This Week’s Latest Tech Gadgets – Sept. 22, 2014

By Gregg Ellman
@greggellman@greggellman

Reviews of Monster’s NCredible N-Ergy Impressions earbuds, Monster SuperStar Bluetooth speaker and Powercard Turbo portable battery, as well as Satechi’s USB Portable Air Purifier and Fan.

Monster’s Earbuds, SuperStar Bluetooth Speaker & Portable Battery

Monster-N-ERGY-EarbudsMonster, the company that makes great cables to connect all of today’s electronics to one system, also makes some other great products, most notably headphones.

A few weeks ago I took a vacation and brought along some new Monster products, including the Monster NCredible N-Ergy Impressions earbuds.

First off, when you buy any Monster product, the first impression is how much attention is put into packaging. Usually this ensures you’re getting a well-made product, but not always.

In this case you are getting what you expect: a well made product with great sound and of course well packaged.

For $69 I consider these a great deal. You can spend a lot more and get worse, and for others you can spend less and get a lot more. So this puts the N-Ergy Impressions earbuds right in the middle of the road.

The sound is excellent; they aren’t going to knock your head off with head-banging bass but they produce a nice consistent sound at any volume.

Each speaker is magnetized to they can stick together and hang around your neck when not putting sound in your ears. They are also attached to a tangle-free cord.

Monster has a jammin’ pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker with the Monster SuperStar ($124). This speaker is so smart, she speaks to you as it’s powered on or off.

Monster-Superstar-Bluetooth-Speaker

As for the sound, this speaker rocks and it’s pretty amazing what you get out the pocket-sized speaker.

Besides the great sound, it functions as a speaker phone for handsfree calls and is built with what they describe as a tough, durable, shock-proof silicone protective shell that is also splash resistant. Remember, splash resistant is not waterproof.

Monster-PowerCard-Turbo-portable-battery

For non-Bluetooth devices, there’s an input line port. The speaker is available in neon orange, neon green, neon blue, gray, neon pink  and white.

Monster’s fast charging Powercard Turbo portable battery ($59.95) is for charging most any portable electronic gadget.

It measures just 2 x 2.25 x .5-inches, making it easy to carry in a backpack, purse or pocket.  Inside is 3350mAh of power, enough to recharge my iPhone 5s.

On the side is a USB for for using your cable for charging. A microUSB cable is included.

Details: www.monsterproducts.com

Satechi USB Portable Air Purifier and Fan

I bet you didn’t know you could power up an air purifier via USB, and if you did, you’re one up on me.

Satechi-USB-Portable-Air-Purifier-and-Fan

The Satechi USB Portable Air Purifier and Fan is plug-n-play into your computer or any AC powered USB port to help clean and also cool your office space, which in many cases is tight and crammed.

According to Satechi, the air purifier removes ultrafine particles to provide a clean personal environment. Taking it a step further, it removes odors and particles such as dust, pet dander and other allergens.

There’s no software, drivers or batteries and is portable enough for travelers working out of hotel rooms.

Cost: $39.95

Details: www.satechi.net

Contact Gregg Ellman at greggellman@mac.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @greggellman
2014, Gregg Ellman.

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