The WOWee One is a portable speaker device which prides itself for its patented ability to essentially share its  sound through any surface to deliver fantastic sound ­­­and bass reception. The device is powered by an internal, rechargeable battery which can deliver up to 20 hours of playtime.

Below are the WOWee One’s technical specifications :

In comparison to the X-MINI II CAPSULE SPEAKER which I reviewed last year, the specifications are similar but differ slightly yet significantly in certain areas. For example the WOWee has a wider frequency response and a longer play time. All to the good!

Check out the two charts below which compare the technical specifications between the two:

As you can tell, both devices are different in certain areas; the X-MINI for example has a larger power output which corresponds to a smaller playtime but the X-MINI does lack  “oomph” compared to the WOWee in terms of minimum frequency volume.

The two devices have unique ways to create great sounding bass which is the fundamental difference between these two devices.

• The WOWee has a patented system called the “Gel Audio™ driver” that delivers low end bass frequencies. When you place the WOWee against a surface material, that surface then becomes the loudspeaker. It works effectively against a wide range of materials, such as glass, metal, plastic, wood, composites and certain fibrous materials. (any good against a human skill??)
• The XMINI on the other hand is a more conventional speaker but it can be expanded from its original small shell to reveal a spring type system which it uses to produce its bass.

The great thing about the WOWee one is it can easily fill a whole room full of sound when cranked up to full and places on a suitable surface, such as a table. It is a great device because it delivers a fantastic sound while at the same time being small, compact and isn’t wrapped in a huge mess of wires: There is just one wire- the one you use to plug into your phone or any music device!

A problem with the WOWee’s system whereby it  turns a surface into a speaker system is the vibrations! If you put the WOWee on full, and place it on your dining room table then chances are anything small like a pen or such are going to start vibrating, causing unwanted extra sounds and ruining the experience. If you want to use the surface system effectively, you should make sure the surface is completely of anything that could vibrate and move.

Unfortunately, another area where the WOWee falls is when being use outside. I’ll explain. It’s great that it can produce these fantastic sounds when you have access to all these large flat materials but when you are chilling with your mates in the park you are stuck! The WOWee One does not produce its great bass response when being used on grass or the ground so unless you are going to be close to a perfectly flat surface that can take advantage of the WOWee, such as a park picnic table then you won’t be able to use it to its full potential.

If you are a person that wants to be able to listen to their music outside a lot with fantastic volume and bass then the WOWee One would not be for you since you will struggle to find a surface to place the device on to unleash its full potential. That said if you want a small speaker you can use around the house then the WOWee One would be perfect since the surfaces would be available and you can use it anywhere in the house. Small get-togethers in the garden (assuming you have a table!) would be great too.

To conclude, the WOWee One costs a hefty £49.99 which is a lot for a speaker, especially considering it’s pretty much useless unless you can find a surface to place it on. Specification, volume and bass wise it is extremely similar to the X-MINI 2 Capsule speaker which also produces fantastic sound and bass on whatever surface you want. The best part about the X-MINI 2 is that it costs just £11.99. You could buy two X-MINI’s and link them together with their special integrated linking system for less than a single WOWee One. If you are looking for a portable speaker then I would highly recommend the X-MINI over the WOWee since the price tag is just far too high and its patented system has turned out to be more of a problem than a useful feature.

The award winning X-mini II Capsule Speaker is a portable, battery powered speaker that you can plug into your phone or multimedia devices which have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. The X-mini’s volume and bass response are its forte; it is unbelievably loud for a device which can fit in the palm of your hand and it boasts the following awards: “Good Design Award”, “Universal Design Award” and the “Design for Asia Award”

Along with the loud and superb sound quality the X-mini produces, it’s built in Lithium-ion battery allows for up to 12 hours of continuous playback. Considering the volume that the small device produces, such a long battery life is a big plus. The battery can be charged though the included USB cable. The time to fully recharge the battery is around 2.5 hours. It took me a good month of regular use before I had to charge mine again so it really does last.

The X-mini is integrated with a “Bass Xpansion System™” which allows the device to produce noticeable bass, amazing for such a small device.  The device does this by expanding from its original ball size when unlocked to reveal a sort of spring based system which produces the fantastic bass. This is achieved by twisting the X-mini apart to reveal the expanded system and you know it’s producing awesome bass when the whole device is vibrating on the table at full volume!

You can use the X-mini almost anywhere! Not just out at the park or events but even at home. It really is loud enough to fill the whole room. It’s a good alternative and quick way of blasting your music out in a room without spending ages setting up your full Hi-Fi system. The X-mini doesn’t stop at mobile phones or music players though; you can even plug it into your laptop since it trumps the quality of most integrated laptop speakers. Basically anywhere you can find a 3.5mm jack, stick it in!

Extra features of the X-mini include the ability to link multiple X-minis together… This means you can improve sound quality and volume even further if you wish and turn it from a mono device into a stereo. If all of your friends have one then you can connect them all together in a chain. There is no limit to how many you can connect together but it has been reported that the more you connect together the more sound distortion becomes obvious, so keep this in mind. You could be creative though and connect it between your standard PC speakers or something similar to get that extra kick of sound. The potential of the X-mini really is high.

Ergonomic design and portability are at the heart of the X-mini; the 3.5mm cable tucks away nicely underneath the device and when the “Bass Xpansion System”™” is closed it is a very compact speaker so you can easily pop it in your pocket. The integrated volume control is also useful so you can adjust the volume of your audio without turning on your audio player; it just makes everything much easier. Not to mention the weight of just 83 grams!

