Apple iPhone Gear

Pelican ProGear Vault Series iPhone 5 Case Review

When you make the decision to go for a rugged iPhone case, the choice usually comes with a few trade-offs. In order to protect your case from drops, water, or other unfriendly conditions, bulky cases are usually needed. Typical trade-offs with these rugged cases include things like diminished physical button functionality or a less sensitive touchscreen due to the install of a protective layer. As you might expect, the best rugged iPhone cases make their owners accept the least amount of trade-offs; the Pelican ProGear Vault Series CE1180 makes a few too many trade-offs. I’ll first explain that I’m more…

Reviews

Rokform Rokshield v3 and v3 Suction Mount for iPhone 5 Review

Some weeks ago, I had the opportunity to review the Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5 (read the review). The case itself offers nice protection, but that wasn’t what stood out for me. No, what stood out when I reviewed the case at the time was the numerous possibilities a case like this afforded any iPhone user. Why is that so? Simple, the Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5 is more a system than it is a case. The Rokform Rokshield v3 for iPhone 5 is a hard case, but it also ships with a rubber bumper that wraps around it…

Reviews

Pebble E-Paper Watch for iPhone and Android Review

Back in early May of 2012, Dan posted an article about both Judie and him supporting the Pebble e-Paper Watch Kickstarter project. The project became noteworthy in that it became one of the most heavily supported Kickstarter projects in Kickstarter history. Initially hoping to raise $100,000, it meet that goal two hours after going live. In less than a week it raised nearly $5 million dollars — talk about interest in a project! While the concept of smartwatches was not new, the notion of a dual Android/iOS notification smartwatch that could support 3rd party applications and be extremely customizable was very intriguing…

Game Diary, Music Diary, Reviews

Divoom OnBeat X1 Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

To be honest, most of my gaming — whether PC, Mac, DS, PSP, iOS or Android — is done either with headphones or with the device muted. There are a couple of reasons for this: first to allow for ‘gaming anywhere’; the second because ever since playing games such as Thief in the late 90s, I have appreciated directional sound and the nuances of quality headphones. But sometimes when playing a shooter what I really want is a nice booming rattle – but that won’t happen with an iPad. Now Divoom introduces the OnBeat X1 and promises the ‘ultimate gaming…

News

White Tuxedo Monster DNA Headphones Review

In the realm of headphones the quip, “It’s better to look good than to feel good” might well be rendered as “It’s better to look good than to sound good.”. In both cases, the statement is obviously nonsense. Just ask anyone with chronic inflammatory arthritis… it doesn’t matter a bit what you look like if you feel awful. Similarly if headphones looks great but don’t sound good, then they really aren’t worth a thing. That was, honestly, my concern when we were asked to review and then give away a pair of the White Tuxedo Monster DNA headphones that…

Reviews

Turtle Shell Boombox, Is It the Bluetooth Speaker for You?

Bluetooth speakers are pretty much everywhere you look; there’s the granddaddy of them all — the rectangular JawBone JamBox. There’s the strikingly similar rectangular shaped Braven 600 speaker that adds an external battery for charging your devices. If you want the speaker that stands up tall rather than sitting low you might want to check out the SuperTooth Disco 2. If round is more important, then you’ll definitely want to check out the impressive and well-priced JBL Flip. If you want something that’s got more curves than the JamBox and is far tougher, then you’ll definitely want to check out the…

Reviews

Nuu MiniKey Keyboard for iPhone 5 Review

I trace my history with portable digital devices back to the early days – I grabbed the HP95LX, the first real ‘handheld computer’ when it came out in 1991, and have had a myriad of devices including the Newton, as well as various Psion, Windows CE, Handheld PC, Palm, Pocket PC devices. More recently I have had a string of iPads as well as Android smartphone and tablet devices, and now I have an iPhone. For more than two decades there was one common characteristic on all of my favorite devices — a physical keyboard. I’ve had a few months…

