G-Buzz alarm clock crows, hoots and buzzes

By Gregg Ellman

McClatchy-Tribune

G-Projects G-Buzz is a portable alarm clock, built with a rugged outside and all of today’s digital features, including the sounds of a rooster.

It can be powered by AC or four AAA batteries (not included) and has two alarms with five wake-up sounds. They include a traditional annoying buzzer, which would wake anyone up, along with roosters crowing, bells chiming, drums drumming and foghorns blowing.

If you need help falling asleep, turn on the soothing sound of waves crashing, crickets, white noise or owls hooting.

There’s a USB port for charging most any smartphone or tablet, a line-in port for playing media from another device and an internal FM radio.

The G-Buzz has a creative way to ensure you’re up after the alarm goes off, assuming you didn’t choose to hit the snooze button. Described as Shake to Wake, it’s built with an internal motion sensor to let you shake the alarm clock to turn it off.

Details: www.gprojectgear.com, $29.99

Camera fits in hot trend of wearable technology

As of this minute, the Narrative Clip is the world’s smallest (1.42x 1.42 x 0.35-inches) wearable camera, GPS and accelerometer-integrated device that automatically snaps photos as you go.

The device fits in the hot trend of wearable technology and the instant need to tell the world where you are, what you are doing and who’s around you on social media.

The camera has settings for taking a photo at intervals, such as every 30 seconds; you can just press the button to take an image with the 5-megapixel camera.

A stainless steel clip attaches to your clothing or you can even be clever and hide the camera to really go undercover. Obviously you must make sure the lens is not covered.

The camera takes a photo whenever the lens sees something. To shut it off, turn it face down or just place it in your pocket.

To take a photo manually, just tap the front.

An internal battery lasts up to two days depending on usage and can store 4,000 images in the 8GB of internal memory. A microUSB port is used for charging and connecting to your computer for download.

What I thought was really cool is the built-in accelerometer to keep your image’s orientation correct no matter how it’s worn.

The Narrative Clip is pretty cool and does everything as advertised very well and there’s even a free Narrative app, to help keep your photos organized.

Details: www.getnarrative.com, $279, available in arctic white, graphite gray and orange

A-Audio headphones pass comfort test

I had never heard of A-Audio headphones when they were offered to me and that’s for a good reason; they are a new company producing high-end headphones.

The over-the-head Legacy headphones passed the first test before music entered my ears, and that’s the comfort test.

They are built with padded ear cups with memory foam, which felt great. Inside each ear cup is a 40mm custom driver.

In fact I’m using them as I write this at 34,000 feet on a cross-country flight. They’re built with Three Stage Listening Technology, which A-Audio points out are the only headphones to offer that.

This technology can be changed with a switch on the headset to customize the sound with bass enhancer, active noise cancelation and audio modes.

Up in the air, the active noise cancelation was my choice and on the ground, since I’m a bass junkie, the bass enhancer is perfect.

With any of the choices, the sound is crystal clear and the comfort makes you forget you have them on.

Aside from the sound, there was a lot of attention given to the development of the design and look of the headphones.

Along with the padded ear cups, they are made with chrome-plating, steel construction (polishing cloth included) with zinc hinges for durability.

The leather head band has diamond-quilted stitching and the rotating ear cups have anti-vibration octagonal aluminum bezels, which I have to admit is the first time I’ve heard that term.

They collapse for easy storage in the included case and include cables for hands free calls and a dual jack for sharing your music.

Details: A-Audio.com, $299, available in Liquid Chrome and Matte Phantom Black