When we first “met” KnowRoaming, a service committed to making global connectivity simple and inexpensive; they offered a sticker that one would place on a standard SIM card to connect when traveling. It always made me a bit uneasy. Since then, the company has greatly expanded their offerings and, when we travel this summer, we’ll be relying on them!
I’ve got a tendency to leave my phone plugged in when home, and while that isn’t necessarily bad for today’s Li-Ion batteries, it’s kind of wasteful to use a charger that is trying to continuously supply power to a battery that has already been topped off. I was recently sent a Velvetwire Powerslayer Kit, and it solves the problem beautifully.
The folks at Juicies may have come up with a way to improve upon Apple’s lightening cables as well as the typical Micro USB cable. The JUICIES+ cable is made of anodized aluminum, wrapped in a tangle-free woven cable, and is a foot longer than the typical power cables. A $20 Kickstarter pledge lands you one power cable of the future. Project Title: JUICIES+ for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phones Status: Currently Funding Closing Date for Funding: 11/1/13 URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/laudowicz/juicies-for-iphone-android-blackberry-and-windows Product Overview: JUICIES+ incorporate a few great cable designs that I’ve been looking for in a…
FinderCodes is a QR-code based lost and found system that can be used with just about anything to which you can attach a sticker. The folks at FinderCodes — which is now a brand partner with AT&T, as you’ll notice from the logo on the box in the photo above — were kind enough to provide Gear Diary with a sample kit, which contained stickers and tags of several different sizes, as well as a set of instructions. The tags also came with a couple of small rings, so they can be easily attached to a set of keys or a…
I found out about Ventev shortly before CES. The original plan was that their PR company would send some cables and chargers direct to our hotel, but that box got lost somewhere along the way. After returning home, a new shipment was arranged, and what was inside the box was quite impressive — not only because Ventev sent me such a generous assortment of items to try, but because of the quality of the items I was sent. Let’s jump right in and start with the Ventev Chargesync Cables … Have you ever paid attention to the quality of the cables…
BlackBerry’s Hail Mary pass — aka the Blackberry 10 Z10 smartphone — is close to release. I was impressed with the sample I was given at the official release event, and am looking forward to hearing what Judie, who currently has her hands on our Z10, thinks about the phone. The BB Z10 feels solid enough, but I suspect that as with the iPhone, owners are quickly going to want to protect the Z10’s large touchscreen in a case. Case-Mate was quick to announce some Blackberry Z10 Cases, and they sent two along so we could give them a try. If you are…
If they’re not the best sounding earbuds you’ve experienced… we’ll give you your money back. That’s what Zagg says on the product page for theIR ZR-SIX earbuds. It is a bold claim to make under any conditions, but considering the ZR-SIX earbuds are under $60 it is actually a remarkable claim; I am left wondering if the claim can hold up in real-world use. Are Zagg’s new ZR-SIX earbuds “the best sounding earbuds I’ve experienced? Read on to find out. Inside the box you’ll find the ZR-SIX earbuds, two additional sets of ear cups, and a nice zippered protective case. I…
We’ve said it over and over and over again — battery life is the Achilles Heel of today’s mobile devices. Speeds have improved, screen resolution and size have too; battery technology has, unfortunately, not kept pace. The result is that many of use have to either carry our wall adapter and charger cable or an external battery. And there are some people, me for example, who carry both. These days I’m carrying the PowerSkin PoP’n battery in my jacket and another battery in my gear bag. Here’s why the PowerSkin PoP’n battery is so useful. The PowerSkin PoP’n battery has an…
“I just dropped my iPhone in the sink” Elana said. I jumped into action, went to the cabinet, pulled out the DRY-ALL Wet Smartphone Emergency Kit, pulled the SIM from the phone and sealed it inside. I then put Elana’s SIM into one of the review phones I had lying around and, within a few minutes, she was up and going on an HTC Windows Phone 8 handset. “Give the DRY-ALL Wet Smartphone Emergency Kit 48 hours to work its magic. Judie reviewed this back in 2011 and it worked perfectly for her.” (Read the review.) It was a good…
I am shocked (SHOCKED!!) by how much I am liking the new BlackBerry Z10 tht I was given at the BlackBerry Experience this past Wednesday. It feels great in the hand, is fast and the BlackBerry Hub integrates all my messaging in a way that is surprisingly convenient. Honestly, except for the lack of a few key apps, I have not yet found anything specific that I actually do not like. In addition to my positive first impressions of the BlackBerry 10 OS and the actual hardware, I am impressed that BlackBerry isn’t being cheap when it comes to accessories….
