Showing posts with label Ipod Touch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ipod Touch. Show all posts

Monday, March 7, 2011

Monster® Butterfly™ by Vivienne Tam with ControlTalk™ High Performance In-Ear Headphones {Review}


I am an audiophile. I have had a life long love of music, with a widely varied collection of music, and a collection of portable devices to match!  I always need more memory to accomodate my expanding collection. And if I had a dollar for all the headphones I've gone through in all these years...

I would make mix tapes all the time and lucky for me, many of my friends are DJ's (I'm even considered the 'Twitter Party' DJ  because I'm always thinking Tunes!) Some of my mixes have fooled quite a few pros, and I don't even have a studio!

I live in the 'City That Never Sleeps' which means a public transportation commute daily. I need to retreat into my music during the commute to get me motivated! My needs as a result of my commute are very specific for earphones, the audiophile in me wants rich, true, and dynamic sound, and the commuter that I am needs to have background noise reduced as much as possible! I do not want to hear screaming children, crying babies, arguing couples, the garbled 'noise' that is supposed to be messages being made by the MTA (that no one seems to understand anyway), and the loud conversations of teenagers on their way to school are among the 'ambient' noises I need to block out (not to mention the noise coming out of other people's cheapo earphones!).

Then there is the butterfly loving fashionista in me. The one who has a very fancy custom skin on her iPod Touch. The one who finds it super important to have form meet function AND fashion. There is no reason I have to keep things generic and sacrifice my sense of style!

My favorite pair of noise reducers had finally had it, when the 'music Gods' smiled upon me and a  box, (whose name simply delighted me before I even opened it) arrived on my doorstep!

The Un-Veiling, or is that Un-Boxing?


The Box Arrives, the name made me giddy with delight!

Like a Kid at Christmas I tear it open!

Totally Insert Singing Choir Here!
I have tested these out on the train and commuter buses, and this weekend I finally tested them on a very long bus trip! And can't begin to put into words how much I love them. I wasn't too happy when my previous pair (different brand) died out on me, it took forever to find them and I really loved them (they were replacing a pair I bought at Brookstone), I didn't think I'd find a pair that compared. When it comes to my music, I do not scrimp, I refuse to compromise sound quality in any way! I use my headphones practically all day, during my commute weekdays and weekend, and at night I plug them into my computer so I don't disturb anyone. Simply put, Music makes me happy and my headphones have to also!

To say that these are beautifully packaged is a total no brainer. They are designed by iconic designer who I am already totally obsessed with, Vivienne Tam. (I am still very much dreaming of her butterfly netbook! Hopefully the computer Gods will hear my prayers on that one too!). But what really 'got' me are the details. Vivienne and Monster leave no stone unturned. Everything you need is literally in the box.

It comes in a box you will want to re-purpose for keepsakes that has a raised butterfly on it. Inside the following words are inscribed 'Music, Tech and Fashion Equal Triple Happiness'. Hello! Like MY Motto in a nutshell!

There is both a hard sided and soft sided carrying pouch,  the hardsided pouch has a butterfly in the middle and looks like a fancy zippered cosmetics case. It is packaged with earbuds in varying sizes to ensure a perfect fit! (and of course as replacements!)


@Monster


Favorite Features:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - First and Foremost - High Performance Sound.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Lustrous All-Metal Housing - helps to cancel resonance for purer sound

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Performance Ear Tips - Better Fit Equals Better Sound

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Right-Angle Connector - Reduces Wear and is perfect for Airline Jacks

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 24k Gold Contacts - Gives you maximum signal transfer, offers corrosion resistance and a beautiful look

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Two Protective Cases - I love that both are included, the soft sided case works when I am carrying a smaller bag and the hard sided is perfect for travel and luggage to keep them safe in transit.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - ControlTalk Feature: Butterfly with ControlTalk has a built in Monster ControlTalk feature for use with music, phones, and an iPod or iPad. The ControlTalk cable has a call answer button AND microphone so you can easily switch between listening to music and talking on your phone. It also features music and video playback control for iPod/iPhone/iPad. (I love that I can easily switch between music and my phone!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Cable Slider is designed to reduce tangles during storage (In the subway I love this feature. I can skip through songs without ever taking my iPod out of my bag!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Cable Management Clip - Designed to control the cable and keep it out of your way, and reduce accidental pulling of the In-Ear Speakers from your ears, and keep the cable weight off the In-Ear Speakers so they stay snug and in place in your ears

I definitely give these 5 butterflies, my highest rating. They are a perfect gift for the butterfly loving audiophile in your life. And if she's just a style maven, then the rich, pure sound will be an incredible bonus!

