Apple iPhone Gear

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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


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…


iKazoo is on IndieGoGo

Back in December I wrote about an intriguing new controller called the iKazoo, which I described as an ‘everything controller’, since it has dual breath controllers, multiple touch sensors, accelerometers, and so on. With the iKazoo you can make music, control music, play games, and pretty much do anything else you want. At the time Ogaco Gadgets had made the prototype for iKazoo, now they are ready to get started making the devices for real, and as a result I am thrilled that iKazoo is on IndieGoGo! Project Title: iKazoo Status: Active Closing Date for Funding: May 20, 2013 URL…


Ventev Chargesync Cables and USB Chargers Review

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…


HiddenRadio LE Metallic Red Speaker Stands Out

It is small, it hides in plain view and it packs a punch. And now the HiddenRadio comes as a limited edition Metallic Red speaker. How limited is it? The company is producing just 500 of these units. Let’s talk about the HiddenRadio itself, and then return to this limited edition. The HiddenRadio is a compact wireless speaker that also includes a built-in FM radio. Good at home or on the go this all-in-one speaker is designed to enhance your listening enjoyment. The HiddenRadio is a Bluetooth speaker/amplifier with a built-in FM radio. Thanks to the Bluetooth connectivity it works…


PowerSkin Battery Case for iPhone 5

We’ve looked at a few battery cases for the iPhone 5 in the past few weeks and today we’re putting the PowerSkin Battery Case for iPhone 5 to the test. The very fact that so many battery cases are available for the iPhone 5 is a good indication of the ongoing issue created by battery technology not keeping pace with the power and screens on today’s smartphones. Yes, for any of us who make serious use of our smartphones an external battery or battery case is a must. So lets jump in and take a look at the PowerSkin Battery Case…


Mophie Juice Pack Air for iPhone 5 Review

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve looked at a number of different solutions for keeping your iPhone 5 up and running; we’ve looked at the PoP’n Charge battery, the mophie juice pack helium, and, most recently, reviewed the PowerSkin Battery Case for iPhone 5. This time out we are going to take a look at another battery case from mophie and then, in the next few days, offer a side-by-side compare and contrast of these different solutions. The mophie juice pack air for iPhone 5 is a familiar case to anyone who has used any of mophie’s juice pack battery cases. The formfitting mophie juice…


Beyzacases Aston Martin iPhone Sleeves Review

Gorgeous. That’s the word Judie and I seem to always use when describing Beyzacases products. And why do we use the word “gorgeous”? Simple… they are. Beyzacases uses only the finest leather for their products and then painstakingly design and craft their wares. The result are some of the finest leather accessories on the market. The Beyzacases Aston Martin iPhone Sleeves are no exception. In fact, they are not only gorgeous but they are exceptionally functional as well. We walked away from our time at the booth during CES with two Beyzacases Aston Martin iPhone Sleeves for review. Review them…


Just Mobile Gum Max Duo Video Review

External batteries are a necessity when using a smartphone, and it stands to reason that the bigger the battery the more time you can spend away from a plug. When we went to CES 2013 in January, Judie, Carly and I brought multiple external batteries. For the first CES ever, we didn’t run out of fuel or go running for a plug half way through the day. Among my battery “arsenal” were a few of Just Mobile’s Gum series of backup batteries. I loved the look, feel and build of them, but I didn’t love only being able to charge one…


Super Stickman Golf 2 for iOS and Android Review – Download it Now and Thank Me Later

Did you download it yet?  What are you waiting for?  Fine, I’ll tell you a little bit about the game, first.  Super Stickman Golf 2 for iOS is the highly anticipated sequel to the extremely popular, award-winning title of the same name from developers Noodlecake Studios.  The series, on the surface, plays like a golf game where the goal is to hit a golf ball into a cup on a putting green in the fewest amount of strokes possible.  However, deep down, the game is truly a 2-dimensional physics puzzle game where you must figure out the shortest possible path…


Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones Review

I offered a first look at the Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones last week. We now have a firm price and shipping date- they will be available starting March 25th and will cost $249- so I wanted to offer up a more complete look at these rather pricey headphones. I covered a good bit of the initial ground in my ‘First Look’ post (read it) so I’ll try not to be redundant. As I noted, the headphones are being positioned, in part, as wireless headphones designed for use in the real world. As such Jabra tested them to make sure the…