Photojojo stretches the capability of your camera phone with the Macro Cell Lens Band .  The simple sturdy band with built-in macro lens works with any mobile phone.  When not in use it can be worn around the wrist for instant access.  Maybe they’ll release a tele- and wide-angle as well?  It’s currently out of stock, but it sells for $15.00

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, Digital Cameras and Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Cell phone camera lens

Macro Cell Lens Band – Stretches the Imagination originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 9, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

The GiqueGEAR Smart Station is designed to act as a protective holster, a wallet replacement, and a workstation or stand for your smartphone. It claims to be “the ultimate home for your Android smartphone.”  As a local company, GiqueGear (pronounced ‘geek gear’, I think) already has a special place in my heart, but the claim of ‘ultimate home’ for my Samsung Epic? That will take a pretty special case.

The SmartStation’s main claim to fame is that it is a fully protective case that also works as a portrait or landscape stand for your phone.

SmartStation- front (also available with the Android logo)

SmartStation- back, showing the belt strap

As a case, it offers a lot of value. The materials and workmanship are very good. It is nicely padded and lined with a soft fabric. The full double zipper is backed up by a Velcro tab which also serves as a belt strap. Being a universal case, it is a bit over-sized and clunky, but not terribly so. It features two big pockets so it can serve as a wallet as well. The case offers excellent protection from drops, smacks, impacts, etc.

The main thing that bugged me as a case is the ‘belt and suspenders’ overkill of the zipper and the Velcro tab. It made it a bit more awkward to get to the phone when it is on your belt. The phone sits rather loosely in the case, so a moment of fumbling at the belt and it could end up on the ground without any protection.

I must also admit that as much as I like the flaming head logo, I would like to see a ‘professional edition’ with either no logo or a much reduced logo available. I cannot picture myself rocking this sort of image at work, and in all honesty, the alternative Android logo is not much better.

SmartStation- inside

Cases like this are thick on the ground in the cell phone world. What makes this case special is the work station element. Flip the belt strap and Velcro tab around and the case becomes an easel.

SmartStation as a work station

You place your phone in the front of the stand (held by a little mesh sling at the bottom) for a portrait stand, or on the back side against the ‘leg for landscape mode. Note the ‘speed bump’ on the bottom edge.

SmartStation- phone in portrait mode

SmartStation- phone in landscape mode

I found that in either position, it was usually a good angle, and did not interfere with my phone’s charger/sync cable (which comes out of the top). The phone stays in place well, even when you tap on the screen.

The few downsides I found, other than the case issues mentioned above, are that the Velcro tab that holds the case closed bugged me in this configuration as well- you can see it up there just sticking out. I also felt as though with a little modification, the phone could be positioned in either landscape or portrait mode on the leg.

Overall, the GiqueGear SmartStation case is a great value at $24.95. Well-made, good-looking, protective, and functional.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Case, Generic PDA related, holster, Smartphone, Stand, workstation

GiqueGEAR Smart Station Holster/Stand Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 2, 2011 at 11:00 am.

New Zealand’s Nutshell Corporation makes a series of cases for handheld devices called “Tuff-as-Nuts”. Gadgeteer Mike Reigel verified that the name was appropriate back in 2003. They combine that reputation with an interesting fastener in a tough wallet case for your smartphone.

The main body of the case is a nice piece of gorgeous leather with a rich but subtle smell. The inside is a soft fabric that is Velcro compatible. There is a magnetic tab, and pockets on the opposite side for bills, cards, etc. The logo and other info is embossed on the pockets and does not appear anywhere outside.

Wallet case, with my phone inside

Wallet with my phone inside, showing pockets and logo

The big difference in this case is a ‘Micro-fine Velcro Pad’. This interesting stuff features a self-adhesive pad of the ‘hook side’ that is dang near flat! The barely there hooks snag securely into the soft fabric lining the case- it almost looks like magic! Try as I might, I could not really do justice to it with a photo.

Micro-fine Velcro Pads (2 included)

This pad barely adds anything to the back of the phone- even as a pocket-carryin’ guy, the pad rarely caught or interfered, or even felt odd at any time. Yet, it holds very securely in the case. I like this stuff well enough that I am searching for a source for some of my own projects. (I believe it is this stuff- Velcro Ultra Mate.)

OK, so… tough- check. Good looking- check. Interesting element with the thin Velcro- check. How is it in use?

Obviously my experience with the Samsung Epic will be different than your experience with your phone, but I found this wallet to be a bit chunky.

Wallet in use, end view- note the angle of the magnetic tab

My phone is thick enough that the magnetic tab does not lay flat on the cover. If I press down by the tab…

POP! The tab just pops off. It would be fine with a thinner phone, but the Epic is just pushes the boundaries a bit. In fact, I dislike how the Epic fits in most cases- it is already a tad thick and the case just makes it worse.

Beside this rather minor issue (even with the so-so fit, it still works fine), this is a terrific case- well-made, protective, and incredibly durable… although whether it is worth $59.95 is up to you.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews, Wallets

Tagged: Case, Generic PDA related, Other PDA related, Palm OS related, Smartphone, Wallet

Nutshell Smartphone Wallet Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 17, 2011 at 11:30 am.

When you get a new gadget, you have to decide how you’re going to protect it.  Cases can provide good protection, but they add bulk and completely obscure the device.  Those thin skins – clear or with a design – add some scratch protection, but some of them can be as slippery as the device itself.  DomeSkins are different than other skins;  they have a padded, 3-D profile.  They come in a variety of patterns and colors, so you can customize your device to suit your style.  They use a 3M adhesive that comes off easily and leaves no sticky residue.  Unlike most skins on the market, you’ll be able to reuse the DomeSkin because the puffy, 3D layer strengthens the skin and helps it retain its shape.  The domed profile adds more protection than flat skins can, and they are scratch-resistant and add some “grip” to your device.  (The phone in the picture is stuck to the glass in a vertical window.  Click the picture for a larger view.)  DomeSkins are available for the following devices:  Blackberry (Torch, Storm, Bold, Curve, Pearl models for $19.99), iPhone (original, 3G, 3GS, 4 for $19.99), various iPod models ($19.99), and iPad (1 and 2, $29.99).

Filed in categories: Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Skins

Protect and Customize Your Devices with DomeSkin originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 1, 2011 at 8:46 am.

Looking like a cross between an Atari 800XL and a Blackberry 9900, this device was spotted over on CrackBerry.com forums. It seems a site called MaxPDA.com posted a bunch of pictures of this device, and nobody seems to know if this is a prototype, a one-off copy, or ( hopefully not, in my humble opinion ) an indication of Blackberry’s new designs. The “Proceeding” name across the top is odd, the keyboard is completely strange, but the internals look modern. One of the shots shows the battery cover off, and it looks like NFC ( Near-Field Communications) or wireless charging ( ala Touchstone ) is implemented. MaxPDA also reports it’s running OS 7.0, so it’s also not a new QNX-OS based device. Leave a comment, and let us know what you think of this strange device.

