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REVIEWS: Griffin iTrip FM transmitter with iPhone app

Stuart Miles — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:08:11 +0000

iPod to radio in one easy accessory?

You've got days of music stored on your iPhone or iPod, the trouble is once you get in your car you're left with hunting around for a CD or even what's on the radio to remove the drone of the road.

In steps the iTrip, improved and enhanced from its first outings many years ago to offer a chance to stream music from your iPod or iPhone to your car stereo via the wonders of FM.

The size of disposable lighter, the iTrip plugs into your Apple device via the 30-pin dock connector and gets to work transmitting your music to a nearby radio that is tuned in on the same frequency.

The unit itself comes with four buttons, and a mono screen with which to access the rather rudimentary menu system. Pressing Menu a number of times scrolls through the menu options, while three buttons below the screen allow you to scan up and down the airwaves, select presets, or skip to the next track without having to turn your iPod player "on". On the whole the experience is a fiddly one.

Realising that iPod touch and iPhone users want something a little more graphical, Griffin has developed a free app that you can download via the App Store to control all the above with your finger rather the having to get dirty with the hardware. The app certainly makes things a lot easier.

Scanning the airwaves can be done in two ways, manually (normally the easiest) or via something Griffin call SmartScan, which as you might guess scans all available frequencies looking for the cleanest, unfettered, frequency available for you to set-up your mini pirate radio station on.

In the settings option there is a chance to have three preset stations, as well as whether or not to pump out your sound in mono or stereo. SmartSound is a Griffin Technology that enhances the sound and makes it louder. In reality that's what it does - make stuff louder.

In use and the performance of the iTrip, like previous models, will come down to where you live. If you live in a major metropolitan area you are likely to struggle to find a clear enough signal to push your transmission to. We certainly weren't able to run the system in stereo. That means your music will be constantly interrupted and you'll spend most of your drive retuning the iTrip to find a better frequency. Not great.

If however you live in the country or are planning on using this in a static environment around the home placing your iTrip in the right place does get good results. Placement is everything though - we found strangely next to the gearbox worked in one car and on the dash in another.?

As for charging, there is an option to connect a Micro-USB to the iTrip, which in turn will let you charge the iPhone or iPod, however it isn't included in the box.

Verdict:

The Griffin iTrip is a difficult one to mark. The fact that our tests delivered mixed results isn't Griffin's fault, but merely a problem of the cluttered airwaves where we tested it, suggesting you could buy this and experience a far better experience than we have.

If you really must get your music off your iPhone or iPod on your car stereo then this is one way to do it, just don't expect it to be a perfect experience every time.?

Proceed with caution.

REVIEWS: Griffin MyPhones headphones for children

Stuart Miles — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Blow their socks off?

There are plenty of headphones available, some good, some bad. But when was the last time you saw a pair aimed at younger children? That's the plan with the Griffin MyPhones, a set of headphones that are aimed at the little angels in your life. But do they work? We plugged in our 3 year-old daughter to find out.

The MyPhones main claim is that they feature an always-on volume limiter so your child can't turn the volume up too loud and blow their ear-drums out. Set to a maximum 85dB all the time, they can still get loud, but not loud enough to do any damage.

To put 85dB into context, you and I talk normally at around 60dB while an MP3 player such as the iPod (without the volume limiter turned on) is around 120dB - the same, indecently, as an ambulance screaming past you in the street.

In practice and the headphones look like your average grown-up headphones. They have big comfortable cans on either side and an adjustable head strap to fit different sized heads, but things are kept small for children.?The cans are well padded and replicate what you would expect on an adult "professional" model, leather or faux leather we can't determine, but either way they are good enough to block any noise (not that it gets that loud anyway).

There is a long cable (127cm) with a 3.5mm jack so the MP3 player can be tucked neatly away in a back pack (kids pockets are usually full of stones or tissues), which is an unexpected but pleasant surprise and should see you right on planes and in the back of the car.

Where the Griffin MyPhones headphones aim to appeal to children is with the interchangeable cover inserts. You get two designs in the box - blue or pink - and before you start to think this is just another marketing idea to sell you more, you also get a further two sets of blank templates so you can colour in your own. The templates are easy enough to copy (it's just a circle after all) and that means your kids can colour their hearts out and put their own stamp on them.

So what about performance? After asking the 3-year-old and getting nowhere without a "they sound great daddy", we tested them out (in the interest of reviewing you understand). The sound isn't anything spectacular, however it's not awful either. There is a good balance of treble and bass with the bass, as you would expect, on the light side. Noise cancellation was good and although we weren't able to test them on an aeroplane they did manage to isolate the noise of our washing machine when standing next to it.?

I listened to everything from The Beatles to Berlioz and would be happy enough with the performance to know that my daughter and son won't be complaining any time soon.

Everything is kept in a large strong plastic carry case, and the marketing bumpf can be removed and the accompanying "These myPhones belong to..." panel inserted instead.