Reviews

SPIGEN SGP Linear Blitz Phone 5 Case Review

SPIGEN SGP has done it again with their Linear Blitz for iPhone 5. Yes, the company has been on a roll with their iPhone 5 cases, and the SPIGEN SGP Linear Blitz for iPhone 5 is yet another case that brings qualities, plenty of “extras” and good protection at an impressive price. How impressive is the pricing on the Linear Blitz? For under $32 you get a case with a real aluminum back plate, a quality screen protector, a cleaning cloth and three Jelly Bean Home Buttons; I would say that is a remarkably good value! Here’s a video look at…

News

Wind Up Your Car Trip with a Winding Cable Car Charger

A great bane of connected driving can often be pesky power cables snaking across the car’s dashboard console, looking for all the world like albino spaghetti for iPhone users. What to do if the cable in question is too long and bowing out dangerously close to your arm, just itching for a wayward hand or elbow to catch the cable? Just as equally important, when the car trip is over do you loosely wind up the cable, throw it in your glove compartment and hope for the best? Well our ever intrepid friends at USBFever.com have introduced their Car…

Reviews

MiPow Boom Bluetooth Speaker Review

We posted our review of the MiPow Boom mini the other day. (Read it.) The speaker is tiny but the sound is anything but tinny. I’m impressed by the sound such a small speaker is able to pump out and I still can’t believe that, after using the speaker pretty continually since we got here to Jamaica, I still have not had to charge it. There is no question in my mind that MiPow’s battery rating is more than a bit conservative. The company also sent me the first ever review sample of the MiPow Boom. This speaker, the larger…

News

The Scosche boomBOTTLE Is a Ruggedized Portable Speaker for Tunes on the Go

We’ve reviewed a host of different Bluetooth speakers but never one quite like this. The Scosche boomBOTTLE is a new mobile speaker that is ideal for streaming music while biking, hiking, camping and more. The boomBOTTLE not only has a unique design, but it has the features to match. A durable non-slip, shock absorbing TPU exterior is strong enough to withstand drops or vibrations caused from rough terrain, which makes it perfect for biking. An IP4X rated weatherproof construction means you can use the boomBOTTLE even when it is wet outside. The boomBOTTLE even features sealed dustproof speaker grills. The…

News

Slickwraps Add Colorful Skins to Your New Pebble Watch

The other day I received my Kickstarter Pebble Watch in the mail, and I was excited as you might imagine. However, as I began to use it, I quickly noticed how well the device face ergonomics might lend itself to skinning and screen protection. As it turns out, Slickwraps.com has released attractive skins to do just that with their Wraps for the Pebble Watch. Now Pebble Watch owners can choose one of 38 skins to customize their Pebbles the way they want. The skins boast an accurate Pebble face template, and cover not only the periphery around the watch face but…

Reviews

MiPow Boom mini Bluetooth Speaker Review

I will admit to having gone into my review of the MiPow Boom and MiPow Boom mini Bluetooth speakers positively inclined toward both products. After all, when Judie and I met with Brian Holmes, vice president and general manager of MiPow, back at CES in January we were immediately impressed by the attention to quality and detail the company put into their mobile accessories. During our meeting we got to check out their range of external batteries and liked what we saw. We learned about their Bluetooth headsets and were anxious to try them out. And, at the end of CES, we…

News

Introducing The Mood Simple Shell iPhone 5 Case

I am sure we have all had or seen the old mood ring. You know the ring that changed colors and could show others how you were feeling. If you do not remember the rings, surely you wore a hyper color t-shirt back in the late 80’s. For those wondering where these stylish technologies have gone, you are in luck. What better way to show your colors than on the back of an iPhone 5? Grantwood Technology is now shipping the Mood Simple Shell case for the iPhone 5 which will react to the temperature of your skin and change…

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LifeProof Launches Total Water Protection Program for iPhone and iPad