[Via Crackberry.com, MaxPDA.com]

Filed in categories: Blackberry related, News

Tagged: Blackberry

Alternative Future Blackberry? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 11, 2011 at 4:03 pm.

Jabra has a new Bluetooth product in their sports portfolio.  The Jabra SPORT Bluetooth earphones let you listen to music and make phone calls.  They fit securely on your ears while you exercise, and they meet US Military standards for protection against dust, rain, and shock.  Powerful speakers produce high-quality sound, and the wind-noise protection feature of the microphone means clear phone calls.  They come with a carrying case and with a free download of Endomondo Sports Tracker, a fitness tracking application for smartphones (iPhone, Android, and Blackberry) that functions as a motivational tool for running, giving quick updates on speed, distance, and lap time.  Endomondo allows users to visually see past running routes on their smartphone via a GPS tracking feature.  The Jabra SPORT will be available at Amazon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Apple for $99.  A corded version, the Jabra SPORT-Corded, is also available for $69.

Filed in categories: Android related, Audio, Video, TV Gear, Blackberry related, Bluetooth Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: bluetooth headset

Jabra SPORT Bluetooth Earphones Combines Fitness, Fun, and Function originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 7, 2011 at 11:30 am.

My husband is a great guy with only one tiny flaw – he can’t remember more than three things on a list.  So if I ask him to go to the store and pick up eggs, milk, cheese, and bread, I’ll only get 3 of them or I’ll get a call asking what he was supposed to get.  I’ve been looking for a good shopping app that will allow me to send him a list on his iPhone that he can check items off – not as easy to find as I hoped.  The Grocery Gadget app for iPhone/ iPod touch and iPad is exactly what I was looking for.  (There are also mobile versions for Blackberry, Android, Nokia, and Windows phones.)  I have the app on my iPad so that I can set up a list for  the grocery store, a list for Sam’s Club (my own custom list), office supplies, etc.  I can specify how many of each, brand, even include a picture of the exact item I want.  I can specify stores for the items, enter notes, and enter prices and taxes so I’ll have an idea of how much my shopping junket will cost.  Best of all, I can set up a free group account that we both can join so that I can push my grocery list to all devices in the group.  I can log on at the Grocery Gadget website so I can add/delete shopping categories and create lists.  The lists are permanent, so I can set up a master list of the things I commonly buy, then I can quickly indicate just what I need for this shopping trip.  As the items are added to the cart, check it off the list so you’ll see only the things still needed.  This checked status is quickly pushed to all devices in the group, so Butch and I can split up in the store and each shop half the list without duplicating efforts.  The universal app is available in a free version, a $0.99 basic version, and a $3.99 fully-leaded version (shown in screen capture).

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News, Windows Mobile related

Tagged: iOS app, shopping list

Grocery Gadget is More than a Grocery List originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 4, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Whether it’s my mobile phone or tablet it seems I’m always looking for new ways to make text input easier and faster. I already own a slew of Bluetooth keyboards, different on-screen Android keyboards, voice input, and somewhere I have a weird stylus that feels like I’m writing with a Slim Jim.

The folks at ApenUSA are taking us back a bit in an attempt to move forward with the A3 Smart Pen. The company has created a pen and receiver unit which can hold and transfer whatever you write to a Microsoft Windows or Apple MacOSX based computer, or a smartphone or tablet running Android or Blackberry OS. You just clip the receiver on to the paper you’re working on and start scribbling. The writing is then digitized and held for later transfer or immediately sent via USB cable or Bluetooth to your computer or smartphone in real-time.

ApenUSA also offers a model that is compatible with Apple’s iOS (A4 Smart Pen) as well, but it appears not to have the wireless functionality instead requiring a cable connection to your iPhone or iPad. List price for either product is $129. Check out a short
video of the Smart Pen in action after the jump.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, Bluetooth Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Android, Blackberry, Bluetooth Gear, Digitizer

Tired of tiny keyboards and thumb taps? Use an APEN originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 28, 2011 at 9:00 am.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprint. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you ever lost, misplaced or had your mobile phone stolen? How long did it take for panic to set in? I know I’d be unnerved if it happened to me. The new Sprint Total Equipment Protection App allows Sprint subscribers with Android, Blackberry and select feature phones to help alleviate that panic quickly, with this app, you can:

1) Locate phone
2) Sync contacts
3) Remote wipe phone
4) Lock phone
5) Sound alarm

The app is free if you’re already a Sprint Total Equipment Protection (TEP) customer. When you first purchase a phone from Sprint, you have 30 days to enroll. If you didn’t do that but would like to now, you are in luck as Sprint has opened up enrollment to existing customers till August 30th.

The Locate phone feature allows you to find your phone on a map using GPS technology. If you think the phone has been stolen, you can lock it and wipe the data remotely so that the thief can’t use it.

There’s also an alarm feature that you can use to cause your phone to sound an audible tone to help you find it in your house. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has lost my phone under a pile of magazines somewhere on my desk at one time or another.

The contact syncing feature allows you to wirelessly sync your contacts and transfer them to a new phone. This isn’t a big deal for Android users since our data is already synced with Google. But it is handy for feature phones and Blackberry users.

Additional info about the Total Equipment Protection (TEP) Plan:

Customers that didn’t enroll in Total Equipment Protection within 30 days of activating their phone are still able to add TEP to their phone as Sprint is holding an Open Enrollment from August 1-30, 2011. This means any Sprint customer can add the Total Equipment Protection feature. In addition to the new App features, TEP provides Sprint customers with a quick and convenient way to receive a replacement if their phone is ever lost, stolen, damaged or malfunctions after the warranty expires.

TEP cost $8.00 per month. The Protection App included with TEP with no added cost provides the ability to find a misplaced phone with an audible alarm, locate your phone on a map using network integrated GPS technology, remotely lock a missing phone, as well as wirelessly sync and manage and restore your contacts. Should a customer need to file a claim a deductible of either $50 or $100 is required for approved claims. While some people might think the deductible is a bummer, have you ever check on the non contract price of that EVO –$449. Or even that LG Optimus you thought was free — $299 is the full retail.

To enroll or learn more visit www.tepenroll.com. Current Sprint customers should hurry, they only have till August 30th to add the feature to their existing phone.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, News

Tagged: Sprint

New App Helps Sprint Customers Find Misplaced Phones originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 19, 2011 at 9:00 am.