Overall the X-mini is an amazing device and I recommend it for anyone with a phone or music player, or even a laptop because it will definitely come in handy. It really lets you bring your music with you anywhere. Obviously the X-mini is not a suitable replacement for a complete Hi-Fi system at home but it’s good for playing music casually at home or anywhere outside. The price is also a real treat; the X-mini is currently selling for £12.91 on Amazon.co.uk which is a brilliant price, considering how much the product has to offer. It’s such a good price; you may want to order two!

Technical Specifications:

ScanGauge2

ScanGuage2 is a compact vehicle monitoring system that gathers data from your vehicle’s ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and interprets it in a way that is useful to you giving access to much more data than your vehicle ordinarily displays.

The ScanGuage2 is suitable for all vehicles with an OBDII connector. This is a port which interacts directly with the car’s Electronic Control Unit which is used by the ScanGuage2 to gather data. Before considering the ScanGuage2 it is advised that you check to see if you car has an OBDII connector, either check physically beneath the dashboard or consult the owner’s manual for your car. OBDII has been a requirement for all new for diesel vehicles  in Europe since 2003 and since 2001 for petrol vehicles. Condequently  if your car was manufactured after these dates then it will be likely to have the OBDIIIt is usually located somewhere in  the passenger or driver side foot well. The OBDII standard states that the connecting port must be within 2 feet of the steering wheel or under the dashboard, within reach of the driver.

ScanGauge2 does more than just gather data from the vehicle’s ECU; it includes other features that allow you to interpret and store this data for later review. It allows you to do all of the following:

• Monitor various vehicle parameters
• Monitor performance
• See real-time fuel consumption & cost
• Troubleshoot with an engine diagnostic
• Trip Computer

This is only a brief overview of what the ScanGuage2 can accomplish. We’ll start with the Monitoring of vehicle parameters since this is what you’ll be likely to be viewing on the device most often. You are allowed up to 4 different Gauges at once on display. Below is a list of the different Gauges to choose from:

• Fuel System Loop Status
• Manifold Absolute Pressure
• Boost
• Miles Per Gallon
• Kilomteres Per Gallon
• Miles Per Liter
• Liters Per 100Km
• Kilomteres Per Liter
• Miles Per Hour
• Kilometers Per Hour
• Revolutions Per Minute
• Throttle Position Sensor
• Water Temperature
• Average Fuel Economy
• Trip Fuel Cost
• Cost Per Mile
• Battery Voltage
• Intake Air Temperature
• Fuel Pressure
• Gallons Per Hour
• Liters Per Hour
• Ignition Timing
• Engine Loading
• Horsepower
• Transmission Fluid Temperature

As you can see there are a LOT of things to choose from. What you choose to display depends on what you are trying to accomplish from the ScanGauge. If you have recently fitted a new part to your vehicle to improve performance then the temperature gauges would be a good to display to make sure your vehicle is running properly, or perhaps the HoresPower reading. If you are out for achieving better fuel economy then I recommend the Average Fuel Economy, Cost Per Mile, Miles Per Gallon and Trip Fuel Cost gauges since these will help you see what kind of fuel economy you are getting in real time. From this you can learn what areas of your driving are decreasing your fuel economy and how much certain journeys cost.

The performance tool

For those who are always after the maximum performance and power from your car then the Performance Monitor may be appealing. The Performance Monitor gives you the ability to monitor your vehicles performance over a small area of time, distance and acceleration. You can use the Performance monitor to:

• Get your ¼-Mile time
• Get your 0-60 MPH time
• Get braking performance – 60-0 MPH and braking distance

The Scan Tool

The ScanGauge has a built in feature that allows you to view and clear Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs). This allows your engine is having problems and allows you to see problems before they turn into something serious. If an error code is found then you will need to find the definitions of the code for your vehicle which are usually available in your owner’s manual. A|lternatively visit http://www.troublecodes.net. This tool only reports the error codes, it will not fix them.

The Trip Computer:

As you’d expect this allows you to record data for specific trips or your day to day data. A really useful feature is the ability to tell the ScanGauge how much petrol you have put into the car, which then can be used to calculate how far you can travel on your tank and will be updated in real time as you use fuel. The trip computer stores the following information:

Overall the ScanGauge2 is a really useful tool for any vehicle driver even if you’re not that technical or vehicle savvy. It does give you very useful information but there are certain aspects to it that can be confusing especially when you enter some of the advanced areas of it such as the sending of custom commands to the ECU. I haven’t gone over this area in any detail since you could cause damage to your vehicle if it doesn’t go to plan. However if you do invest in the ScanGauge2 then it definitely will improve your fuel economy and help you out with any vehicle problems you may have because that aspect of  it works really well! Some tweaking to the settings may be required to get it as accurate as possible. As I have said before, you must first  check to see  you have the OBDII port before considering buying ScanGauge2.  If you do purchase one then read the manual thoroughly since it goes over every aspect in a lot of detail and will help you get it set up and get the most out of it..

The current price of the ScanGauge2 is around £125 including VAT. This is a fair price for the features that it offers and is competitive in terms of similar products but ScanGauge2 offers more than the competition. Available from the following site: http://www.ukobd.co.uk/vmchk/Hand-held-Tools/ScanGauge2.html?gclid=CMiL-9qKyqoCFU4LtAodeVeOhQ