I got my hands on a LifeProof case for the iPhone shortly after the line launched. I was impressed by how great the LifeProof case was at keeping my smartphone safe. In fact, shortly after I got the LifeProof case I was in a T-Mobile store buying a hotspot sim card. Someone asked me if it was one of those new LifeProof cases. I threw my iPhone across the store and while it was in mid air I said, “I certainly hope so.” I was THAT confident the phone would be fine. It was. At the time, however, I was…

News

Pelican ProGear Cases for the iPhone 5 Now Shipping

Judie and I spent time at the Pelican Booth during CES 2013 back in January. While there we saw their assortment of heavy-duty coolers, their line of Pelican ProGear backpacks and their upcoming Pelican ProGear Cases for the iPhone 5. The Pelican ProGear Cases are now shipping and offer a great addition to the growing number of tough cases available for Apple’s current smartphone offering. The first of the Pelican ProGear Cases for the iPhone 5 is the Pelican ProGear Vault. The ProGear Vault is super-tough and adds great protection from the elements. In addition it offers “insulating elastomeric shock…

Reviews

Noreve Tradition D for iPhone 5 Case Review

Noreve offers some of the most beautiful leather device cases available. Their Tradition D case for the Apple iPhone 5 is no exception. Made from “top quality handcrafted leather”, the Noreve Tradition D has a thermoplastic polymer inner structure to hold your iPhone in place while the leather provides a soft, classy look and feel. That means you get all the protection you want without fear of any signal interference. The Noreve Tradition D for iPhone 5 has an “easy-to-close” cover that stays shut without the need for a magnetic or snap closure. If you have used a case with…

News

Just Mobile AluCup and AluFrame for iPhone 5

We’re fans of Just Mobiles iPhone, iPad and Mac accessories and enjoyed spending time with them during CES 2013. During that meeting the company was kind enough to give us a look at some of their upcoming products- the Just Mobile AluCup and AluFrame. The Just Mobile AluCup and the AluFrame have now been formally released and are currently shipping. Let’s take a quick look at them. The Just Mobile AluCup is described as a multi-purpose desktop stand for iPhone and iPad Mini. As is the case with almost all of Just Mobile’s products, the AluCup is made from a single…

News

Martian Watch Gets Smarter with iOS App

For us, one of the CES 2013 hits was the rapidly emerging smart watch category. During the Electronics Show Judie attended a media event from the makers of the Pebble smart watch, we saw many wearing the I’m Watch as the company tried to stealth promote their (mostly disappointing) offering, and we spent over an hour in a private meeting with the key players at Martian Watch. (Read the post.) Judie and I both walked away with watches, and I’m glad we did. You see, for my money, the Martian Watch is currently at the top of the smart watch…

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Gomadic SunVolt Portable Solar Power Station Review

Last year my congregation became the first Reform synagogue in the country to attain certification in environmental leadership from GreenFaith, a nationally recognized interfaith environmental coalition. This winter our Pre-School completed a nationally certified outdoor classroom. The goal is to help kids, and parents, better balance “screen time” and “green time”. It should be no surprise then, that I love the idea of using the sun to charge and run my many mobile devices. After all, if the sun can fuel plants, then why not have it fuel my iPhone, iPod touch and various accessories? That’s where the Gomadic SunVolt…

News

Jabra Motion Bluetooth Headset Review

The Jabra Motion Bluetooth Headset is the latest and greatest Bluetooth headset from one of the true pioneers in wireless accessories. Using it for this review made me remember my very first Bluetooth headset; it also came from Jabra and, like the Jabra Motion Bluetooth Headset, it also wrapped around my ear with the microphone extending toward my mouth. This first Bluetooth headset required a dongle connected to the phone’s 3.5mm headphone jack. Why? Because my Motorola flip phone didn’t have Bluetooth built into it! Yes, it was the dark ages, and in order to get Bluetooth functionality I had…

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