The concept is simple: Place your ‘buds in the flexible silicone product and then wrap up the cords. Since the low-cost solution is easy to bend, it folds in on itself to protect your headphones and the cord. And when you need you ‘buds, you just pull them out and the cords follow with nary a tangle.

I’ve seen a number of similar solutions before, but few actually protect the headphones; most just manage the cords, so I’ll likely invest the ten-spot.

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Home theater

If you want to bring your Apple products into the home theater, you might want to start with the new Epson Megaplex projectors with an integrated iPhone/iPad dock. The Epson MG-850HD provides 720p video (and integrated speakers) from a 3LCD system with 2800 lumens: plenty bright to use for business presentations by day and movie screenings by night. You can quickly set up a screening for the kids by playing a movie from the iPad or running an app that allows video output over the 30-pin dock connector. Priced at $800, the Epson Megaplex is perfect for setting up an outdoor movie night for the kids and their friends.

Crestron is well-known for its high-end home theater and automation equipment, and it’s a first-time exhibitor at Macworld, showing off the Crestron Mobile Pro control app for iOS. The app replaces proprietary touchscreen controllers, which can cost thousands of dollars, with a software solution that works just as well on your existing iPad.

Audiophiles

On the music side, we also have consumer and audiophile offerings. SRS Labs is showing off its iWOW 3D accessory to enhance the audio for headphones or the car stereo, as well as a music player app that incorporates the company’s sound processing technology along with some high-end features like 10-band EQ and tempo adjustment.

Audioengine is showing off its DACs (digital to audio converters) for improved sound quality to powered speakers. The D1 ($169) or the wireless D2 ($599/set) DACs work great with the Audioengine 5+ bookshelf speakers the company had on display. At the high end, Peachtree Audio is also showing off its converter offerings, ranging from the small DAC•iT ($449) to the world-class Grand Integrated ($4295). All these DACs are capable of playing high-resolution 24/96 audio files, far better than what you can get from CD.

Speakers and headphones

Monster has its Clarity HD bookshelf speakers ($749) on display. You can also check out the Audioengine 5+ speakers mentioned above. Bang & Olufsen is at the show with its BeoSound 8 iPhone dock boombox and the portable BeoLit 12 AirPlay system.

Accessories

MicW has a nice calibrated cardoid mic for the iPhone and iPad you can use with a sound pressure level meter iOS app to EQ your room or concert hall. Studio Six Digital is showing AudioTools, its acoustical test and measurement app.

Blinq is demonstrating a universal remote app (and IR emitter) to control your whole setup and connect to a social program guide. Another remote is the VooMote Zapper, which combines an app with an IR blaster built into a case, coming soon to an Apple Store near you.

That’s my list of highlights for sound, picture and video fans keen on what’s interesting at Macworld | iWorld this year. Let us know if you spotted anything equally interesting.

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Workout advantages that work well in any situation

The Jaybird Freedom is designed to be used during strenuous physical activity. That’s why they’re sweat-proof, a claim Jaybird backs with a lifetime warranty. That’s also why they feature unique, removable silicon cushions to prevent in-ear shifting. With three sizes of ear buds, three sizes of silicon cushions, and even a pair of over-ear loops, you’re bound to be able to come up with a combination that suits your ear shape.

For me, the largest buds and in-ear cushions were what worked, and they worked very well. Once secured in my ears, the Freedoms weren’t going anywhere, either on the treadmill or bundled up and out for a brisk winter run with the dog. I’m very picky about the fit of in-ear headsets, and the Jaybird manages to satisfy my needs in terms of security and comfort, in a package that also doesn’t make you look like a total weirdo.

Both the stability and the water resistance are awesome features in and out of the gym, and alone already make the Freedom one of the better choices among stereo Bluetooth headsets in general.

Good sound for music

The other component the Jaybird Freedom has that isn’t necessarily true of the competition is very good sound for music playback. There’s a surprising amount of basebass for a Bluetooth headset, but with rich sound overall, without venturing into muddy territory as some sport-oriented headphones can tend to do in pursuit of more pulse-pounding sound delivery.