In a few weeks, carriers will start rolling out RIM’s new Blackberry lineup which includes the Torch 9810, Bold 9900/9930, and the Torch 9850/9860.  All of these will come with a faster processor and runs the newer Blackberry 7 OS.  The star of the show would be the Bold 9900/9860 which is nicknamed the Bold Touch because of its 2.8” capacitive touch screen.  The Bold Touch will be sporting a 1.2 GHz processor, 5.0 MP camera capable of 720p HD video recording, and it’s the first Blackberry with NFC support.  Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short range (4cm or less) wireless technology which allows 2 devices to communicate.  Most noticeable use of NFC would be using your phone as a digital wallet by just bringing your phone close to the payment device to transmit the necessary credit card information.

Lately, Research In Motion hasn’t been having a great time with layoffs and loyalty issues with their Playbook (me being one of them).  Let’s hope this new lineup will redeem their corporate image.

Filed in categories: Blackberry related, News

Tagged: Blackberry, bold touch, RIM

RIM’s new Blackberry lineup originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 17, 2011 at 2:30 pm.

Sprint has announced two new BlackBerry smartphones: the BlackBerry Bold 9930 and BlackBerry Torch 9850. Both are  world phone capable and are powered by a 1.2GHz processor running the next-generation BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 7. Browsing on these phones is supposed to be 40 percent faster than BlackBerry 6 based smartphones and up to 100 percent faster than BlackBerry based smartphones.

The BlackBerry Bold 9930 smartphone is the thinnest BlackBerry smartphone ever. At 10.5mm thick, it features a 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen display, the widest QWERTY keyboard available on a BlackBerry smartphone and a trackpad for easy navigation.

The BlackBerry Torch 9850 smartphone will be the first full-touch BlackBerry smartphone from Sprint. It features a 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen display, the largest ever on a BlackBerry smartphone, and trackpad for easy navigation.

No word on pricing yet, but these phones will be available this fall. What do you think, is Blackberry still in the game? Or will is it destined to go the way of Palm/HP?

Filed in categories: Blackberry related, News

Tagged: Blackberry

BlackBerry Bold 9930 & BlackBerry Torch 9850 Coming to Sprint This Fall originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2011 at 3:15 pm.

The first thing a gadget lover usually does after purchasing a new tablet is to protect it from scratches and bumps.  Recently I purchased the Blackberry Playbook.  It’s a sturdy 7 inch tablet that came with a neoprene sleeve in the box.  But I was looking for something a bit more heavy duty.  I needed a case that could protect it while I used it and be able to survive a drop.  That’s where OtterBox comes in with their Blackberry Playbook Defender Series Case.

The case comes in 3 pieces:
1) Front piece that has an integrated clear protective membrane that works well with Playbook’s touch screen.
2) Back piece that has a clear protective membrane over the back camera.
3) A cover piece that can be snapped on the front or back of the case.

The cover piece is made up of hard plastic and can be placed in front or back of the case.  It has 4 strips of grip on the bottom to prevent it from sliding on the table.  The 2 pictures above show the cover piece on the back of the case.  It has a sliding door to expose the back camera of the Playbook.

The above picture shows the cover snapped onto the front of the case.  The cover is actually slimmer than the case itself which allows for the Playbook’s speakers to be exposed while still having the cover on.  That’s great if you want to leave music playing while fully protecting the Playbook.

Another great feature of the cover piece is that it can be used as a stand as well.  OtterBox has added in a X shaped hinge mechanism that allows the Playbook to be propped up on 2 different angles.

These 2 angles are great for viewing on the desk.  Only thing is that it’s not angled low enough for comfortable typing.

The front piece with the clear protective membrane does attract fingerprints and oils from the fingers.  This photo is taken with a month’s usage of average 2 hours a day.

OtterBox was nice enough to provide flaps to cover the 3 ports on the bottom and also the audio jack on the top right edge.

The buttons on the top are completely covered.  The cover actually makes the buttons easier to push since one of the complaints about the Playbook is that the buttons are extremely flush and hard to press.

The audio jack has a cover as well, which takes some digging to pop out.  I actually won’t mind if they left the audio jack exposed since it would make it much easier access instead of always digging for the flap.  The microphone hole is exposed next to the audio jack and also on the left side of the case.

Both speakers are exposed too.  The OtterBox case curves up a bit on the edge and channels the audio pretty well.

The front and back pieces are made up of high quality polycarbonate shell and covered with silicone skin.  And silicone loves dust!  What surprised me is the little amount of dust I had on the case.  I was expecting more after a month’s usage but it seems to be pretty clean with only minor traces of dust.  This OtterBox case is not waterproof because of the exposed parts of the case.

One thing about the OtterBox case is that it makes the Playbook look and feel huge.  But I like it that way.  The OtterBox case actually made it easier to hold the tablet and the extreme protection makes it feel sturdy.  The case is priced at $69.95 direct from OtterBox.  It’s totally worth it for complete protection of the Playbook.

Filed in categories: Blackberry related, Reviews, Tablet Computers and Gear

Tagged: Blackberry, Case, Otterbox, playbook

OtterBox Blackberry Playbook Defender Series Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 20, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Gadget cases.  Most of them are variations on a few themes—hard plastic or soft silicone.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve had more than a few cases for my iPhone 3GS, and I love to try out new ones.  But here’s something a bit different.  Hard Graft crafts cases for your mobile devices that are simple yet elegant.  They are 100% wool sleeves with leather accents featuring signature “X” stitching.  Among their products is the X Series which  includes the €39.00 XI iPhone Case (fits iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 and also iPod touch, several BlackBerry models and the Nexus S), the €59.00 XII iPad Case (fits iPad and iPad 2) and the XIII MacBook Sleeve (fits 11″ and 13″ MacBook Air and 15″ and 17″ Macbook Pro).  Pricey?  A bit.  Cool?  You bet.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: BlackBerry case, iPad case, iPhone Case, ipod touch case, MacBook cases

Wool Hard Graft cases are simple, rugged, elegant originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 11, 2011 at 4:00 pm.

The beautiful, full-grain leather Jornal cases from Sena will protect your BlackBerry PlayBook in style.  The case looks a bit like a Moleskine notebook, complete with elastic closure – although the Jornal’s elastic has a leather sheath.  There’s a rigid protective layer and a velvet lining with light “protective layer” for extra protection.  Cutouts in the case leave all controls and connectors open for easy use.  The Jornal converts into a horizontal stand for watching movies or into a typing stand. Inside you’ll find a transparent pocket for ID, credit card slots, and a multipurpose pocket.  It’s available in black with red, black with orange, and red with cream (shown).  The Sena Jornal Case for BlackBerry PlayBook will ship 5/13/11, and the regular price is $89.99.  If you act fast, you can pre-order for $79.99.

Filed in categories: Blackberry related, News

Tagged: BlackBerry PlayBook case

Protect Your BlackBerry PlayBook with the Jornal Case from Sena originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 10, 2011 at 11:00 am.