I'm not careful or gentle with my headphones, I have to often times pull them out unexpectedly during my commute, or stuff them carelessly in my handbag with no time for the carrying case, and I can tell you while these appear 'delicate' on the outside, these are no dainty in ear speakers! They have held up quite well so far to the abuses I've put them through!

While I was not able to snag a giveaway this time, please leave a comment letting Monster know you'd like a chance at these, I'm sure if we get enough reader interest I can approach Monster and let them know that my community of butterfly lovers really want one too!

Ah, Vivienne you and Monster had me at butterfly! This is truly a marriage made in music heaven for me, butterflies and the rich sound Monster is known for!

Want fashion, great sound, AND a great price? Press on them below and snag em for less!















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FTC Disclosure Info: I was provided a pair of Monster® Butterfly™ by Vivienne Tam with ControlTalk™ High Performance In-Ear Headphones to facilitate my review. My experiences with the headphones are solely my own. I am truly finicky about earphones, and truly do love these!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

New App Alert - iTriage Healthcare App!


What many of you might not know is that I was pre-med. I wanted to be 'Dr. Butterfly' :)

While life sort of got in the way of my MD dreams, my fascination with medicine and science has remained un-wavering all these years. I still love reading on advances in medicine and science, and where those advances, meet technology? EVEN BETTER! While we normally bring you a Mid-Month Moment of Health Feature that breaks away from our 'Soul Health' and focuses on our Physical Well Being, I couldn't hold off until the middle of the month to bring you this 'moment of health' feature!

iTriage

iTriage is the name of a medical reference application available for iPhone, iPod Touch, Android and Palm. (No worries my berry lovers, it's coming to Blackberry Soon!). The application lets you search and browse hundreds of symptoms, diseases, and procedures and provides useful descriptions of the conditions, treatments, and medical tests, the app also offers support links to your insurer’s advice line. I see it as a sort of comforting hybrid between a diagnostic physician, nurse and mom right in your pocket!

In addition, iTriage can use the iPhone’s GPS to help you find nearby pharmacies, hospitals, and other treatment centers. In some states it gives ER wait times so you can choose which one to go to. As someone who has battled with Asthma for years, I am completely shocked an App can actually give you ER wait times! I'd say the app is worth it, just for that feature alone!



Healthcare in Your Hand

The iTriage App is the brainchild of two emergency room physicians. After seeing a growing need for patients to have more actionable healthcare information in their hands, Drs. Peter Hudson and Wayne Guerra introduced iTriage to give healthcare consumers crucial information in acute care settings including:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Information on more than 300 symptoms, 1000 diseases and 350 medical procedure

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A nationwide directory of hospitals, urgent cares, retail clinics, pharmacies and physicians

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Turn-by-turn facility directions from GPS, IP address or zip code locations

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Nurse advice lines

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Detailed quality reports from HealthGrades on hospitals and physicians

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Help negotiating medical bills through an iTriage partnership with one of the most respected claims adjudication organizations

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Emergency Room Wait Times for hospitals in select parts of the country

I can't imagine a more useful app, both mom and dad should have this one, and if you have a nanny or babysitter, make sure that person has this app too!

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FTC Disclosure: This is a compensated post. This is a sponsored post via Mom Bloggers Club and I am a participating blogger in a paid campaign.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Idox360 Review & Giveaway - protect your iPod or iPhone and view video on the go!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Idox360! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is anthy! Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

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Ascending Butterfly Editor's Pick Sponsored By



I am a total tech nerd and gadget geek, and with a love of gadgets comes a need for a plethora of accessories. I love it when an accessory for my gadget does double or even triple duty!

One of my favorite among my gadgets is my iPod Touch. It holds thousands of music files, videos, apps, books & pictures. Like some with their American Express, I never leave home without it!

