Articles by Dan Cohen

Stem Innovation iZON Remote Room Monitor Review

Two years ago we installed a wireless security system in our home as part of a review. (Read it here.) One element of the system is a remote camera that lets you keep an eye on one part of your home when you are away. But what if you want to have a remote camera but don’t want to install an entire system? And what if you don’t want to pay a monthly fee? That’s where Stem Innovation’s iZON Remote Room Monitor comes in. It is small, relatively inexpensive and there is no monthly fee! The company describes it this…


Elevation Dock, the Best Dock for iPhone; Kickstart This!

I love the idea of having a set, stable place to drop my iPhone and charge it. The Element Case Vapor Dock (reviewed here) is a great dock. But it could be better. I mean, imagine something as solid and gorgeous as the Vapor Dock but also lets you dock and undock your iPhone in a millisecond. That’s what the Elevation Dock promises and… with luck… will soon deliver. Project Title: Elevation Dock: The Best Dock For iPhone Status: Funded Closing Date for Funding: Saturday, February 11, 2012 URL of the Project: Find it here. From the Creatives: If you…


SolMate, iPhone’s Hottest Solar, Inductive and Battery Case, Kickstart This!

Not all Kickstarter Projects are winners. And not all Kickstarter creatives have the integrity we want and expect. This is one example of a Kickstarter Project that looked great, had tons of promise but went sour… sour enough that I would NEVER AGAIN back a project offered by the folks who brought this forth. Project Title: SolMate: iPhone’s Hottest Solar, Inductive and Battery Case Status: Funded (Then Cancelled. See below.) Closing Date for Funding: Thursday February 23, 2012 URL of the Project: Find it here. From the Creatives: Introducing SolMate®, an aluminum-cut, silicon-dioxide, glass-covered iPhone-casing that is capable of charging…


iLuv DualJack; Now, Why Didn’t I Think of That?

Every now and then a product comes along that makes me say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” iLuv has new “Premium Audio Cables and Charging and Sync Solutions” available as part of their myLink collection, and one of them fits the bill quite well. Here’s what the company has to say about their new offerings. iLuv’s audio and data cables revolutionize the market in quality and design. They were designed to provide superior functionality and the stylish design consumers desire in their accessories. These durable cables were constructed with a number of enhancements in both form and function, and…


The Sena Florence Portfolio for the New iPad Review

As I wrote in our preview of the Sena Florence Portfolio, I love Sena’s cases and am particularly fond of their Florence for the iPad. It is thin, form-fitting, light and is a great all-purpose iPad case. That is why it is one of my all time favorite iPad cases. That is also why it is back on my iPad after a brief period when Elana “stole” it from me. I was excited to see Sena expand this design with their new Florence Portfolio. It sounded like the perfect iPad case for someone who uses an iPad 90% of the…


Waterfield Designs’ CitySlicker Brings Style and Minimalist Protection to Your MacBook Air

If you are going to have something as thin and light as a MacBook Air, then why in the world would you carry it in a big bulky bag? You wouldn’t, and with Waterfield’s new CitySlicker, you don’t have to. The CitySlicker is a “Slim, Modern Case for the MacBook Air” that provides 3-layers of protection for the MBA while maintaining the thin, light look and feel of the diminutive laptop. As Gary Waterfield, company founder, explains, The MacBook Air is unbelievably thin, and we wanted to enhance that look rather than detract from it. The challenge was to design…


SPIGEN SGP GLAS.t iPhone 4S Screen Protector, Video Review

I hate screen protectors but find them a necessary evil. After all, my iPhone goes everywhere with me and the glass screen, while tough Gorilla Glass, is still glass. Having a protective layer on top of it is a good thing. Until now, however, the only options tended to feel less than ideal when compared to the naked glass and, at times, did funny things with the optics. The operative term here is, “until now”. You see, the SPIGEN SGP GLAS.t screen protector is… fantastic. It is pricey but it is amazing. Why am I so excited about a screen protector?…


Use Your iPhone Everywhere With the Quad Lock System

I love the idea of using my iPhone in a variety of ways and settings. The LifeProof case is one example of a case that lets us use the iPhone on the go. The Quad Lock Mounting System is another and we have one on the way for review. Before we get it, however I thought we might take a quick look. Quad Lock Case attaches pretty much anywhere using a single, multi-purpose mount. It is, “an ultra slim, durable and protective Polycarbonate hard case that doubles as a multi-purpose mount.” and because of its unique design it can mount…


Growing Pains and other Idiocy

If, based upon the title of this post and the image I used, you thought I was going to go on some rant about Kirk Cameron’s opinions on a host of issues, think again. (I have, however, made clear on numerous occasions that he and I could not disagree more, especially about the issue of marriage equality.) No, I’m speaking about growing pains and idiocy of the Apple kind. Elana and I arrived for dinner with my parents a bit early so I hit the Apple Store at the Short Hills Mall while we waited for them. I used to…


CellHelmet Protects the iPhone 4S and Brings Accidental Damage Coverage Along; Kickstart This!

