I’ve long been a fan of JOBY’s various flexible tripod offerings. Their GorillaPods are a mainstay in my gear bag. Now JOBY has announced their new JOBY GPod Mini Magnetic and JOBY MPod Mini Stand. The GPod works with cameras. The MPod works with smartphones. Each weighs less than two ounces. Shipping soon you can learn more here.
Incipio is known for making a wide assortment of devices cases. Braven is known for making a growing array of Bluetooth-enabled speakers. We’ve reviewed many offerings from both companies. And, as of today two has become one. Yes, Incipio just acquired Braven. It will be interesting to see what comes from the combination. Check it out here.
The OlloClip Quick-Flip Case for the iPhone 5 and 5th generation iPod touch is THE case for the iOS photographer. It not only lets you quickly and easily use OlloClip lens adapters, but it lets you mount your device on a tripod and mount a light or microphone on your iOS device. MSRP is $49.99; get it here. OlloClip describes their Quick-Flip Case as being More than a sleek attractive case for the iPhone, the new Quick-flip turns your iPhone into a mobile photo studio. Having used the case with both my iPhone 5 and my iPod touch I have to…
The Jabra Style is one of the new Bluetooth headsets from Jabra, a company known for its expertise in creating great Bluetooth devices. This stylish headset is great for taking calls, listening to music or podcasts. The $49 headset has Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and is designed for comfort and simplicity — it even adjusts the volume automatically. Check it out. When creating the Jabra Style, the company was looking for something that would look great, fit comfortably and be easy to use. They have pretty much achieved that with the Jabra Style, and the fact that they have been able to…
If you are serious about smartphone photography you’ll want to check out the iblazr project on Kickstarter. Made from four CREE LEDs, the iblazr flash has its own power source and app. Backing the project, which is already funded, for as little as $39 will get you an iblazr flash when it ships this December. Check it out here.
Twelve South only makes products for Apple devices, and their newest offering is a fantastic addition to their lineup. The HiRise is under $35 ,and it is a dock that works with both the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini. It also lets you use either device with most cases! Check it out here. The HiRise is an elegant way to raise your iPhone 5 or iPad mini up off your desk or countertop, and it will securely hold, charge and, if so desired, sync with your computer. I love the look of the HiRise and it works exactly as promised. I…
The LifeProof nüüd for the iPhone 5 is the thinnest, lightest, and most refined case Lifeproof has offered. It protects your iPhone from drops, dust, snow, and dirt, yet there is nothing covering the screen. Available in black or white, this is an awesome case if you need serious protection. Get it here for $89.99 I’ve been a big fan of Lifeproof ever since they released their first case for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. The cases were thinner and lighter than any other rugged case I had tried and yet they offered as much or more protection than…
The Soundfreaq Sound Step Lighting dock is priced under $140 and lets you connect to iOS Lightning-enabled device, via Bluetooth, USB and much more. It even includes an FM radio, an IR remote and an iOS and Android app are also available. Best of all, the speaker sounds great. We have seen a huge proliferation in the number of available Bluetooth speakers. Similarly, lightning-enabled docks designed to work specifically with current generation Apple products have been increasing in number. The result is an ever-growing number of choices when looking for a relatively inexpensive way to enjoy your music at home…
Do you have an iPhone 5 and want to be able to simply carry your phone with a couple of credit cards or license in a minimal setting? Then the folks at Outpost Labs have a case they’d like you to check out. Called Remora, the case clips to opposing corners of your iPhone 5 and allows full access to buttons and camera. How does it work? Let’s take a look! Description Here are some of the features: – Carries up to two cards. – Hidden latch snaps closed to safely hold cards. – Protects screen when set face-down on…
I’ve seen and used a variety of different stands for my iPhone and iPad, but none have caught my attention the way the new HiRise for iPhone 5/iPad mini from Twelve South has. This brushed metal stand has the kind of refined lines that will compliment your iOS device while also adding to its utility. The HiRise is designed to work with Apple Lightning Cable, but it is a BYOC (Bring Your Own Cable) accessory. And, thanks to its thoughtful design, the HiRise works with iPhone and iPad when they are naked AND when they are in most current cases. The…
B&O PLAY by Bang & Olufsen just introduced the Nordic Sky edition of its BeoPlay A9. It is the perfect meeting point between art, furniture, and High Fidelity. Designed to be standalone furniture, or art that is hung on the wall, the BeoPlay A9 is also an amazingly powerful piece of audio equipment. The speaker packs impressive technology into a sleek, one of a kind, design. The BeoPlay A9 has a total of five speakers and has an output of 480 watts thanks to a digital Class D amplifier with separate amps for each of the five speakers. At the center…
