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Review: Sabrent 68 in 1 Internal Card Reader
Back before the Christmas Holidays, I purchased the Sabrent 68 in 1 USB 2.0 Internal Card Reader/Writer from NewEgg. It was the Shell Shocker deal of the day with a cut rate price and free shipping. It was less than $10, so I figured I'd give it a try. I was ordering some Christmas gifts anyway, so this item wasn't really the focus of my order.
A couple of weeks ago I finally got around to installing it in my main desktop computer. Installation was simple enough. It fits into a standard 3.5" bay, (you know, the size of those archaic diskette drives). Well, I actually have a diskette drive, but since my case has two 3.5" bays, it was no big deal. The box contained only the card reader wrapped in bubble wrap and a small bag with four screws for installation. I screwed the card reader into my case and plugged the cable into an open USB header on the motherboard. That was it. I put the side panel back on the computer case, hooked all the cords back up to the back panel and booted up.
The card reader was automatically recognized by Ubuntu. I can't claim to have tested every kind of card in it, I can tell you that it works fine with Memory Stick and SD cards. It also has a USB port on it, so that's a nice addition. Who couldn't use an extra USB port on the front of their computer?
An interesting thing to note is that this card reader somehow resolved the issue I'd been having with a lack of automatic detection of USB drives plugged into the built-in hub on my HP w2207 flat panel monitor.
OS Support
The specs on the box list support for the following operating systems: Windows 98/98se/ME/2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS 10.1.2 or later, and Linux kernel 2.4.0 or later. That's right, they actually tested and certified compatibility with Linux!
I've got to hand it to Sabrent. Rarely does one find a piece of computer hardware that actually lists Linux compatibility on the packaging. Usually I have to scrounge through online forums to figure out if there are drivers available or not.
I give this card reader 5 stars. It's simple, Linux compatible, and just plain works.
Review – Sony MDR-NC6 Noise Canceling Headphones
Sony MDR-NC6 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Somehow I got it in my head that I wanted a pair of noise canceling headphones. I don't fly all that often, so I'm not sure why I even need them. Anyway, not wanting to part with several hundred dollars, I decided on the Sony MDR-NC6 headphones which can be found in most big box stores in the US for about $50. The headphones require 1 AAA battery for the noise cancelling function. With noise canceling turned off they work as normal, passive headphones.
What's In The Box
- The MDR-NC6 Headphones
- A faux leather carrying pouch
- A dual plug airplane adaptor
What I Like
- The one sided cord means fewer tangles to deal with.
- The large speakers produce a good volume from your music player, requiring less amplification than earbuds, thus extending the players' battery life.
- The provided pouch is nice to keep the headphones and your music player separate from the rest of your junk.
- The sound quality is decent for the price.
What I Don't Like
- The noise canceling circuit creates a noticeable hiss.
- The noise canceling circuit increases the output volume (this seems to be what gives the greatest impression of reduced noise).
- Overall, the noise canceling just doesn't seem to work all that well. When using these on an airplane, the noise canceling circuit seems to reduce quite a bit of noise for about 1 second when it is first powered up. After that, most of the noise just seems to come back.
- The foam pads don't block external sounds.
- Lastly, the force the headphones exert on my ears becomes painful after about two hours of use. I think it may be a bit worse for me because I wear glasses. My ears just get crushed against the earpieces of my glasses. This could be problematic for the cool people too since they'll likely be wearing sunglasses all the time.
Conclusion
In my opinion, you should pass on these headphones and look for a good pair of passive, circumaural headphones. Good old low tech noise blocking is an important first step before attempting noise cancellation.