fact mount the device to the included tripod or just about any other tripod system, even the larger ones. This makes it very useful for mobloggers or just about anybody that tried to do a one-handed unboxing video or had countless group photos where they were missing from the shot. It’s also great for preventing camera-shake, also works perfectly for stop-motion video and even HDR photography.

There seems to be two units available, but the one we got was the model number S2120W. It comes in glossy black that perfectly matched our test Nokia N900 and consists of two parts: an adapter and the mini tripod.

The adapter is actually the most important part as it allows you to connect your device to any tripod. It’s adjustable at two key point, allowing you to adjust both the height and length. It has a spring loaded mechanism to control its extended height, but it’s not manually adjustable to a specific length. You can pull it up so that the device can fit in, and the strong spring loaded mechanism pulls it back down until it rest on the device. The mechanism has a VERY strong spring in the sense that it requires you to pull really hard to get get your device in.

In contrast, the DT-22’s solution works by using a screw to open or close its adapter. Both of these systems get the job done, but the DT-22 screw system allows for finer adjustments and requires a lot less force to pull it up. Strangely, the the part that extends the length of the adapter is fully (manually) adjustable  and uses another adjustment system. This part requires little force and allows for precise adjustments. I also like the fact that the adapter has rubberized pads on the inside that should prevent any scratches. Other than a strong spring, it’s simple to use and it works quite effectively in securing even a large and heavy device such as the N900.

The tripod is very compact, but the legs can be extended to almost double its height. With the legs extended and pulled together, it can even act as a monopod to get a shot above a crowd or even tight situations such as beehive. The tripod base uses a ballhead which allows it to pan and tilt in every possible direction and can be locked into a specific position using the key. As a plus, it can be removed from the adapter and used with most point-and-shoot digital camera and was even able to support a heavy camera such as the Canon Powershot G10.

Overall build quality is really good. The adapter does feel a bit plasticky, but seems to be strong to handle heavier devices such as the N900 and even survive a fall. It’s also light enough as to not add much weight to your mobile device. If you like taking pictures or videos with your smartphone, this is a must have and gets a 8.7 out of 10. The Fly Mobile Holder can be purchased at MobileFun.co.uk. 

Pros  

-Steady shots for HDR and stop-motion photography

-Good build quality

-Adapter can be used with other tripods

-Rubberized pads to protect your device

-Tripod can be used with digital cameras

-Highly adjustable

-Tripod can be adjusted to almost twice it’s height

-Supports even larger/heavier devices such as the N900

Cons

-Spring mechanism for height adjustment requires a lot of force