If your son or daughter is headed off to college no doubt he or she wants a way to listen to some tunes while studying (or not studying as the case may be). Over the past months we’ve seen a host of decent bluetooth speakers and many would be great for a college dorm. Three that recently came to us for review stand out as excellent options. They are the Logitech Bluetooth Speakers Z600 for PC/Mac computer, tablet and smartphone, the Soundfreaq Sound Step with Lightning Connector and the iLuv Mo ‘Beats HD High Definition Rechargeable Bluetooth Speaker with Viewing…
Logitech’s new Z600 Bluetooth Speakers are proof the company can not only put out excellent sounding speakers but they can put out excellent sounding speakers that look great AND come in at a surprisingly reasonable price. The speakers, which are available for preorder, have an MSRP of $149.99 and have impressed me more than I expected they would. Let’s take a look at them on video and then dig a little more deeply into some of the specifics. It should be clear from the video that I am really impressed with the speakers. And when I take into consideration the…
Wireless audio has gone from simple convenience to serious audio experience over the last few years thanks to Play-fi, AirPlay and, of course, Bluetooth. Honestly, at this point I wouldn’t even consider an audio system that didn’t offer the ability to cut the cords and go wireless. But while it used to be the case that you had to choose between the convenience of wireless audio and the quality of the music you can enjoy that is far from the case these days. Wireless audio is here to stay and, best of all, it is getting better and better. It…
“Just because you can include some technological advance in your consumer product, it doesn’t mean you should.” That’s really the thought that came to mind when reading about a pair of new, upcoming headphones. Muzik (while I’m on a rant… I hate it when companies intentionally spell words incorrectly) just announced their first product – a pair of “smart headphones”. As the company release notes the company is, “pioneering a new space called social smartware”. The term describes their goal of connecting consumer electronic devices to content and social media platforms with the goal of making “music instantly discoverable and…
It was just about a year ago that we reviewed Plantronic’s BackBeat Go wireless headphones. The BackBeat Go were, and are (I still have and use them on occasion) impressive. Looking not much larger than standard wired earbuds, these wireless headphones were a feat of engineering that packed Bluetooth technology and a battery large enough to let you listen to music, watch a movie, or talk on the phone for up to four and a half hours per charge. They even had an inline microphone and controls that allowed you to take calls, skip tracks, and adjust volume on the…
When I first had the opportunity to check out the Samsung GALAXY Note 8.1 tablet, I didn’t expect to think much of the inclusion of an IR blaster that allows the tablet to function as a smart remote for your tv and media system. Much to my surprise, I liked having the option to use the tablet to control my various entertainment systems. After all who needs to juggle multiple remotes when one device can replace them all? The Griffin Beacon (read about it) sought to do just that by turning your iPhone into a remote using an iOS app…
Today’s rumor mill has it that the next generation of the iPhone will include NFC (Near Field Communication). This will be yet another example of Apple playing “feature catch up” with other devices. After all, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.1, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active as well as the BlackBerry Z10, the HTC 8X and even the year-old HTC One X I have sitting here all feature NFC. Apple will be late to the game. But the question remains, should Apple even get into the game? What exactly IS NFC and do you want it in your next phone? Let’s…
For most, precious few moments are spent enjoying the pristine thin beauty of a new iPhone before stuffing it in a case. That was part of the deal when we got the phones for our kids – always in a case. And one great thing about the iPhone is that innovative case-makers have an amazing array of products. With ski season approaching, I was thrilled to see the new SLXtreme series launched for the iPhone 5 and iPad. Why specifically ski season? Our younger son is on the ski team, which means bus rides, cold temperatures and long days. And…
As smartphones advance it seems there are fewer and fewer things to complain about – they are fast, responsive, thin and light, feature-filled, and the batteries … ok, so there is still one thing to complain about. Because with new features and more powerful chips, advances in battery technology have merely managed to maintain the status quo. So what do we do? Many have battery cases which are phone specific, and I also have a few external battery packs I can connect with a cable to my phone. These are great solutions, but can run into a fair amount of…
While Gorilla Glass is amazingly strong and scratch-resistent, it is not impervious – and for the price we pay for smartphones, it makes sense to protect them as much as possible. Screen protectors have been around since the earliest touch-screen devices in the early 90s, and while they are not the necessity they were back then, having something to protect your precious screen from damage is still a good idea. The folks at TRÜ have a new solution – the TRÜ-FIT. Description TRÜ FIT delivers a stress-free screen protector application in just a few easy steps. This elegantly designed package…