“They sent you an ashtray?” – Every single person in my family, when they saw the AluCup Grande
The fine folks at Just Mobile make a lot of cool gadget-centric stuff: styli, iPad and Phone stands, batteries for your USB gadgets, USB chargers for your vehicle’s 12 volt system – the works. A while back, they produced the AluCup, a round aluminum cup with a rubber insert and a slanted top edge, perfectly suited to hold your iPhone at an angle on your desk that allows viewing or tapping without glare from overhead lights. They have followed this phone and phablet-centric desk stand with one a bit larger, well-suited for an iPad mini or larger. Think of the round acrylic stands at Apple stores for the iPad mini, but made from aluminum, hollowed out and lined with flexible rubber. It is called the AluCup Grande, and comes in blue, red, black and yellow. Read More →
Author Archive for Smythe Richbourg
Flashlights come in all shapes and sizes nowadays, and LED technology has enabled blindingly bright units to be smaller than some coins. But, for longer distances, there always needs for a good reflector and lens system involved, in order to amplify the LED’s glow. Enter the ArmyTek Barracuda, a powerful, rugged, handheld light with a 520 meter throw. (Yeah, that’s over 1700 feet!) I thought this was impossibly powerful at the price of $160. They sent us a review unit, and I’ve been disturbing neighbors and wildlife in my area of the state for several weeks now. It’s probably good that I’m not in a major airport’s flightpath!
Portable speaker systems range in price from $20-30 for the little pocket-sized ones to huge $600-800 units that can become your entire stereo. Where’s the sweet spot? We’ve reviewed many here at The Gadgeteer, and the ones I actually consider for purchase or gifting usually fall somewhere in the $100-$250 range. I was sent Sherwood’s Excape EXM-30, and have been listening to it for a few weeks now, using it around the house and out on the deck (when it’s not snowing or raining!), so thought it was about time to share my thoughts on it. Read More →
With the always-online connectivity of smartphones these days, the folks making chargers are trying to keep up as much as those developing better battery chemistry. If you’re one who can’t quite make it through the day on a full charge, or if you travel and need to take along a charger, you’ve probably been irritated at the bulk or lack of flexibility of most chargers. I’m quite the fan of chargers like Apple’s iPad charger, where (at least on the US plug) the prongs fold into the bulk of the charger. Usually, however, you still have to deal with cords as well. You can bid those days a fond farewell, if you’re an iPhone 5 or 5s owner now, because a company called Prong has come up with the PocketPlug charging cases for iPhone 5/5s or iPhone 4/4s that incorporate a collapsible plug. Sounds pretty cool, no? Read More →
It’s happened to me several times: I charge my device in a hotel room, disconnect in the morning to move to a different seat or go down for breakfast, come back, pack and leave, and abandon my cable under the nightstand. Now that we have multiple devices to charge, the likelihood that we’re going to walk out without a needed cable increases. Fortunately, an innovative cable called ChargerLeash offers a simple solution. A few seconds after you disconnect your device from a power source, an alarm built into the cable beeps until you plug the device back in, or you unplug the cable. I was sent a 30-pin sample for testing, but there are lightning, microUSB, and multi-tip models available. Read More →
As our devices have shrunk in recent years, so, too, have carrying cases. Sling bags, messenger bags, and even the trusty backpack are slimmer, more focused on those slimmer devices, and more attuned to organization and ease of access, rather than capacity. Blue Flame, a fairly new entrant into the market place, has developed an entry into this growing space, and dubbed it “The Pack.” It comes in one size, one color combination, and one fabric. Let’s take a closer look. Read More →
The tablet stand is a totally new market, yet another that has sprung into being since the advent of the iPad and similar tablets in 2010. Two years ago, when you searched for iPad stand, or tablet stand, you got a few custom-built device holders, crafted in wood or acrylic, and most were more concerned with adding the tablet into a specific environment – music, point-of-sale, stand-alone store display, reading, typing, etc. Some of my favorite video podcasts spent months seeking out stands for their sets, and they always felt there was a compromise. Now, however, there are many, many stands in metal, wood, Fiberglas, and about any other imaginable substance, and many have been designed for general use, rather than being niche products. The m2 Floor Stand from Flote is one that recently crossed the threshold of the Gadgeteer Southeastern Outpost. Let’s take a detailed look, shall we? Read More →
Holding onto our devices during use can be a hassle. Be it a smartphone, tablet, phablet, iPod touch, or anything else, if you want to prop it up to use it to take a photo, watch a video, or have a video chat, an adjustable stand is something that’s going to come in handy. Several designs have come into the market, but something versatile, light, and easy to travel with (the sweet spot for my needs) has been tough to find. Enter the Keizus Quadropod – a white, four-limbed creature with rubber feet and an adjustable screw clamp for a head. Read More →