Not so great call quality

Audio when using the headset for calls with an iPhone wasn’t great, particularly on the receiving end. I suspect that’s because of the mic’s location (it’s on the right pod very close to your ear — and far from your mouth). Even though it couldn’t compete with wired headsets in this regard, or with the Motorola S9-HD (which I choose for comparison over the S10-HD, which has sound quality issues in general), which I’ve used while riding a bike and still been perfectly understood, it isn’t bad enough that the Freedom is unusable for making calls. Since the Freedom is more about providing a wireless, water-resistant solution for taking to the gym, sub-par call quality doesn’t greatly bother me.

Good battery life and connectivity

The Jaybird Freedom may not beat the competition when it comes to call quality, but it does over decent battery life (at around six hours per charge) and better-than-average Bluetooth connectivity. When used outdoors, Bluetooth can be tricky with a handset stowed in a pocket and ear phones worn on the head; indoors it has lots to bounce off of, making connections easier. In wide open spaces, it might have trouble connecting, especially if there’s a big chunk of human meat in the way.

Luckily, I found that with the Freedom I could keep my iPhone in my front pocket and still have it connect pretty much constantly to the headset. The same couldn’t be said for the S9-HD, since its Bluetooth transmitter is in the neckband of the device, behind your head. The Jaybird is better designed for general use, but if you ever do run into trouble, say in a gym in a large open space, using a right arm-mounted iPhone strap when working pretty much guarantees a solid connection. They also work great with an iPad mounted to fitness equipment with the Scosche fitRAIL I reviewed earlier.

Controls take some getting used to

The controls on the Jaybird Freedom aren’t intuitive for iPhone users; the call answer button does indeed start and pause playback, but double tapping it won’t skip tracks. That’s handled by a long press of the volume up button instead. Holding volume down likewise goes back a track. Volume up/down works on the headset, independent of the iPhone, which is actually a plus in my book.

You can use Siri with the Freedom, the same way you would on most other headsets, by holding down the play/pause/answer call button for a few seconds. It works well enough, although the sub-par mic quality I mentioned above affects Siri’s ability to accurately understand requests.

Overall, I’d say the Jaybird Freedom is arguably the best Bluetooth headset available right now, especially for an MSRP of $99. The one really annoying thing about them is that Jaybird uses a proprietary USB cable to charge the device, since the port on the right earbud it plugs into has to be small to ensure everything fits in the space available. Considering how much I enjoy the headphones themselves, that just means I’ll have to be extra careful not to lose that particular component, but you can bet I’ll buy a replacement if I do.

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Tweeting while in the shower? Blogging while in the bathtub? The Lifeproof iPhone case makes it possible, and even manages to do so without adding much girth to your device or sealing it away in a cumbersome bag-style cover, like other alternatives.

A thin, yellow, rubber strip helps seal the case tight. While I didn’t take it in the shower, I did take the empty case into a bathtub multiple times and saw absolutely no leaks inside. I wasn’t quite adventuresome enough to try it with my iPhone inside, but third-party tests and user reports suggest it works as advertised. All the iPhone physical buttons are protected, and an integrated screen protector covers the home button. A screen top protects the headphone jack, and a flip cover protects the dock connector. The screen protector also didn’t take away from the quality of the iPhone’s Retina display. The speakers are protected with Gore-Tex, designed to let sound pass through but prevent water from getting in.

I was unwilling to fully test the shock protection with my own current-use device, but  I did a few drop tests with already cracked iPhone screen components and the protection was impressive.

As a functional daily case it had some drawbacks for me. The dock port is tight, and the only cable that fit in my tests was the one my iPhone came with. If you have a lot of third-party sync/charge cables, you may want to think twice about this purchase. However, Apple’s own cables fit just fine, so this may not be a limiting factor.

The headphone jack is deeply recessed in the case, requiring an adapter (included with the case) to use most headphones. It’s annoying, but not a major problem since you can easily keep an adapter attached to your favorite pair of headphones. I lost the tiny screw top protector (which seals the headphone jack when not in use) multiple times. Fortunately, Lifeproof provides an extra protector in the box.

While the home button is easily accessible through the screen protector, I found other controls such as the volume and sleep buttons a bit difficult to use. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it is inconvenient.