I never used to buy insurance for my phones but, with the iPhone costing as much as it does, I’ve begun doing just that. This project seeks to reshape the entire approach to device protection both in terms of physical protection AND  accidental damage coverage if things go terribly wrong. Project Title: cellhelmet – 1st & Only Case That Guarantees the iPhone 4/4S Status: Funded Closing Date for Funding: Sunday March 11,2012 URL of the Project: Find it here. From the Creatives: cellhelmet. The ultimate protection for any iPhone 4/4S, offering you one full year of guaranteed accidental damage coverage for your device…


Wilson Electronics Adds to Industry-Leading Line of 4G Mobile Cellular Signal Boosters

I often joke that the iPhone is good for everything except phone calls. Problem is, it isn’t funny. As much as I love my iPhone, when it comes to using it to make calls I DO have a love/hate relationship with it. When it works it is fine. But often… too often… the calls are dropped, the quality of the call is inconsistent or worse. And before you tell me to move to Verizon from AT&T, while it MIGHT be an AT&T issue, I happen to know that it cannot ONLY be an AT&T issue. After all, none of my…


Ultima, the Best In Car Holder Dock Mount for iPhone, Kickstart This

  Here’s a Kickstarter project that closes in just two hours… if you want to back it get in NOW. Yes, this project is already funded and it closes at 4:06 GMT May 13, 2012! Project Title: Ultima – Best In Car Holder Dock Mount for iPhone and more! Status: In Progress Closing Date for Funding: Sunday May 13, 2012 URL of the Project: Find it here. From the Creatives: This has been a project in the making for over 2 years, now with a working prototype that we feel is just about ready to start moving into the manufacturing…


Griffin Survivor for iPad 2 and iPad 3 Extreme-Duty Case Review

I don’t take my iPad into harsh conditions. I mean, the most volatile situation my tablet finds itself in is my monthly board meeting. (I kid… I kid…) In all seriousness though, while I do keep my iPad protected in a case it is rare for it to be in any situation where it might encounter serious damage. For some, however, having the very best protection possible is important. For them there is the Griffin Survivor. The Griffin Survivor is one tough case. It weighs a bit but for the weight you get serious protection from dirt, sand, rain, shock,…


Elana and the Four Speck Cases for iPhone 4S

With sincerest apologies to “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”. Once upon a time there were four Speck iPhone cases that arrived for review. One was a FabShell Burton, one was a FabShell, one was a CandyShell and the other was CandyShell Grip. Each had its own style and form. The timing was right, as Elana had finally broken down and made the move to the iPhone. The FabShell Burton was there with “fresh fabrics and hard-shell protection combine in a form-fitting one-piece case.” Fabulous fabric-backed Burton designs on a fiercely protective co-molded one-piece case from Speck! Custom patterns, extra protection and…


Case-Mate Helps You Protect Your iPhone AND the Planet

For the last 2 years my synagogue has been part of an environmental awareness and commitment certification program. It’s a joint initiative between an organization called GreenFaith and our umbrella synagogue movement. I’m proud to say that we are the 1st congregation in the process to have successfully completed certification and, at our Annual Meeting next week, we will be awarded a certificate and banner attesting to the fact. One of the impacts of this program for me has been a growing consciousness of how much waste is involved with consumer products both in the creation of the product themselves…


Belkin YourType Folio and Keyboard for The New iPad and iPad 2 Review

I have a love/hate relationship with iPad keyboard cases. On the one hand I love the idea. I take my iPad with me pretty much everywhere and I use it constantly. I use it so much in fact, that my iPad NEVER makes it through the day on a single charge. It is, more than anything else my workhorse device. And since it is so central to my work-flow, the speed and ease of use of a keyboard is central to my saving time. The soft keyboard works fine and I am rather fast with it, but a physical keyboard…


Pebble, the E-Paper Watch for iPhone and Android: Kickstart This!

Here’s a project that is already a winner and it still has 9 days to go before backing closes down. (That isn’t quite true, so read on.) This smart watch is “Pebble is the first watch built for the 21st century” and it clearly struck a cord with many of us. Yes, the funding goal was a mere $100,000 but as of this post they have raised close to $10,000,000 from backers. WOW!! Read on to learn more about Pebble. Project Title: Pebble: E-Paper Watch for iPhone and Android Status: In Progress Closing Date for Funding: Friday May 18, 2012…


Stylishly Protect and Carry Your Gear with Lowepro’s New Camera Bags

When we were at CES in January I had the opportunity to stop by the Lowepro booth and see some of the awesome camera bags they have to offer. At the time I was interested, but didn’t find the gear personally relevant since I was content using my iPhone and Canon G11 for photos, and neither requires a good camera bag. Fast forward a few months, and I am actually looking for a good camera bag. You see, I thought the SonyDSLR we posted on a number of weeks back looked amazing, and I plan to pick one up as…


With SayHi for iOS You Get Accurate Translations on the Fly

Esta es una aplicación sorprendente para cualquiera que quiera comunicarse en un idioma diferente, pero no tiene el tiempo para aprender. Sorprendentemente sólo $ 0,99. Se le permitirá hablar en cualquier número de idiomas iniciales y luego se traducirá automáticamente el idioma por primera vez en la segunda. Y para muchos de los idiomas que no sólo va a dar a un texto, sino que también hablará el texto por usted para que usted sepa lo que suena. Por supuesto, la aplicación funciona con las tecnologías de Nuance y su voz a los servicios de transcripción de texto. El aspecto…


Keep Your Camera in the Bag and STILL Get Your Shots

This is a nutty idea but it just might be nutty enough to actually make sense. If you carry a DSLR you know you need to have a decent camera bag to protect it. But if the camera is in the bag you might miss that great action shot during the ten seconds it takes to pull the thing out. Cloak has found a way to let you protect your camera AND leave it in the bag while taking shots. Seriously, it is a bag that is designed to let you take the shots you want from within the bag….


ODOC iPhone & iPod Dock Offers Elegant Design, Superior Function

Here’s a rather unusual iPhone dock that is looking for backers. The team behind the ODOC let us know that they are about half way toward reaching their financial backing goal. The way Kickstarter works, if they do not reach it the project will not go forward. Well… I like this dock and want it to happen, so we’ll focus on it today!! Project Title: ODOC iPhone & iPod Dock: Elegant Design, Superior Function Status: In Progress Closing Date for Funding: Saturday June 9, 2012 URL of the Project: Find it here.   From the Creatives: ELEGANT DESIGN: The meaningful…