The Energizer Inductive Charger and the iPhone 4 Qi (pronounced chee) Sleeve is the newest wireless charging system promising to simplify your charging experience for your myriad rechargable devices. It uses the Qi standard for charging, which is a global standard for wireless charging systems. What this should mean is that as more devices ship with integrated induction charging using this standard, you’ll be able to use them with this charging pad. In the meantime you’re stuck using sleeves to add the necessary charging magic to existing devices, and this is where the promise of easy cable-free charging meets the stark reality of not having any native support in a sleek device for such charging.

Stuff Inside

The system consists of the Charging Pad & its wall wart. The Sleeve is just that – only a sleeve that connects the dock of the iPhone4 to the inductive power receiver embedded in the back of the sleeve.

The Charging Pad

The Pad provides two charging spots (marked with the Qi symbol) with corresponding blue LEDs overhead to indicate charging status. On the back edge of the Pad there’s a standard powered USB port, for charging devices via wired USB. When a Qi device is placed pretty much anywhere on/over either spot, The blue LED lights up indicating the device is charging. It goes out when the device is fully charged.

The Sleeve

The iPhone 4 sleeve is the weak link in this system. Although it is easy enough to side a bare iPhone 4 into/out of the sleeve, and you could leave your phone in the sleeve at all times, it is both too large and heavy and makes for a poor phone case.

You can see the sleeve provides routing for the bottom speaker and mic to the front of the case. However, the dock is “consumed” by the sleeve, so there is no way provided to connect your en-sleeved iPhone 4 to anything else.

The sleeve covers the back fully, with a cutout for the camera & flash.

The top and left side are left uncovered to allow for access to controls and the headphone jack:

Charging

The good news is, the system works really well. Slide the iPhone 4 into the sleeve, and you’re done. Just drop it anywhere generally over the Qi circle on either side of the charger, and your iPhone will happily report it’s “plugged in” and charging

Pick it up, and it’s “unplugged” – drop it back on, it’s plugged in.

Charge times

As far as I can tell, the power supplied by the Energizer Inductive Charger is roughly equivalent to that provided by the Apple mini AC adapter – there is no technical information provided with either the pad or the sleeve, nor on the Energizer website, detailing the amount of power being delivered. Nonetheless dropping the iPhone 4 on the pad delivered a fully charged iPhone 4 in roughly the same amount of time as it would if plugged into AC.

Usage Ups and Downs

I tried to leave the sleeve on during the day, but it’s just not practical. I’m not at all happy with the additional bulk and weight – the iPhone 4 itself is 137 grams, the Qi Sleeve is nearly exactly 1/3 of that at 46 grams. It adds 9mm to both the width and height, and a massive 6mm to the thickness of the iPhone 4. Even worse, I lost the ability to dock in my car (which has an iPhone/iPod dock) or to quickly dock/sync/grab a photo off via USB cable at work, without taking the sleeve off. Swapping the sleeve multiple times during the day just didn’t work.

What did work was just swapping my normal jell case (which adds a couple grams of weight and less than 1mm all around) for the sleeve when I arrived at home, and then returning the iPhone to the jell case as I left for the day the next morning. Leaving the charging pad on the bedside table, I just dropped the phone on it before turning in, and grabbed it (and then, swapping cases… argh!) in the morning.

Conclusion

The Qi standard for inductive charging should finally allow manufacturers to embed the receiving portion of the system into new rechargeable products, eliminating the major flaw of requiring a sleeve or other add-on to bridge the native wired charging port to an inductive receiving system in the sleeve. Until that time, the design of the sleeve is critical, and the current Energizer iPhone 4 sleeve doesn’t quite provide a usable solution. The added size and weight, along with the nearly fatal blockage of the dock without even providing an alternate microUSB connection, makes it impossible to go any significant amount of time with the Sleeve on the phone. So, you can plug and unplug a cable to charge, or you can plug and unplug the sleeve to charge. Either way, you’re still plugging every time you charge.

Filed in categories: Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Blackberry, charging, inductive charging, iPhone

Energizer Inductive Charger and iPhone 4 Qi Sleeve Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 20, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Attach the CobraTag fob to your keyring, computer bag, purse/gear bag, load up the application to your BlackBerry or Android smartphone, and this security system from Cobra will protect your gear from loss.  The application continually monitors the distance between your phone and the protected device; an alarm sounds if they get separated.  The application will also note the GPS location and the time/date when separation occurred and send a text or email to a pre-defined contacts list or notify a Facebook or Twitter account.  It also acts as a two-way finder; press a button on one and the other sounds an alarm.  The CobraTag will ship in July, 2011 and will cost $59.99.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, News

Tagged: Security

Never Lose Your Valuables Again with CobraTag originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 7, 2011 at 7:53 am.

I saw in the recent email from Office Depot that they are taking pre-orders for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.  The PlayBook has a 1GHz processor, 7″ touchscreen, built-in WiFi, and dual cameras for HD video conferencing.  The PlayBook supports Adobe Flash and offers seamless BlackBerry integration.  It’s available in 16GB ($499.99), 32GB ($599.99), and 64GB ($699.99) versions.  There’s a limit of one per customer, while supplies last.

Filed in categories: Blackberry related, News

Tagged: BlackBerry tablet, Wireless tablet

BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Available for Pre-Order at Office Depot originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 2, 2011 at 9:30 am.

The Monsoon Multimedia Vulkano Flow is the latest version of the Vulkano product line, and represents a simplification of the feature set to focus on “place shifting” (streaming) of live television while greatly simplifying the setup of the device and software. I reviewed a pre-release version of the Flow, so there may be very minor differences in the final software, although any differences should be minor. The Flow, like the other products in the Vulkano line, take advantage of the analog loophole in the modern digital era of television. To use it, you’ll need a set top box (either cable or, satellite) that outputs component or composite analog versions of whatever it’s receiving. If you’ve got that, you’re good to go with the Flow.

Inside The Box

The Flow consists of the unit itself, the required cables to hook it up, and a quick start guide.

The Flow unit is 16″ by 5″ by about 1″ high, and lacks any buttons or controls other than a reset button on the side – I’ll cover install & setup in the next section. First, let’s take a closer look at the Flow.

The front left has the power/status LED on top: Green means good, variations of blinking or solid Red means it’s either in setup mode or having some issue. On the front left edge is one of the strongest IR blasters I’ve ever seen (again, more on that later!)

Around on the left side is a USB port and a mysterious reserved thing. I’m not sure what the USB port will end up being used for – at least at this point there doesn’t seem to be any way to use it. Perhaps in the final or future release it will have some use. The right side has nothing on it, while the back gets all the glorious analog jacks:

You’ve got composite and component inputs and outputs, along with an Ethernet port and the jack for the extended IR Blasters. At a minimum you need to attach just the composite (Video/L/R) cable up, for standard definition analog video sources. If you have a High Definition component source, you’ll hook up both the HD and the L/R audio connections. This means the Flow only does stereo audio, no matter what your source.