As many of you know I'm a typical New York City girl who never learned to drive. Parking and traffic are pure nightmares here and it just never seemed necessary with such a wide variety of public transportation options, my favorite being the express bus that takes me into the city. I love to sit back, put on my music or a video podcast and leave the driving to the bus driver! Makes for a nice relaxing start to the day!

While I love traveling with my iPod, I'm always careful to make sure it's protected, let's face it, my handbag is somewhat similar to a bottomless pit, and stuff gets knocked around in there a lot while in transit. But the one thing in there I don't want to jeopardize is my iPod.

It already expresses my individuality with a custom skin that I just love, but that skin is purely fashion, it doesn't keep it protected from impact in any way. That's where the very smart folks at idox come in. They created a pure genius product for your iPod and iPhones, it's a stand/holder and a protector case all rolled into one. It's an editors pick for good reason!

I've had a chance to road test it and I love it, my iPod fits perfectly, does not come out or slide, it pulls out only when I am ready to take it out. I can watch a movie now without having to hold the iPod in my hand the whole way anymore (insert singing choir here) and it also completely protects my iPod from the perils of my handbag, particularly when the whole bag gets bumped about when I'm traveling and passing through airport scanners.

I love the Idox360, it even makes it a snap to now use your iPod as an alarm clock on your night table, a great perk when you are traveling (and at home too!). If you are anything like me, you don't like setting those centuries old alarm clocks at hotels and have learned (the hard way) NOT to rely on a wake up call because they'll invariably not call or call late and make you miss your flight. With Idox360, just put your iPod in, and now use it on your nightstand as an alarm clock! (Just make sure it's fully charged though, or be sure to plug it in! You don't want to set it to go off and have it not go off either because it wasn't charged.)

Honestly I can't rave more about it, My iPod is now protected from scratches from having makeup cases bump up against it, or the pressure of having tons of stuff piled upon it. Keeping it in the idox case closed also helps me to be sure it doesn't accidentally go on when I don't want it to.

There is only thing I wish they would do to make it my dream accessory for my ipod, find a way to get portable speakers into the unit without adding considerable bulk. If it also had portable speakers, it would be SO perfect I probably would cry tears of joy when I took it out the box! (Just make sure they aren't those cheapo 'tinny' sounding speakers!)



Review Unit Specs:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -A flip-to-view stand for the perfect viewing angle on an airline or at your desk.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -iPod touch fits snuggly inside the Traveler and folds up for on-the-go protection in your briefcase, pocket or purse. Flip Traveler open to a perfect angle to browse music and photos, view movies and podcasts.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Hard outer shell provides wrap around protection.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Snap closed lid keeps iPod touch protected.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Rubber feet keep case in place while viewing.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Easily connect to Bluetooth, ear phones, or power adapter.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -For the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod touch.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Available in Platinum, Black and Pink.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Dimensions: 4.3"Wx3.3"Hx.50"

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Weight: 3 oz.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Full 90-Day Warranty

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Made in the U.S.A./Designed & Manufactured in Wisconsin



Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Idox360 would like to provide 1 lucky Ascending Butterfly Follower with an Idox360 in the color and model of their choice from the Traveler Series (Choice of Iphone 3G/3G S or iPod Touch 2G or iPod Nano 4G, Colors: Platinum, Black or Pink)
 
Don't you just ♥ Idox360? I know I do!

How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2) Post the URL Link to which of the Travelers Series Models you would select if you win. Remember not the name, the link to the product! (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). (If your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Saturday, July 24, 2010 until Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you already have our button, just let us know, you will still get extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow me @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - #ascendingbutterfly + @idox360 #win the iPhone/iPod Touch Idox Protector #Giveaway - http://tinyurl.com/39ad7w8

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry. Get the Tweet's URL by clicking on the time your tweet was sent to get the direct URL and then copy and paste it here). You can Tweet TWICE per DAY. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – Follow, now called ‘Like’ (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) Idox360 on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @idox360 on Twitter HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to receive Ascending Butterfly emails using our Feedburner widget on the upper right hand side of the page below the follower thumbnail pictures! (If you are already a subscriber you will still receive extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Review this blog on Alexa HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW! Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)



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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to facilitate my review and for the giveaway. The sponsor is fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.