We’ve looked at a few different accessories that turn your wired speaker dock or home audio system into a wireless audio powerhouse, but none have been quite as powerful as BlackBerry’s upcoming $49 Music Gateway. What makes the Music Gateway stand out? NFC (Near Field Communication)! Let’s take a closer look. From BlackBerry: The BlackBerry Music Gateway is a great new music accessory that allows you to play music from any Bluetooth enabled device. Also setting this apart from other music streaming devices is its NFC capabilities, which enables a quick and easy pairing option. Once connected, change tracks and…
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…
Thanks to services like Line2, my iPad makes for a great phone. Seriously, so long as I have a good data connection, the tablet offers a huge screen for dialing and an excellent noise-canceling microphone for making speakerphone calls. But what if I want to use my iPad, or my iPhone, or my iPod touch or, shockingly, a device running an OS other than iOS as a VoIP phone AND have the calls be private? That’s where Native Union’s amusingly functional line of handsets come in. Many of the designs simply connect to the 3.5mm headphone jack on my handsets…
Update: This contest is now closed, and the winner has been announced on Facebook. Thank you for playing, and keep an eye out for more Gear Diary giveaways! =) Whether it is via AirPlay or through my Sonos system, I’m into wireless music these days. I love not having to physically dock a device in order to get the music flowing. More than that, I love being able to keep my device with me and then, regardless of where I am in the house, change the track or the volume. The problem is that the least expensive Sonos speaker component…
When we were at CES, Dan couldn’t wait to show me the pre-release iFrogz Boost Near Field Audio Amplifying Speaker that he had scored, and to say I was impressed would be an understatement. This little box didn’t need to connect to a mobile phone to produce a much bigger sound; you could simply place any phone on the box, and it would pump up the volume so that it could actually be enjoyed! See what I mean in this video Dan shot … The iFrogz Boost speaker allows users to amplify their device’s sound by simply placing their smartphone, or other…
I have had the opportunity to review each generation of Sound iD’s Bluetooth headsets. The first was a small but excellent device and with each generation the devices have gotten better and better. Now the company is back with their Sound iD SIX Series headset and it looks great. Here’s what the company has to say about it: Sound ID redefines the Bluetooth experience with the new SIX. Destined to be your go-to headset, the SIX boasts a sleek look and more than one new audio trick, resulting in a true marriage of outstanding sound, true comfort and advanced technology….
It seems silly to refer to an external battery as “good-looking”, but mophie’s new juice pack power station is one good-looking battery. It is sleek, solid and feels great thanks to the combination of polished metal and soft touch material. And with a footprint that is a bit smaller than an iPhone, this 4000mAh battery is simple to carry around all the time. From mophie: juice pack powerstation: This powerful 4000mAh external battery can charge virtually any USB device in the world including the iPhone and iPad. With completely reengineered battery and electronics, the powerstation can charge your device at…
I love the idea of inductive charging whereby you can simply lay your device on a base-station and have it recharged without having to plug anything into it. I love the idea but, until now, not the execution. We’ve looked at a few systems and, while they all worked as promised, the requisite charging case or sleeve was too heavy and bulky for daily use. When Energizer offered to send us their newest system we jumped at the chance. Yes, we weren’t expecting too much but we were HOPING the improvements were enough to make it usable beyond the review….
I cannot help but feel a bit bad for the BlackBerry PlayBook. After all, the device has a great form factor, excellent build quality, a responsive touchscreen, and two things that are lacking on most tablets: both the front and rear facing cameras are quite good and the forward facing stereo speakers don’t sound half bad. Still, weeks after the device was first introduced into the market, the number of high-quality applications for it is disgraceful low. The result is a device whose utility continues to be all but crippled as a result. I would not keep it hanging around…
One of the pleasant surprises I found when I first started checking out the BlackBerry Playbook was the fact that it is a fantastic blogging tool. Unlike the iPad, which continues to fall short in the mobile blogging department, the PlayBook is a complete blogging system that works beautifully. The rear camera is surprisingly good, and the file management allows you to upload images to the web just the way you would from a full traditional computer. Sadly it is one of the only pleasant surprises since, weeks later, there are still little to no useful apps for the PlayBook….
Electronic devices always seem to run out of power at the most inopportune times, don’t they? Figuring out ways to keep those devices powered for as long as they are needed is key. Whether you are a regular road warrior or simply away from the office for the day, if you aren’t going to be near an outlet or power port, and if you carry multiple devices that will require energy doses at random times, carrying a portable power supply is the best option. Many times, these power supplies can best be described as bricks.