The Analog Loophole (Installing the Flow)

One side effect of the Digital world is the increasing difficulty in capturing/recording or otherwise redirecting the content that you receive. For example, most cable operators no longer provide clear QAM transmission of any but the over-the-air channels they rebroadcast. Likewise, the use of HDMI makes for easy component interconnect, and the loss of the ability to record (except in rare cases) anything that’s transmitted over that connection. The Flow gets around this via the last loophole available – and one that might be harder to come by in the future. It uses analog outputs (component, or composite) and encodes those on the fly, generating a high quality stream over the network. So, hooking it up is a matter of taking the analog out from your set top box into the Flow:

I’ve pulled out the boxes so you can see the resulting mess! The box in the back is a standard Comcast (Xfinitiy) HD box – an RNG110. It outputs both HDMI and 1080i HD Component Video, and SD Composite Audio and Video. You could call it the dream box for the Flow, as you can simply plug in the outputs from the Comcast box to the inputs of the Flow, and leave the HDMI connection from the Comcast box to whatever it goes to in your home theater setup. If you’re not so lucky, you can put the Flow “in between” your set top box and your TV – just connect both the input and output video/audio through the Flow so it sits between.

Obviously the Flow can only “flow” whatever the cable box/video source is outputting – if someone wants to watch something “at home” at the same time that you want to use the Flow while you’re remote (in the home or out), you’re going to be watching the same thing! If you need the ability to watch two different channels/programs at once, you’ll need a dedicated set top box for the Flow.

Network Connected

The whole purpose of the Flow is to stream your TV onto your network, or beyond it, which means it has to get connected somehow. It comes with Gigabit wired and 802.11n (2.4ghz) wireless connectivity, but since the unit itself has no user input capability you might wonder how you set it up in the first place. In my case, I have a wired Ethernet switch behind my home theater, so I just plugged it in to the wired network. The quick-start guide walks you through setting up the WiFi connection via the wired Ethernet and a laptop. Additionally, the current (beta) software only includes a Windows (7 or Vista) version of the setup wizard, although Monsoon expects to ship the setup wizard for MacOS as well as Windows.

In any case, to get the ball rolling you need to plug in something via wired Ethernet, and then run the setup wizard.

Mister Wizard, Set Me Up

The setup wizard begins by checking for any updates, and offering to update your software if a new version is found.

After that, it searches for any Flows it can see. If you’ve just directly connected a laptop to the Flow via the wired Ethernet, it will still find the Flow this way, and you’ll be able to set up the wireless link this way.

Once found, the current device settings are loaded

At this point you can configure the Ethernet or WiFi connection options from the comfort of a computer with a full keyboard. As part of the initial setup you name your Flow, and give it a password. You’ll need to know both in order to connect to it, even from inside your home network.

Firewalls – Never Easy

At this point we need a quick detour down Firewall Lane. First, the firewall on the PC/Laptop you’re using to run the Wizard might be aggressive about blocking the Flow. For example, I needed to temporarily disable Symantec Endpoint Protection before the laptop could find the Flow. Next, the Flow, once named, registers with servers at Monsoon (this is how you connect to it from outside your home network) which means your firewall/gateway/router needs to properly handle that connection. If you’re using a UPnP router/firewall, the Flow will open up what it needs and set up its forwarding that way. If you don’t trust (or have) UPnP, you’ll need to open a few ports and forward some ports to the Flow.

Video/Guide

Finally, the easy part is telling the Flow what input source to use, who the provider is, and where you live. Video input is simple. Select the one you’re using. You should see something, and hear something, when you get it right.

The EPG (listings) are also simple enough:

The details of the set top box also requires some attention:

At this point, you get to test your settings by changing the channel, and seeing if it works:

There are several settings for the behavior of the IR blaster, but the major hurdle is just making sure the set top box can see the IR sent from the blaster. In my case, I didn’t need to use the IR blaster extender cable – the Flow could control the cable box just fine even when placed behind the box.

The setup sounds somewhat involved, but really takes just a few minutes if all goes smoothly. I’ve hooked up a few different devices that perform similar functions, and the Flow is one of the easier ones to configure.

Sure, but can you watch TV?

After getting it all set up, you’re ready to kick back and watch something on your Laptop, or your mobile device. This is where the Mac or Windows client comes in. The Flow includes both the Mac and Windows client, the mobile clients (iPhone/iPad, Android, and Blackberry versions are currently available) are $12.99 each. For this review I used the beta Mac and Windows clients, which are essentially identical – the screen shots are from the Mac client. I also used the pre-release version of the iPhone client.

The behavior of the clients is the same if you’re inside or outside your home network. The only difference is that you can set the clients to always use the highest bandwidth/best quality setting when they detect they’re on the same local network as the Flow. If not, then you get full control over the quality (and bandwidth used) for the stream. My home network is Gigabit/Wireless N, and my Internet connection is 12/2mbit. Your ability to stream over the Internet will be limited by the speed of your home network (the slower speed, upload, is the important one here) and the speed of the mobile network you’re using to connect from. In other words, a lot of things you have no control over can go wrong.

Mac/Windows Client

When you start the desktop client for the first time, you won’t have any Flows available. You’ll need to add a Flow – enter its name and your password, and it will be permanently added. After that it will always be available. In my case, the Flow is named gad-rev-flow.

You’ve got four choices – watching TV, checking out any recordings you might have made on this Client, browsing the EPG, or modifying your settings. Let’s browse the EPG first:

You get a nice thumbnail of the current channel, and full/detailed guide information for what’s on. The search box on the bottom lets you search Programs or Channels for quickly finding stuff in today’s hundreds of channels world.

Clicking on Settings lets you revisit some of the settings choices from the Wizard, but also adds settings relevant to the Client itself – the first being the quality of the video:

With a fast home network, there is no downside to setting things to their maximum. You can dial down the bitrates, as well as select a smaller video resolution to significantly slim down the resulting stream, if you experience excessive buffering.

The Recording and DVR settings determine how much disk space you’ll allow the Flow to consume, and where it should stash files:

You can record the current program by clicking the Record button – it’s like a VCR from the good old days, before you could even schedule a recording. That’s somewhat limited, but I think they expect you’d use this for infrequent recording, and mostly live streaming. Anyway, hit the record button in the Live view, and this pops up:

Once started, the Client displays the show and indicates that it’s Recording… it will stop when you’ve specified, or when you click the Record button again.

You can revisit your recordings from inside the Client. They’re mpeg-4 videos, which play back fine using the Client. I also was able to play them using VLC media player, and the native app on the iPhone. Quicktime on the Mac didn’t seem to like them, however – playing the audio much too quickly.