Removal of the iPhone from this case was a breeze. I often had to remove it to work with my other iPhone-enabled devices. Typically, cases with high levels of protection require multiple steps to remove the iPhone, so the ease with which the Lifeproof comes on and off is a big plus.

Although callers did not notice a difference in sound quality during normal phone calls, they reported reverberation and feedback during speakerphone calls. I noticed the quality of the sound was a bit muffled, but I was told I received a faulty unit and the second one had improved sound. I also reviewed the instructional videos Lifeproof had online about the case, and made sure it was seated properly. Be sure to watch those videos, because properly fitting the case to your device can make a big difference in sound quality.

Generally, I really liked this case and would recommend it to anyone who works in environments where water damage could become an issue, or for anyone who simply wants more protection without a lot of bulk and complication. The need to use an adapter for the speaker jack, as well as some third-party accessories was annoying, but the cost of those is still much cheaper than replacing a water-damaged phone. Overall, this is one of the best rugged cases out there, with the added benefit of extremely high water resistance.

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A dock becomes the darling of the tech world

The simply-named Elevation Dock is on track to become one of the highest funded projects on Kickstarter, based on its opening performance this week (it doubled the LunaTik’s initial funding record). That’s thanks in large part to a rare endorsement from John Gruber, proprietor of Daring Fireball and Apple community tastemaker. The Elevated Dock has already accumulated $246,741 in funding from 2620 backers as of this writing, far beyond its initial goal of $75,000.

The Elevation Dock actually doesn’t do much beyond refine the dock concept in key areas — specifically, it adds weight to make sure it’s easy to dock/undock the iPhone with just one hand, and it also features a flexible design to allow for multiple device widths, meaning you can use it with an iPhone wrapped in pretty much any case. Also, it gets a significant upgrade in the looks department from standard Apple official offerings; bead-blasted aluminum construction means it’ll match your iMac or MacBook Pro perfectly.

These are a relative steal at $59 for a pledge that secures a pre-order, and if you want audio line out and a USB power adapter you can upgrade to a $79 enhanced model. Other color options and packages are available at higher pledge levels.

The stylus that’s also just a pen

The Elevation Dock may have exceeded the LunaTik’s initial funding record, but a follow-up project from Scott Wilson and MINIMAL, the LunaTik Touch Pen, is also off to a good start. It’s a stylus (we’ve seen a lot of those lately) but with a twist, in that it also doubles as a real pen.

Wilson’s expansion of the LunaTik brand has already exceeded its funding goal, raising $79,965 in just a few short days. The Touch Pen uses aircraft-grade aluminum in its construction, just like the Elevation Dock, but there’s also a plastic version for those looking for a little color or a cheaper option. The real appeal of the Touch Pen is that with a click of the button on the back, it goes from being a tablet to being a stylus in a second, so that you can switch between digital and paper writing seamlessly without switching devices. Just remember to click the pen nib away before you write on your device, but even should you forget, it probably won’t have any effect on the iPad’s glass.

The LunaTik Touch Pen pre-ordering starts at the $30 pledge level, which nets you either two plastic pens or one aluminum one. A $75 pledge gets you five plastic pens in CMYK colors.

The enemy of tangled earphone cords

One project that’s nearing, but hasn’t yet met, its funding goal is the Wishbone, an earphone cable manager that integrates with the cord of basically any buds or headphones you already have. It’s a simple, elegant design that doesn’t look like it should add much weight to your earphone cord, but will help make it easier to keep them stowed away when not in use.

The Wishbone clips onto a headset cord, and then basically lives there until you want to use the two arms splintering off the core to wrap up your cord and prevent it from getting tangled in a pocket or bag. It’s just one piece of plastic, and it costs very little to back: just $10 secures a pre-order for the white version.

Got an exciting Kickstarter project? Send it to us for consideration in our regular roundup of promising accessories.

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For our inaugural edition of “A few of our favorite things,” we’ll be looking at an essential product for iPhone, iPad and Mac owners alike: headphones. Mostly, we’ll be talking about stereo headsets that also feature mics and remote controls which work with late-model Macs and iOS devices.

