To playback a recording, select it from the list and either tap the triangular play button or the small picture of a speaker next to the listing.  There is a pause button and a fast forward button (fast forward only works on messages longer than 10 seconds and jumps forward 10% at every tap).

A recording can be listened to through the module speaker or with the included headphones.  In both instances, the quality of the recording is clear, however, there is a strange, mechanical sound in the background.  Almost as if the recording is made on a mini tape recorder.  This results in a light, scratchy sound which is in the background and only impairs quiet recordings.  The application/module does not have volume control, however, there is no sound depreciation when the hard cover is attached to the back of your Handspring PDA.  When recording messages through the hard cover and leather slipcase, I had to speak a little louder. 

When I thought about getting a voice recorder module, I imagined having the ability to record ideas and then have the recording dictate to me while I entered the information into another application (memo pad, address book, etc.)  The My-Vox module does not allow you to use another application during playback.  For my personal use, I found this to be a problem.  It was nice to be able to playback ideas I had earlier (in the car), however, it required that I write the information down on paper as I listened.   Then switch to another application and copy what I had just written on paper back into my Visor.  Launching 'TakeNote Hack' had the same result, the playback would stop.

Another problem with the playback is the lack of a rewind button.  I had a few messages that were a minute long and if I needed to re-hear a piece of information, I had to start from the beginning of the recording.  This can be a problem with much longer recordings.

Battery Life

A major concern of mine (and others on the Visorcentral discussion board) was battery life while using the module.  I used the module for a week and did not notice any difference in battery life.  The module appears to use very little battery while in use and virtually no battery when sitting in the springboard slot.  The manual specifies the following electrical specifications:

• Less than 10uA during standby mode.
• Approximately 35mA during recording.
• Less than 80mA during playback.

I was very impressed by the low battery usage of this module.  I was prepared to be replacing batteries frequently, but was pleasantly surprised.