Here’s an example recording:

20-03-2011 05-06-48 pm

The recorded file above plays correctly via the Vulkano clients, and using VLC media player. You may experience audio sync issues if you try to play it in your browser or via QuickTime. If you’d like to see the video quality, I suggest you save the link contents to your local machine and play it with VLC media player.

No couch potato experience would be complete without a remote:

You can control your cable box via the virtual remote, including powering it on if it’s off, or (for me with Comcast) watching an On-Demand program.

Video quality on the desktop client at the “best” resolution is excellent. This is a full screen image of HD source material in the Client, running on a Macbook Pro:

This is a 1:1 crop of a section of that image:

Summary, Part I

There’s a lot to the Flow Client, and I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface here. Bottom line – it does a great job of bringing your HD/SD video from your main viewing area to any location in your home where you’ve got network (wired or wireless) access and a PC/Mac/Netbook. Want to keep an eye on the game while you’re cleaning out the garage? This will work. Want to pause it while you haul something down to the curb? Yep, it can do that. Want to record a program you’re watching? Either pause it or hit record, and you’ll be able to watch it later.

Likewise, you’ll be able to watch your home television source anywhere you can get broadband – assuming you can get fairly decent network connectivity, and you have 1-2Mbit upload speed at home. If both of those are true, you’ll have the ability to watch anything while “away”.

In either case, the EPG and virtual remote give you full control over the video source from wherever you are.

Going Mobile

Speaking of “away” – or even at home – you might just want to skip the note/net-book and go right to your smartphone or tablet. The Flow can do that, but at an additional $12.99 per client. For the purposes of this review I used a beta version of the iPhone client, but the experience should be similar on iPad, Android phones/tablets, or the Blackberry.

On launch, you either reconnect to the last Flow you used, or you’re prompted to enter the Flow’s name & password:

Like its bigger brother, you’re presented with Watch/EPG/Settings… missing is Recordings, since you cannot record, at least on the iOS client.

Tapping Live TV starts streaming whatever the set top box is tuned to. There is a floating overlay that will disappear after a few seconds providing controls and information about the streaming bitrate:

Tap Guide to get the mobile version of the EPG. The Flow does a reasonable job trying to present all that guide data in a usable form on a mobile client:

Favorites (not shown) lets you keep a list of channels you watch often for “one click” navigation.

The Remote Control “overlays” the Live TV – in the screen shots below I’ve powered off the set top box so you can see the remote more clearly. There are three modes – a Channel number pad, control Menu with the key remote control buttons, and  the DVR control – this has buttons you’d need for controlling the DVR functions of your set top box, if any. The remote works exactly as you would expect:

Settings shows you the Flows you’ve connected to, and your network/resolution preferences:

Streaming Resolutions/Bitrates

For resolution you just get Normal (or “low” as I would call it), Medium, and High:

I tuned to the local HD CNBC midday news/stock/information overload station to see how each streamed. This was remote from my house, but I was on WiFi, to give the Flow the best downstream possible. Recall my Home Internet is limited to 2Mbit upload speeds. So, this is the Normal setting:

220Kbps is indeed pretty low, and quite 3G/Cellular friendly. The shot below is a 1:1 zoom of the lower left corner showing the loss of detail.

At that bitrate, you will use roughly 100MB per hour of streaming. On the AT&T 2GB plan that’s 20 hours of streaming total for a month. Clearly, this is not something you’re going to want to do every day, but you could catch a show or game now and then on the 2GB plan without breaking the bank. Next I stepped up to Medium:

A significant improvement in the clarity (again, 1:1 detail of lower left corner below) at a significant cost.

We’re now streaming at 1256Kbps, or roughly 550MB per hour. In a bit under 4 hours you’ll have used your 2GB on cellular data, assuming AT&T can even deliver that consistent a stream to you. However, the quality for viewing this is quite acceptable,  if you can get WiFi. Your home uplink is going to have to be faster than 1Mbit, so we’re beyond the reach of DSL speeds. Finally, I went for the High quality:

Not too much more bandwidth added, and pretty much a toss-up quality-wise compared to Medium. It looks a tiny bit clearer, especially in the very fine details such as the light gray text above the stock crawlers. You can also see the gradient drop shadow above the crawler is a bit smoother vs. Medium:

You’ll use 1600+Kbps at this rate – that’s about 75% of my 2Mbit uplink speed and could actually tax the abilities of many freebie WiFi hotspots to provide. On cellular data this will eat your 2GB allowance for lunch (0.7GB/hour!) – only unlimited plans should try this, and even then you’d need to be on a really great tower.

Of course you can use either the MacOS or Windows Clients when mobile, but recall that the maximum resolution is 720×480, so your results are comparable (clarity-wise) at the three resolution settings to these settings in the mobile client. When I tested the MacOS client remotely it performed much like the Mobile client did.

Streaming/Remote Experience

As I said, once you leave your home network you’re at the mercy of a lot of technology you have no control over, and some you do. You’ll need reasonable speed coming out of your home, and that speed has to be available for the Flow – so other network use by others at home can cause buffering/poor playback. When I tested the “Normal” quality on the iPhone on 3G, it was able to deliver smooth frame rates when I had a good signal. Marginal signals meant choppy playback, as the client paused and buffered, waiting for AT&T. On a fast WiFi connection, I had smooth playback at all three speeds for either the Mobile client or on a Macbook Pro.  Using the EPG or the virtual remote to change channels was a little laggy, but succeeded every time.

Summary, Part 2

I found the Flow to be easy to set up, and easy to use. By slimming down the functionality of the device to focus mostly on streaming live video, with enough recording/pausing to cover occasional recording or “pause that! I’ll be right back” needs (pause works on iOS so it seems like its part of the mobile client experience as well) Monsoon’s Flow feels much more like an appliance than a geeky video/networking gadget.

Filed in categories: Android related, Audio, Video, TV Gear, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Video Streaming

Monsoon Multimedia Vulkano Flow Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 25, 2011 at 2:30 pm.