Best all-around stereo headset: Bowers & Wilkins C5. These in-ear beauties are great at sound isolation, audio fidelity and comfort, and they look great, too. Durable cord construction will mean you shouldn’t have to worry too much if you get snagged on a fence or other outcropping, and the unique looped excess cable design at the earbuds keeps them firmly in place, unlike a lot of other in-ears we’ve tested. The only real downside is their price: at $179.99, they’re not cheap.

Best stereo headset under $100: Marshall Minor FX Earphones. These are a fraction of the price of the C5 at $64.95, and still manage to exude a lot of style. They sound good, too, but the EarClick tech isn’t quite as good as the C5 in terms of making sure they stay put inside your ear canal. Plus, they’re gold, and frankly, we’re a little more partial to silver.

Best over-ear stereo headset: SteelSeries Siberia Neckband Headset. These are also relatively inexpensive, retailing for $79.99 direct from the SteelSeries website. SteelSeries normally makes headsets for gamers, and these live up to that tradition, providing strong bass response and immersive, rich sound that you may find surprising for the price. That, and the unique design of the Siberia which moves the band to behind your neck instead of on top of your head, preventing bad hair days and working perfectly with winter hats, makes these our favorite this year.

Best gaming headphones: Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5. If you’re gaming on a Mac, you’re probably in a relatively small minority, but the Turtle Beach Ear Force PX 5 is a great pair of headphones for you. They accept optical in (which all Macs have), do true Dolby 7.1 surround sound, and are wireless. All those features will cost you, though, as these ring in at $249.95. Budget gamers should look at the SteelSeries Siberia.

Best stereo headset for workouts: Sennheiser Adidas PMX 680i. Sennheiser actually makes multiple varieties of activewear headsets for the iPhone and iPod touch with integrated remotes, but the PMX 680i ($69.95) is the best in our opinion. They won’t break down no matter how much you sweat, nor will moisture interfere with audio. The neckband keeps them firmly in place without being uncomfortable while jogging or even doing jumping jacks, and the neon yellow accents make them very night-visible.

That’s our list, but feel free to argue our picks or chime in with your own suggestions in the comments.

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Turtle Beach recently introduced a wireless gaming headset called the PX5, which features a mini receiver designed for use with PS3 or Xbox 360 gaming consoles, but it actually supports Macs, too, thanks to the optical audio out I mentioned above. I spent a week testing out the PX5 with my Mac HTPC setup, and here are my thoughts.

Not Cheap — In Both Good and Not So Good Ways

The PX5 system is the mostly costly offering in Turtle Beach’s lineup of gaming headsets, with an MSRP of $249.95. You can get it cheaper if you look around (Amazon has it listed for $212.99 as of this writing), but while it’s still not inexpensive even then, consider that Beats by Dre or Bose headphones will probably cost nearly as much, if not more.

Turtle Beach also packs a lot of value into that $250 price tag. The PX5 is wireless, communicating with the receiver base via 2.4 GHz RF signal. It supports pass-through audio if you want to use it in combination with a full home theater receiver, and it also offers Bluetooth connectivity. Finally, it’s fully programmable; the only problem is its programming software is Windows-only.

Downsides

Windows-only programming is a drag, but the presets Turtle Beach preloads onto the PX5 are probably adequate for most users anyway. Plus, if you have Windows installed on your computer via Boot Camp or virtualization software, you can still take advantage of this feature.

Also, as I mentioned, the PX5 communicates via 2.4 GHz RF. That means if your home wireless network is also on the same frequency, there can be some interference. In my usage with an older 2.4 GHz-only Apple AirPort Extreme router, I could hear audible clicks infrequently when I was very close to the router (within three feet), or when I was transferring large amounts of data over the network. But when I swapped out the router with my newer, dual-band switching 2.4 and 5.0 GHz AirPort Extreme, I heard nary a whimper of static while using the headset.

Note that in all cases, it’s recommended that the PX5 receiver is in the same room where you’re using the headset, and that line-of-sight seems to guarantee an optimal connection. Even with all these caveats, I found the connection was consistently strong, and even the occasional interference I experienced under the worst conditions was more than bearable.

