A nightmare shopping experience

Despite my wife warning me to not go shopping today, I decided to leave the house to look for a Logitech h800 wireless headset. I checked Best Buy's website and saw that they had the headset in stock. (I wanted to get it locally in case I needed to return it.)

After a quick trip to Costco (it wasn't too bad despite being this time of year) and Target, I headed to Best Buy. Parking was easy and then I went into the store to find the headset. It was a complete zoo, so I started looking for the headset. First I saw headsets in the PC area. They had some Logitech wireless headsets there, but not the h800. So I went to the mobile phone area and there were more headsets, but not the h800. Onto mp3 players to find more headsets, but not the h800.

So, I asked a sales person and he said to check over by the home stereo area as I had said "wireless headphones". Nope, not there. Someone else suggested gaming. There were headsets, but not the h800. By this time, I was about to lose my mind. I tried to use Best Buy's mobile website to verify that the store had it, but the Find in Store option kept spinning and didn't show me results.

I went to one of the cash registers (they have them scattered throughout the store) and asked the guy behind the counter to look it up. He looked it up and the computer said they had 7 of them. He went into the back (I thought I'd never see him again) and when he came back maybe 10 minutes later, he said that they were unloading a truck and that they were probably in the shipment. However, he didn't stop there and asked someone else who said that they wouldn't have them listed in the computer unless they were already unloaded. The very helpful guy went with me looking for it. First was gaming to double check, then he said "let's try wireless mice". Presto, the headset was next to the wireless mice. I'm not sure I would have been able to find them without help. I profusely thanked the man and went on my way to pay.

So Best Buy has headsets in no less than 6 different locations in the store! I'm not sure that anyone there would have been able to find it on the first try. This was an exercise in frustration and a valuable lesson; shop online, it's easier and faster!

The value of hotel WiFi

It now seems that hotel WiFi is the norm with many places I stay having free access. However, sometimes even at free, it just isn't worth it. At times, the speed can be so slow and problematic that it is more frustrating than anything to use. Up until May, I had a Sprint MiFi 3G router, so having poor hotel WiFi wasn't an issue and for the most part, I didn't even use the hotel WiFi. However, it is now important if I have any hope of getting something done in my hotel room.

In my last 3 trips to Portland, the hotel I've stayed at, Hotel Monaco, has WiFi that is a) free and b) works quite well. I've been able to stream Netflix, download apps, upload things, and even carry on FaceTime calls with excellent results.

I wonder if there is a site that rates hotel WiFi. Does good WiFi matter in a hotel room? With our always connected society, it almost might. I can do many things on my iPhone over 3G, but having WiFi is so much nicer.

Review: The Oona

When I work, I put my iPhone on my desk next to my computer. Sometimes I pick it up or use it to make a phone call and thought that having a stand for it would be it more convenient. There are lots of stands out there and I didn't get around to buying in until I saw a Kickstarter project called The Oona. I thought it looked neat and pledged some money towards it. The cost was a little expensive, but I was willing to give it a try.

All the updates sounded promising as the makers were testing different suction cups and designs.

After many delays and lack of communication, my product finally arrived. I set it on my desk, put my phone on it (my phone has no case or screen protector, so the suction cup was attached to the bare phone) and within a few minutes, my phone slid off the suction cup. I kept trying to get it to work and finally gave up. I wasn't even going to attempt to use it in a place where my phone was more than a few inches off a surface as I don't trust it.

The product had promise, but is a complete failure. I saw a deal come across for a plastic stand called The Jack and bought it. It was far cheaper than The Oona and actually works.

Pros
None

Cons

• Expensive
• Doesn't work

Summary
Don't buy it. This product is a complete waste and isn't useful at all. The designers need to go back to the drawing board and work on the suction cups.

Finding the right earbuds

I've used the earbuds that came with the iPods, iPhone, etc. for a long time and have been generally pleased with them. However, they just aren't very reliable. I got one pair replaced in June because one side failed. This was a pair that I just used for phone calls and occasionally listening to music. I didn't mistreat them, they just stopped working.

Since I managed to accumulate a bunch of the earbuds, I used a pair for running. Sweat really kills them, so I bought knockoffs that fared just as well as the Apple branded ones. The microphone, volume controls, or the speakers stopped working which has become increasingly frustrating.

So now I'm searching for the right earbuds for me. Actually, I've broken up my use of earbuds into 3 categories, each with a different pair. The first category is for when I fly. This year, it looks like I will have gone on 9 trips, and I've found that noise canceling earbuds make the trip so much nicer. I've been using the Audio-Technica ANC23 earbuds for a few months now and find them to be holding up well. I don't like using these for phone calls as the noise canceling makes me sound strange when I talk. Also, they wouldn't hold up for running and these don't have a microphone or 3 button remote.

A few weeks ago, the Apple earbuds I use for phone calls stopped working. I went on a search and ended up with the V-MODA Remix Remote Headset and they seem to be working well. I like the 3 button remote and the sound quality is pretty good. My wife is going to get a pair as they have interchangeable inserts for different size ears.

Next up are earbuds for running. The reviews I've read about sweat proof ones have not been good. I want the 3 button remote with microphone so that I can control Siri and talk on the phone, if need be (I've only taken 2 calls while running this year). I might just have to bite the bullet and buy one or more pair to try. They aren't cheap, however.