Gadgets: Crossfade LP headphones look, feel good and deliver

V-Moda has done it again, recently releasing the Crossfade LP headphones.

To me, the most important aspect of headphones is the sound; second comes comfort. V-Moda has achieved success on both.

For comfort, supple memory foam ear cushions fit great and this cosmetic feature is unlike anything else I've seen recently.

This makes sense after finding out that the company had an assist in the design from ergonomic experts.

V-Moda has always designed their products with fashion in mind, and the Crossfade LP seems to take this to a new level.

A recent company press release called the headphones "the world's most fashion-forward headphone," and after seeing them you will see what they mean.

The side of each speaker is designed with lightweight metals and luxurious fabrics are incorporated into the headphones.

Each speaker delivers sound with V-Moda's patent-pending 50mm Dual-Diaphragm High-Definition Drivers. This lets the sound be heard with multiple drivers, while having the efficiency of a single driver.

They were designed to deliver sound with a deep vibrant bass, organic mid-range and crystal clarity, and the company delivers.

"Your headphones should be as unique as your style and your music -- they are the most visible product that you wear and experience music with every day. We created Crossfade LP to provide an epic sound that recreates the sensations of the best club systems with a distinct design that makes these an essential fashion accessory for all music lovers," said Val Kolton, CEO, V-MODA in the press release.

Also included with the headphones are two detachable Kevlar-reinforced cables with 24k gold-plated 45-degree plugs, one 3.5mm audio fabric cable for universal audio device compatibility and a 3.5mm fabric cable with three-button remote control and microphone for use with the latest iPhone 3GS, iPad, iPod and MacBook.

They will work with the new iPhone 4 but the company is awaiting official certification from Apple.

Users will also get storage solutions for the gear and a unique replay replacement program.

With this program, after you purchase the headphones, you get a 50 percent - off lifetime discount to replace consumer-damaged headphones - obviously within the V-Moda products only.

Details: V-Moda.com, $249.99
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Often when I see promotional photos of products and then have the product in my hands, there are differences -- especially regarding the size of the devices.

With the Scosche flipSYNC, they really are as small as portrayed and can easily fit in a pocket, on a keychain or just about anywhere.

The pocket-sized flipSYNC syncs and charges a portable power-hungry device anywhere there is a USB powered input.

They come in two models, one for BlackBerry (Mini and Micro USB) users and the other for the iPhone/iPod world. Both are made in a lightweight black plastic.

Each charger has a USB connection on one end of a cable; the other end connects to the device.

With the cables, it extends out about 4-inches.

Details: scosche.com, $19.99 each
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Imation's Defender F200 flash drive puts a lot of security in your hands.

The company designed the product to directly address the issue of data breach, which they state costs U.S. organizations at least $45 billion annually.

An ergonomic fingerprint scanner is built right on the drive to make the hardware itself secure in the event of loss or theft and it's even built in a tamper-evident metal waterproof enclosure.

Other security features of the FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated flash drive include two layers of password protection, which can be used at the owner's discretion, but if you're paying for a device with security, why not use it to its maximum capability?

Imation states that the USB flash drive delivers security through on-board AES 256-bit encryption, authentication, manageability and biometrics.

It also provides hardware protection against malware in any environment, securing your digital information.

Users can get the drive in prices ranging from $99 up to $349 and in capacities of 1, 2, 4, 8, 1 and 32GB.

Details: imation.com

(c) 2010, Gregg Ellman.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.