Dean Koontz is my absolute favorite author.  I love his books.  I have calendar entries for new book releases, and I buy them from the Sony ebook store at midnight on release day.  I was happy to see that he has released an app that will hopefully keep me up-to-date with the latest news and releases.  You’ll be able to read excerpts from Dean’s books, watch videos, listen to audio clips, get wallpapers, and more.  The app was developed by Mobile Roadie for Apple iOS (designed for the iPhone/iPod screen), Android, and Blackberry platforms.  The apps are free.  Go to the Mobile Roadie website to be redirected to the appropriate location to download your Dean Koontz app.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Dean Koontz

Keep Up With Dean Koontz originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 26, 2011 at 7:30 am.

iZUP “eyes up” is an Android and BlackBerry app that prevent incoming and outgoing calls, text messages and emails while driving, while still allowing full access to 911 and a list of 3 authorized phone numbers. Incoming calls will be routed to voice mail and text messages will be held till you’ve stopped driving (there’s a time delay for stop lights and heavy traffic). Parents can set it up for their children’s phones and any attempt to tamper with the settings will send Mom or Dad an email. Interacting with applications on your phone is also blocked except for one designated app (ex: navigation software). The software works with the GPS in your phone, along with the iZUP servers to calculate your speed and other conditions to determine if you’re driving. iZUP will cost you $2.95 per month / $19.95 per year for a single user, or $5.95 per month / $59.95 per year for 3-5 phones.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, Car Gear, News

Tagged: Android, App, Blackberry

iZUP – Would you pay for less distraction while driving? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 18, 2011 at 11:04 am.

Over the years, I have tried/reviewed many bluetooth headsets designed to free you from the hassle of having to hold your cellphone to your ear. Since they first came on the market, bluetooth headset technology, capabilities, and reliability have come a very long way.

BlackBerry has recently introduced three new bluetooth headsets and a visor mounted handsfree car kit. The BlackBerry Wireless Headset HS-700 is RIM’s high-end, feature-rich headset chalked full of capabilities. Being a longtime BlackBerry user, I quickly raised my hand to review the HS-700 and truly test its ability to work with my BlackBerry.

The HS-700 design looks just like a Blackberry device; black leather with a silver bezel. Personally, I like the look and feel of the HS-700. It is not the most high-tech looking bluetooth headset out there, but its simple, clean look is very nice and would definitely do well while wearing jeans to a suit and everything in between.

The HS-700 quickly and easily paired with my BlackBerry Storm 2.

Package Contents:

• HS-700 bluetooth headset
• MicroUSB cable
• Wall charger
• 1 regular, 3 stabilizing & 1 cushioned ear gels
• 2 ear hooks
• User guide

Bluetooth:

• Bluetooth 2.1 (for simplified pairing)
• Bluetooth HFP and A2DP Bluetooth profile
• Range: 10m/33 feet

Power:

• Dedicated on/off switch
• 200 hours standby time
• 4.5 hours talk time

Voice Commands:

• Status info and call tasks:
  • Options
  • Battery
  • Redial
  • Call last
  • Call <phone number>
  • Call <contact name>
  • Answer
  • Ignore
  • Mute
  • Unmute

• Music tasks:
  • Play
  • Next track
  • Previous track
  • Pause
  • Stop
  • Volume up
  • Volume down

Other features:

• Caller name announcement
• Audible voice prompts
• Advanced noise-cancellation technology
• Audio streaming

Unlike many other bluetooth earbuds, the HS-700 has a positive motion (vs pressing and holding a button) for turning the headset on. To turn it on, you twist the earpiece 90 degrees. At that point, the headset welcomes you and lets you know the earbud is connected to your BlackBerry and ready for use.

The HS-700 has a very simplistic in design; it does not have volume or power buttons. There is only a single button visible. This is used to issue voice commands. When you wish to give a voice command you push the button and say the command or as a call comes in you simply say ‘answer’ or ‘ignore’. The fact that you control the volume via your BlackBerry is not an issue for me but might be for some. The HS-700 automatically adjusts the volume of your call based on the noise level of your ambient environment.

Comfort and fit:

If you prefer more stability than just the cushioned or stabilizing ear gels provide, an ear hook can be attached to the HS-700.

Along with the ear hooks, BlackBerry includes various different sized silicone ear pieces for you to get the best fit of the bluetooth device in your ear.

With so many options and combinations, nearly everyone should be able to find a comfortable fit. I like the placement that just the stabilizing gel bud gave me. But it felt as though the earbud was going to fall out a majority of the time.

I preferred a stabilizing gel bud plus the ear hook. It felt much more secure and would not fall out if I had to sprint for my bus. Although, it did have a tendency to flop around (outward) a little while moving.

Call Experience:

The call quality on the HS-700 was excellent. The speaker provided a loud and clear in coming portion of the call experience. Like most modern day, upper end headset, the noise canceling technology was very good. Those that I talked with said they were able to hear me loud and clear.

Noteworthy Features:

There were several features/capabilities that made me appreciate the HS-700 more than some of the other bluetooth earpieces I use.

Music Playability: I love fact the HS-700 can stream music from my BlackBerry. While the earpiece is only in one ear, it does a good job of simulating stereo sound. All things considered, the sound quality is somewhere between good and excellent depending on where and how far away my BlackBerry is.

Voice Commands: The HS-700 has a very large number of possible voice commands, enabling you to control a good deal of your BlackBerry’s functions without having to access the device. Funny story…..I was listening to music and testing out the music control commands while cleaning the kitchen one day. The Gadgeteer Kid was walking by as I firmly said ‘Stop’ and he froze in his tracks, thinking he was busted for something .

Verbal Feedback: I like how the HS-700 gives you so much feedback on its status and what is going on (aka better situational awareness). As I mentioned above, when you turn on the earpiece, it welcomes and lets you know its connected to your BlackBerry. It informs you who is calling. Plus if you forget a command it lets you know your possible choices.

Overall, I am very pleased with the HS-700′s performance, form, and features. That said, this high-end bluetooth headset has a pretty steep price tag as well. At $129 MSRP, RIM’s flagship headset is priced alongside other upper-end, feature packed earpieces like the Plantronics Discovery 975 or the BlueAnt Q2. Although, it can be found online for about $80 like these other headsets as well. Price not withstanding, the HS-700 is well made, nicely designed/engineered. This headset is an ideal companion for those BlackBerry owners in search of a great bluetooth headset.

Filed in categories: Blackberry related, Bluetooth Gear, Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Blackberry, Bluetooth Gear

BlackBerry HS-700 Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 16, 2011 at 10:30 am.

I’m one of those people who have ears that just don’t work with the Apple earbud headsets. I really prefer the in-ear style, which is why I was eager to review the MEElectronics M9Ps. They’re priced just above the bulk earbud prices, have an interesting style, and looked like they’d be a good solution for those looking for an in-ear wired headset. I’ve been using them for a couple weeks in my normal routine, and overall they’ve performed admirably.

Headphones are a tricky thing. You’ll probably wear them for hours on end, in a variety of settings. You’ll abuse them (admit it – you’ve swung your iPhone from your ears) and you’ll cram them in pockets, sweat all over them, and even chew on them. Is it any wonder $15 “disposable” headphones are available in every store? Add a phone that is your media player as well into the mix, and it gets more complicated. Now you need a mic in case you need to take (or make) a call. Ideally, you’ll want some way to do some remote controlling right on the headset. This is the nich the M9Ps are supposed to fill – good sound, mic, durable, and inexpensive in-hear headphones.

