Innotrends Ca-Fi gives your car Android

We’ve previously covered the Parrot ASTEROID Android car receiver when it was introduced at CES this year, and now it looks like there’s a new kid on the block. Innotrends, a Hong Kong-based company, has collaborated with some hardware and software developers to come up with its own entry in the relatively new Android car receiver market.

The company has just announced the Ca-Fi: a 2-DIN Car infotainment system that runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and is powered by a 1.2GHz processor. It packs a 3G modem for web surfing, memory for storage of apps (i.e. fuel consumption monitoring, navigation, etc), Bluetooth support for hands-free calling, music streaming and compatibility with steering wheel controls. It also packs a 6.2 touchscreen LCD with a resolution of 800 x 480, which should double up as a decent screen for watching movies or GPS navigation. The Ca-Fi also packs USB ports, a DVD player, two slots for MicroSD cards and audio output connections.

No word on pricing, but it is expected to hit Europe in Spring 2012. Find out more.

Geeky Gadget Review: Turtle Beach EarForce Tango Headset

I don’t always game with a headset but when I do, I don’t like being restricted by wires. Last year my quest to become untethered while gaming led me to Turtle Beach Earforce Delta. Little did I know having the freedom of no wires would bring about another burden, battery addiction. The Turtle Beach wireless headset is powered by two AA batteries and I found myself forking over a small fortune for the tiny power givers that also seemingly gave out in the most inopportune moments, for instance during a heated MP match.

Turtle Beach obviously realized their mistake of not making the headsets chargeable and have recently introduced models with built-in batteries that can be charged during gameplay if needed. Sure I didn’t need a new headset but I could not resist the lure of the TurtleBeach EarForce Tango. So when Amazon recently discounted them I couldn’t resist spending my holiday gift cards and cash on the Call Of Duty themed rechargeable wireless headset. In the long run I will be saving since I no longer have to buy batteries, or at least that’s what I’m telling myself to justify the purchase.

The Tango headset sports a lovely black and orange color pattern matching the Black Ops theme its branded with. Even if you are not a fan of Call Of Duty, these babies look amazing. They boast 5.1 surround capabilities which at first I thought might be a downgrade from the 7.1 the Deltas had. However for gaming I actually think the 5.1 is better as the surround sounds much closer and encompassing which works well when listening for enemy footsteps in multiplayer. The headset ships with 8 pre-set sound configurations designed for optimal Black Ops 2 sound enjoyment but with the advanced sound editor you can customize new ones. It’s even possible to upload your own configurations so that others in the Turtle Beach community can also use them. The chat function is also open for customization and with the touch of a button it’s possible to make your voice sound like a robot. That’s a feature I’m tempted to try out when gaming with immature randoms who think a girls place is not in gaming.

Setting up the headset was fairly painless and they are fully compatible with both the PS3 and the Xbox 360. Through the magic of dual BlueTooth pairing you can also use the headset with any Bluetooth compatible device like your Playstation Vita, smart phone or tablet. Dual-pairing Bluetooth also means you can answer phone calls without interrupting your game.

The rechargeable battery has lasted through some marathon gaming sessions and an in-ear message tells you when the headset is running low on juice. I’d estimate the charge is good for about 10-12 hours but unlike the Deltas where you had to remove the headset and switch the batteries, it’s nice to just plug-in the mini-USB to the right ear cup with little to no effect on your game-playing.

New to the Turtle Beach Tangos is the adjustable sound angles which is a nifty but not really necessary little perk that lets you pick from a variety of simulated speaker setups. I did notice a slight difference with the angles but even without this extra little option the Tangos are beasts. Admittedly I’ve only played with the angle feature a few times so maybe it will work better with certain games than the few I’ve tested the Tangos with. Regardless it’s a cool little feature in these top-notch headsets.

I can see the headset becoming very warm as headsets are want to do but as I’m writing this it’s in the single digits with the windshield being well below zero so I’m not complaining. They are very comfortable, to the point you won’t even notice them after a while. I also think they fit my head slightly better than the Deltas did. The ear cups are made of some kind of foam that does very well in keeping out outside noise as well as seemingly form-fitting to your ears. All buttons for powering up, volume and whatnot are also located on the ear cups which might be a problem until you learn where everything is.

The Earforce Tango headset is pricey, they retail for $299 but if you are a serious gamer they are well worth the extra cash. It’s also very likely that given their Black Ops 2 decor, they will see a huge price cut before long. I got mine from Amazon a few weeks back when they temporarily slashed their price by $100. I’m a total gaming geek and let me tell you I love these things. The Tangos truly make for a unique gaming experience. I haven’t gamed without them since purchasing them and I have a pretty amazing home theater setup.

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