Grumbles? There aren't any.

Verdict:

As a parent you always want to protect your children, but not go over the top and wrap them in cotton wool. Although some MP3 players (iPod included) do offer a volume limiting system, it's sometimes hard to find the setting and fiddly fingers will always turn it off.?

The volume limiting here is done via the hardware and is always on - there is no off switch – so all you have to worry about is plugging them in. Couple that with the ability to customise, and our 3-year-old was excited about not only colouring them in but then wearing them afterwards.

If you're a parent and need a set of headphones for your little one, these are the ones to get.

REVIEWS: Griffin PowerDuo Reserve iPhone battery

Stuart Miles — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Will this get you through a busy day?

We all know that the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS battery sucks, but what can you do about it? Griffin is hoping that its portable solution means you won't have to travel around with the charger wherever you go. But does it work? We got charging to find out.

The concept is simple. You charge the battery accessory, which you can then use when the iPhone is running low on power. Rather than an iPhone case like the Mophie Juice Pack Air, you get a small matchbox-sized battery that plugs into the dock connector. The matchbox battery is charged itself via an AC adapter or cigarette lighter adapter so you can charge it via the wall or in the car.

Both the AC adapter and car adapter are as compact as they can be and both come with a USB socket allowing you to charge a second device - handy in the case of the AC adapter because it means you can charge your iPhone's battery at the same time. A small magnet in both the chargers and the battery pack keeps everything in place when charging.

The battery pack itself as five green LED lights so you can see the status of the charge. You can only see the charge status when the battery is plugged into a charger or an iPhone/iPod. It isn't a big thing, but it would have been handy to be able to see if it needs charging without having to connect it to your iPhone.

In use and the battery offers a full charge as promised, but unlike the Mophie Juice Pack Air, we wouldn't be comfortable using this on the go and especially when it's in a pocket.

While it easily fits into the dock connector, attaching a matchbox-sized device to the base of your iPhone makes for a long phone. It isn't practical having something so long and fragile in your pocket. We were constantly worried that it would snap off and leave the dock connector in the iPhone rendering everything useless.

The end result is a battery that you feel you can only use at your desk or in the car, or basically anywhere you know you are going to be sitting for the next hour. It that's the case, you might as well just plug the iPhone in to a wall socket and be done with it.

Verdict:

The idea of offering a charging solution of the go is handy, however this isn't the way to do it. Griffin's matchbox-sized battery is impractical in the field, making it redundant before it gets out of the box.

Those looking to boost their iPhone's performance on the go would be better off either opting for the Mophie Juice Pack Air or packing their charging cable with them.?

Tags: Phones Phone accessories iPhone Griffin Batteries Griffin PowerDuo Reserve

Griffin PowerDuo Reserve iPhone battery originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

REVIEWS: Griffin Simplifi dock

Stuart Miles — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Will this do more than just recharge your Apple gadget?

So you've got an iPhone?(who hasn't) and you know that it's probably the worst device on the planet for actually lasting longer than a couple of hours without needing a charge.

In steps the Griffin Simplifi, an iPhone/iPod docking station that is designed for your desk rather than your night stand, the principle aim being to keep your Apple created device powered.

We say principle aim, because the Simplifi has more to it than just charging your favourite phone or MP3 player. Closer inspection actually reveals that the Simplifi is about "de-cluttering" your desk, well at least that's what the box says, so what is it exactly?

Put simply (get it) the Simplfi is a memory card reader, USB hub and iPod/iPhone docking station in one.

The square light grey solid lump of anodized aluminium and plastic sports two memory card slots at the front that support CompactFlash, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, SD, and xD formats. Around the back you get two USB ports as well as a power-in so those two USB ports can in turn power devices like portable hard drives or keyboards without complaining.

The top of that lump sports the iPhone/iPod dock and there are, as you would expect a series of different "cups" to fit the device you have.

As you might imagine there isn't much to the operation of the Simplifi. Power is provided via the included power adapter, while PC or Mac connectivity is via the included USB cable. ?

Memory cards are automatically accepted once you connect them and the same goes for the iPhone/iPod too. Transfer speeds are based on your memory card capabilities, but they will be fast enough for most.

Grumbles? It would have been nice to have included a USB socket around the front, and just two seems a bit stingy. The design would have allowed, albeit a bit cramped, more sockets to make this a "Real" hub of merit.?

Verdict:

If you are short of space on your desk, need a memory card reader for your camera and looking to expand your USB options (the MacBook and MacBook Pro only come with two remember), this is as good a solution as any.

This is Griffin doing what they do best, creating simple and easy to use products that don't necessarily break the mould, but just work.?

We just wish there were more USB sockets.

Tags: Audio iPod docks iPod accessories iPhone Phones Griffin Griffin Simplifi Memory card readers

Griffin Simplifi dock originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000