The Contents

The retail hanger box contained the headphones, an assortment of ear bud ends to help you get the right fit, an airplane adapter, and a carry case. I was able to find a large size for my ears, which gave me a good snug and sound deadening fit. The carry case is a nice touch, and protects the headphones in a backpack or bag.

Closer look

There are thee important bits to a headset. The ear buds, the mic/control, and the jack. Maybe toss in the cord – I have seen some horribly cheap cords. Let’s look at each. First, the buds and mic/control:

A couple of things stand out. The snake pattern to the wire is a bold fashion choice, as are the chrome headsets. The mic/button is that black rectangle. There’s a pinhole on one side (that’s the mic) and the whole thing is the button – just squeeze the bottom half to press it – you can feel the “click” when you’ve pressed it. More telling to me (the cheap headset slayer) is the beefy stress relief cable connectors on the headsets.

The rubber bud ends pull off with a bit of pulling, which is good – I’ve lost more bud ends then I care to admit, and these don’t seem likely to just fall off.

The other end is equally important:

Gold tip, same decently hefty stress relief connection to the wire, and a curious angle distinguish the plug tip. You’ll notice that it’s case friendly, the jack’s plastic housing and ring aren’t much bigger than the jack itself. I had no problems plugging this in when using several different iPhone 4 cases.

The angled jack works well, but I’m not sure it’s any better than a straight one.

Music

I’ll admit it’s been too many decades for me to claim any ability to distinguish quality audio. I can say that the M9Ps are plenty loud, with a decent low end thanks to the in-ear nature of the ear buds. They’re probably not leaps and bounds better than those $15 headsets, but they’re at least noticeably better, to my ears. The single button can control the ipod app on the iPhone/iPad: one click to pause/play. Two quick clicks to (most of the time) skip to the next track. The actions are dependent on the device, but most devices that can use headsets with controls will do something similar to that.

Calls

The M9Ps also give you hands free calls, without the Bluetooth robot look. If a call comes in on the iPhone (and again, on most every other device) a single click answers the call. Another click hangs up. Mic pickup was clear according to the folks I talked to, and of course audio is loud and clear mono from both earbuds. They survived the most challenging test – the “dog walk while gabbing on the phone.” This adds wind noise, background noise, movement noise, and dog barks to the mix. Again, callers were able to hear me just fine, and didn’t complain about background noise. These aren’t noise canceling, however, so that background noise is going to get through. I did hear a little wind/friction noise transferred up from the cable, but no worse than usual for headsets while walking outdoors.

Simply Good

What else do you want from a headset under $35? These will do the job – they look nice, they fit well, they sound good, and the mic/control is quite usable. There’s no sound like wired sound. Sure it’s old school, but at least you can hear, and those who you talk to can hear you, without a phone glued to your head.

Filed in categories: Android related, Audio, Video, TV Gear, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Headphones and earbuds, Headset

MEElectronics M9P Hi-Fi Sound-Isolating In-Ear Headphones with Microphone Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 15, 2011 at 9:56 pm.

How many times has this happened to you?  You are sitting behind a car at a light waiting for the car to go when the light turns green only to miss the light because the driver is distracted reading their email or texting?  Or, even worse, watching a car swerving in and out of lanes while the driver frantically texts themselves into an accident?

In many states there are laws on the books to curb your use of your cellphone while driving, and many more states are enacting legislation each month to make texting and emailing on your cell phone while driving illegal.  The goal of the legislation iskeep you stay safe and focused on the road, but many of us still text or email while driving causing millions of avoidable car accidents each year.

A new application, DriveSafe.ly, aims to keep you focused while driving by automatically reading your email and text messages when they arrive on your mobile device.  There are two version of DriveSafe.ly; a free light weight version that reads you your email and text messages in real-time, and a paid version that adds to the capabilities of the free version by allowing you to answer your messages with just your voice – hands free – converting your voice to text and sending it out.

Today, DriveSafe.ly is supported on Blackberry and Android devices and work is underway to support iPhones and Palm platforms. 

Setup is a breeze and I have been using the App for a few weeks on my Blackberry and must say that I am impressed with how simple it is to use – it even seamlessly integrates with my Blue-tooth in car system and mutes the radio and reads my messages aloud over the car’s stereo when a new message arrives.

Check out DriveSafe.ly at http://www.drivesafe.ly/

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, News

Tagged: Android app, Blackberry

A Free App To Stop Distracted Driving – DriveSafe.ly originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 4, 2011 at 8:00 am.

If you’re into leather goods, you are probably already familiar with the products from Oberon Designs. They offer gorgeous cases for your favorite tech gear, as well as journal covers and other items. Today, I want to show you their cell phone case.

Note: Most of the images in this review can be clicked for a larger view.

Oberon offers this leather sleeve style case in cropped versions of their popular embossed patterns. Be aware of the word ‘cropped’ in that last sentence. If you go look at the pictures of this case on their site, just know that what you see there and what you get might not be exactly the same. For example, I asked for the Avenue of Trees pattern in Fern Green. The color is fine, but if you compare what you see above to the picture of this case on their site, they aren’t identical. It’s not a big deal to me, but for those of you out there that are super picky, I just wanted you to know this.

The sleeve case is a generic case in that it hasn’t been created for a specific phone. I tested it with my iPhone 4 and Droid X. The iPhone 4 works great, but the Droid X is too long. You can check Oberon’s compatibility list to see if your phone will work with this case.

The case is made of thick but supple leather that is smooth and soft to the touch. The front side of the case has the embossed pattern, while the back of the case is blank except for the metal strap cover.

The interior of the sleeve is lined with Black leather. The iPhone 4 fits perfectly in the case and is easy to insert and remove. The magnetized leather strap can be used inside or outside the sleeve.

Even the strap magnet is covered in leather.

Oberon really pays attention to detail. The edges of the leather are perfectly burnished and the stitching is even and straight.

I really love the products from Oberon Designs. They are gorgeous to look at, made extremely well and offer protection to our favorite gear. What else could you want? Oh yeah, their prices are pretty fair too.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Case, Leather

Oberon Design Cell Phone Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 1, 2011 at 10:22 pm.

You haven’t forgotten about AntennaGate and that whole death grip brouhaha have you? I didn’t think so. Do you still suffer from dropped calls on your iPhone 4? Death grip problems might give you a bigger headache than just dropped calls. It might be turning your brain into mush. The free Tawkon application for the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android phones shows how radiation levels from your phone are effected when you give your phone that might squeeze of death, are trying to talk to someone in an elevator and other signal challenged locations. Check out their video, which demonstrates the app on three different phones. Very interesting and a little worrisome. What do you guys think?

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Phones, Radiation

Can the Death Grip Fry Your Brain? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 10, 2010 at 5:20 pm.