Anyone who has used an iPad or other tablet while standing, walking around, or speaking to a group, without the ability to rest it on something solid, has known the pain that juggling these tools can bring. Since it is a two-handed device, holding with one and manipulating with the other means you’ve got to somehow steady the device, usually in a pincer grip of the non-dominant hand, which leads to a pain in the thumb joint. Even with the iPad mini and Android tablets of smaller size and weight, holding on to them for hours can be rough. One solution, from the peripheral maker Newer Tech, is the GripBase Podium, a part of the full GripBase system. One of their major distributors, Other World Computing, offered the Gadgeteer team a demo unit, and I was chosen to give it a go. Read More →
Ah, gadget lovers and their gear. Hauling around our stuff used to be such a hassle. Today, it’s all about carrying multiple screens rather than a single screen and power adapter. Most of us carry a smartphone, as well as a tablet or phablet, and maybe a laptop. To accommodate the changes wrought by the iPad and similar devices, gadget bag makers have started to scale back some of the giant messenger bags of yesteryear and offer bags and slings of more modest size, but designed for a few screens, rather than one gigantic one. One such company is Booq, who have produced several lines in the few years the iPad has been on the market. Now they have added the Viper Courier 13, a horizontal-orientation laptop bag sized either for a 13-inch MacBook Pro or Air and iPad and iPhone, plus other accessories. (There’s also a model for 15 inch MacBooks Pro, but I was sent the 13″ model for testing.) Read More →
Getting power on the go used to mean carrying a bag-phone the size of a large loaf of bread and a power port plug to keep it juiced. Nowadays, we have much better battery chemistry, but for us power-users, the battery in a gadget may not last through a full day of use. If you’re spending any time in a vehicle with a 12-volt power system, plugging in an adapter to get a midday top-up can mean the difference between missing messages and easily making it through the day. WirelessGround offered the Gadgeteer team the Dual Car Charger with Lightning to USB Cable from Belkin, and I was selected to get it. Read More →
Paper. The curse of our record management as 21st century humans. The promise of computers has always been “the paperless office,” but most computer users have produced more paper, rather than less. The need for a piece of paper for giving information to someone else, “sign and return” situations like leases and contracts, and the wealth of information available only on paper has contributed (via photocopiers) to this avalanche of paper in which we find ourselves. What if I told you that virtually everyone reading these words has, in their possession, a device that will prevent you from ever having to seek out a photocopier. Think I’m crazy? Nope, that device is your smartphone or tablet. These devices have enough horsepower to scan any document, store it, send it, and convert it to text. All that’s missing in most cases is a handy, easy-to-use software package. That’s what SharpScan Pro for iOS offers, and in many ways, it lives up to the hype. Let’s take a closer look. Read More →
Camera phones have taken over as the go-to image maker for most folks. Now that the quality of the pictures created is good enough to replace your old point-and-shoot, there’s still one thing that hampers good photographic technique: holding the camera in landscape mode. Most cameras – I mean smartphones – tend to be set up to use in portrait mode – with the long axis vertically. But most photos – and especially videos – are better viewed in landscape, with the long axis horizontally. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some type of holder that would let you easily hold your iPhone and trip the shutter with your phone in landscape? Well, oddly enough, there is just such an animal, and it solves both issues. It’s the Grip & Shoot System from gripandshoot.com. Let’s take a closer look at this aptly named device. Read More →
With the change in mobile listening habits from stored music to streaming and Apple’s move from their 30-pin connector, we’ve seen a huge increase in wireless portable speakers. Used to be, everyone wanted an iPod or iPhone dock, but as Bluetooth has become more robust, so, too, have the speakers being offered. Today, you visit any electronics store in person or online, and you’ll see an almost endless variety of sound-producing gadgets. Carbon Audio entered this crowded-yet-growing field a while before last year’s holiday season with their Zooka, a stereo Bluetooth unit designed to clip onto the edge of a laptop or tablet. It’s designed to provide good stereo separation by having the speakers point out each end of the bazooka-like structure that gives the unit its name. I was sent one in a deep purple/wine color to test. Read More →
During the 90′s, when cell phones were becoming all the rage, the belt clip for phones became a status symbol of sorts. Since phones started out so large that they wouldn’t fit in a pocket, clipping them to a belt (or hiding them in a fanny pack) was an acceptable way to transport them. Even today though, when a smart phone is thinner than a pack of cards and not much larger (in many cases), some people prefer to have their phone clipped to their belt. On cooler days when I wear jeans to work, I usually use a belt clip for my phone, since my work shirt has no pocket. That’s why I was excited to test out the Cellet Leather iPhone belt clip case from the folks at the Wireless Emporium. Read More →