Finally, note that the PX5 natively supports only Dolby Digital 5.1 and 7.1 for true surround sound. If your source uses DTS, the receiver will digitally process it using Dolby Pro Logic II technology, which, while not optimal, in my experience also didn’t detract from the experience enough to make me give it too much thought.

Strong Suits

First, the PX5 is remarkably versatile. It works very well not only with Mac home theatre setups, but also with PCs (so long as they have optical audio output), with the PS3 and the Xbox, and also with Bluetooth devices.

One really cool feature is that you can connect the PX5 to your iPhone as a Bluetooth headset (independent of the RF receiver), while also using it with an optical source through the RF connection. That means you can use it to talk on your Phone while playing games or watching a movie, by muting one and switching to the other on the fly. Or, you can stream stereo music via A2DP from your iPhone or computer to the PX5. In fact, as a stereo Bluetooth headset, I’ve yet to come across another product that matches the PX5 for sound quality. The detachable boom mic it comes with is also more than up to the task of making voice calls. Unfortunately, there aren’t any iPod controls on the headset for use with the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

The PX5 is also great for small spaces and for people who don’t want to clutter up their entertainment space with wires, big stereo system components, and speakers. It has about the same footprint as your average contemporary wireless router, or like a slightly thicker DVD case. The fewer wires I have in my office/gaming space, the better.

While the PX5 doesn’t offer the ability to connect more than one headset to the wireless receiver, it does provide a 3.5mm jack that can be used with any stereo headphones at the same time as the wireless headset, complete with virtual surround sound. That means if you have a friend over and want to watch a movie together, you can do it without any particularly complicated additional setup.

One last point that may be contentious as a strength: the PX5 uses regular AA batteries, both alkaline and rechargeable. Some may prefer a built-in rechargeable battery, since this device does tend to use a lot of power, but I’ve managed to get a lot of usage time out of a set of 2 AAs. The alkalines it shipped with lasted pretty near the 15-hour life in the official specs, and even a pair of well-worn rechargeables I’ve been using since have done very well so far. I prefer not having to deal with a proprietary battery when it comes time to seek out a permanent replacement, since the PX5 seems to be a product I could be using for a very long time.

Verdict

If you like watching movies on your Mac, and you’re looking for a surround sound experience that won’t break the bank or draw noise complaints from your neighbors, the Turtle Beach PX5 is a very good option. Consider that you get a high-quality Bluetooth headset in the bargain, as well as probably the best gaming headset on the market, and the value picture gets that much better.

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Although the hot air associated with “Antennagate” has mostly blown over, it hasn’t altered the physics of iPhone 4 signal attenuation, but there’s an app for that. Apple will provide you with one of their bumpers in many colors or one of many third-party offerings for free, but a bumper isn’t for me.

From the 19th century fob pocket to the 21st century “Jobs pocket,” I prefer my iPhone in that little pocket-in-pocket in my jeans, which means skinning. While there are many options available, I prefer the original art from GelaSkins. The vinyl adheres without sticky adhesive to my iPhone 4, including the all-important sides, has a nice texture, and can even be removed and reused, plus wallpaper is included. GelaSkins cost $14.95.

For the display, I use a brand of screen protector sold at Apple Stores until all such protective films were banned for no good reason earlier this year. I like Power Support films,because you get two in the package for $19.95, meaning you can save one when upgrading to a new iPhone, and they make tortuous installation process as painless as possible.

Unless you wear a bunny suit and live in a particle-free clean room, a speck of dust can bubble your transparent film and ruin the view of your iPhone 4 Retina Display. That’s why the best time to install a screen protector is when you remove the protective wrapping on a new iPhone 4. If not, the included adhesive film for removing dust really helps. The Crystal Film set is $19.95, or $24.95 for front and back films.

Unless you’re a silhouette person wildly dancing in a music ad, it’s just common sense to also have a pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones for your iPhone 4. If not, sooner or later you’ll be at the gym on a treadmill or vacuuming the carpet at home when your headphone wire catches on something.

To avoid finding out just how durable the glass of my iPhone 4 is, I use the Motorola S305 Bluetooth Stereo Headset. While there are many headsets to choose from, the S305 costs about $35 at Amazon.com, provides decent sound, good battery life, doesn’t skip, and can even pair with multiple devices pretty easily. On the downside, people say it sounds like I’m calling while falling down a deep well, but the S305 is for listening, not talking, and for iPhone 4 safety.

For personal safety as well as iPhone safety, a car kit is a must. I use the custom mounts of ProClip. The two-part system is designed specifically for your vehicle and your iPhone, though it turns out the iPhone 4 fits rather nicely into the iPhone 3GS holder. The many mounting options start at around $60 and can end at well over $100.

I also use a charging/audio input solution from Griffin Technology that I bought for my iPhone 3GS, but is no longer sold. While there are many options, I’d be interested if anyone makes a cable that does not generate that annoying “not optimized” notification every time I plug the iPhone in.

Finally, if you’re also unfortunate enough to be chained to AT&T’s second-rate network, an AT&T 3G MicroCell can be the difference between five bars and none, which would be five. By leeching off my broadband provider, the 3G MicroCell makes my iPhone 4 usable at home for $150 upfront. However, some AT&T customers have apparently been offered free MicroCells. An angry call to AT&T customer service couldn’t hurt.

If this all seems like a lot of trouble for a phone, remember that in the end it’s not just about survival, but also about enjoying your iPhone 4. Otherwise why not just buy the Android flavor of the month?

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A few months back, I purchased a pair of Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket earphones. Unfortunately, they’ve stopped working and, what’s worse, the folks at Skullcandy still haven’t replied to any of my emails.

Rather than dwell on the disappointment of my bad Skullcandy buds, I decided to dig out the free headphones I received from Apple with my iPhone 3GS.

My bright white 3GS buds work wonderfully, plus they even feature in-line volume controls and a good quality mic. However the cables, being awkwardly spindly, tend to tangle up at any opportunity.

All the usual anti-tangling techniques involve rolling your wire up tightly — less movement means less potential for tangling. A tight roll can also damage the actual wire in your headphones, though.

I’ve happened upon a three-step technique that solves my tangling issues. There’s nothing to learn, there are no special knots, and there’s absolutely no wrapping, rolling or tying of any sort. It’s the perfect technique for lazy listeners.

It’s worth noting that you could probably use this method with any headphones, but I’ve only tried it using Apple’s iPhone 3GS buds. It’s made possible because of the little clip that’s attached to one of the wires on the 3GS headphones.

Note that I’ve found that one of the buds can get a little tangled occasionally, though most of the time, this trick works almost perfectly and I rarely encounter knots or tangles.

After testing this at home, I searched high and low and haven’t managed to find anyone else sharing this tip online. Please let me know in the comments if it works for you, too.

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Wi-Gear recently announced a new revision of their iMuffs Wireless Headphones, with full support for the the iPhone. The new iMuffs support iPhones, iPod nanos, iPod touch, and all iPods with a dock connector, have improved Bluetooth range and improved radio interference rejection. This helps to remove interruptions from microwaves, Wi-Fi, and other stray radio sources (giving an overall clearer sound).

The headphones function up to 40 feet away from your iPhone (in a obstacle free environment), and allow you to keep your music player anywhere within Bluetooth range of your ears.

One major downside is the fact that the in-built Bluetooth capabilities of the iPhone are not accessible to developers. This means that the iMuffs require an additional dock adaptor to send the audio signal. It would have been far more aesthetically pleasing if Wi-Gear were able to utilize the on-board Bluetooth.

The headphones are very light (at 2.2 ounces), sport a behind-the-neck design, and contain integrated buttons which allow you to pause, rewind, adjust volume and change tracks right from the headset without touching the iPhone. You can also answer incoming calls directly from the headphone using the integrated microphone, with the same automatic music suspension that you get on your iPhone when a call comes in.

Powered by a rechargeable lithium battery, they provide 20 hours of playback on a single charge. It’s possible to recharge them through the USB port of your computer, or via the included travel charger.

Previous reviews have noted that audio quality from older iMuffs models was average to good, as would be expected from any Bluetooth headphones. However, if you’re looking for a wireless set of headphones along with a microphone for your iPhone, these would seem to be your best bet for now.

iMuffs are available directly from Wi-Gear for $149.99.

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