I have completely replaced a laptop in my life with my iPad. I discovered this about a year into having my first iPad, when I realized the only time I had moved my MacBook Pro from the desk was when I presented, using both it and my iPad at a few meetings. But, when I’m out for the day, I still want to carry along a few things: a charger and cable – just in case; a portable battery pack; a screen cleaning cloth; a portable speaker; and my Square dongle. So, I usually wind up taking a bag along, just as I did with my MacBook Pro, but it’s just a much smaller bag. When I saw Dotan Saguy’s Smart Cargo for iPad on Kickstarter (project ends 8/9/13), I knew I’d have to have one. When Julie asked us to review it, I knew I’d be able to give it a whirl the very day it arrived, which I did. I just checked the project page, and it’s well over 400% funded. (Good on ya, Dotan!) I’ve spent some time using it and can echo what those early supporters felt – it looks great, and it does what it promises. We’ll look closer below, and I’ll share my thoughts as we take a deeper look. Read More →
Ah, leather! One of the oldest and most durable materials humans have found to use, yet it still causes us to react warmly when we feel the texture or smell the scent. Whether it reminds us of new school shoes as a kid or that folio we were given at graduation, we all have a special reaction to it. So when Julie asked the team about reviewing some of a collection of bags from LederMann, a new vendor, they didn’t stay available for long. I was sent a traditionally-shaped Bridle Leather Camera Bag. Let’s dig deeper, shall we? Read More →
Why is it we feel a need to cover over our gadgets? Designers spend thousands of hours perfecting the look and feel of the enclosures for these little pieces of glass, aluminum, and plastic, and yet, we cover them up in the name of protecting something we’ll almost never see. My first iPad rarely went anywhere without a case, but when I got my “new” iPad last March, I went native. I do carry it in a Javoedge slipcase, but use it “naked” most of the time. Lately, though, I’ve tired of always feeling the cold metal on the back of my iPad and was thinking about some sort of case or cover. So when Julie offered the team a chance to review the Toast wooden iPad cover, I was right there in the front row with my hand up screaming “Me! Me! Pick me!” It was quite embarrassing, so she took pity on me and let me review it. Read More →
Salt, pepper, and hot sauce make lunches tastier. A titanium spork and a good, sharp Opinel folding knife help transfer it to my tummy.
I have not one standard geek bag, but three! I have a favorite for work, a different one for days off, and, if I’m taking my lunch to work, I have my required condiment and tools selection. Let’s start with the last mentioned – my lunch kit. Read More →
I love watching video and listening to podcasts and books on my iPad. It’s so much more portable and useful than my MacBooks have been over the years (which is to say it doesn’t have a hinge and require me to figure out what to do with that keyboard while watching!) The constant drawback to iPads, however, is sound. Specifically, getting enough of it in all but the quietest of rooms. A new, non-powered solution has recently come onto the scene, and I was fortunate enough to get one for review. It’s called the SoundBender from Simply Amazing, LLC. Is it? Does it? Let’s take a closer look.
A new entrant into the crowded field of portable power supplies has recently arrived from a trusted mobile vendor – Just Mobile. It sports some unique features without missing any of the standard items. The Gum Max Duo (GMD) is Just Mobile’s top-of-the-line USB charger, and it packs quite a wallop: 11.2 Amp/hours of power! Let’s take a closer look. Read More →
Like it or not, iPads have become ubiquitous. We see them everywhere, in food courts in the hands of toddlers, in schools, as cash registers in coffee shops and restaurants, and in that last bastion of low tech, the business boardroom. I read the other day that somewhere north of 90% of all Fortune 500 businesses were deploying or have deployed iPads. In formal business settings, that bright flowery case or that ruggedized military spec case is going to be quite out of place. For this reason, the folks at iDreamcase have recently added the iDreamcase for iPad 2/3/4 to their line of protective cases. They offered one to the team, and I was chosen to review it. I was sent a black leather model, with a camera hole on the back. Read More →
Most folks these days carry some kind of device with them that has at least a subset of their music collection on it. Some have services like Spotify, Pandora, or some other service that will deliver music to a smartphone. When we get in our cars, however, there’s usually no built-in connection for getting the phone and car radio connected. Enter the iTrip Auto from Griffin Technology. This little cable charges an iOS device via your vehicle’s power port and broadcasts the audio content of your device to the FM band, allowing you to tune into the “station” it creates and hear your music over your car stereo. Griffin Technology, of course, is no stranger to true Gadgeteers. They’ve been making power cables and cases for handhelds for years. And a gadget that connects your phone gadget to your car (which, for many, is just a big transportation gadget) while charging your phone – it’s like a Gadget Trifecta! So, how does it work in real life? Read More →
Like most everyone who has ever used one, I love my iPad. And, true to my gadget-loving nature, I’m never satisfied with the case I’m using for long. Sometimes, I want a casual case, sometimes I want maximum protection, and sometimes I want it to look nice, because I’m going to be in a business meeting where “sporty” would be considered unprofessional. Enter the MAPI Byze Leather iPad sleeve. Read More →
When Julie asked if we were interested in some stuff from Arctic, I was more interested in their four-port USB charger that I recently reviewed, but was pleased to see the Arctic P402 headphones in the package. Many headphones these days are either mostly plastic (which means they break easily) or huge and bulky (which means they don’t travel well). These, however, are light, on-ear, and quite tough. Read More →
