Ultimate iPhone Hands Free Desktop Holder
The iPhone and iTouch are amazing devices to watch video, browse the web, play with apps, etc. However, try holding yours for any period of time in vertical or horizontal position and you arms get tired. Below is the latest design in iphone desktop holders by Podium.
Platinum Podium $48 (visit Podium Site)
Elegance in platinum design, allows you to use with Apple iphone or itouch as an easy way to hold in vertical or horizontal positions. Perfect for email, web browsing, watching a movie, playing a game, alarm clock on bedside, kitchen recipes, speakerphone, etc.
Perfect for iPhone applications – Speakerphone on desk for one
Easy Rotating to Watch Movies!
I want to use this to watch movies on my bed side table, kitchen table, airplane tray
Brushed Metal design – classy and on par with Apple Designs
I will have to add the Podium iphone accessory to my shopping list as it is the nicest phone holder I have seen so far. If you know of a nice design or want to comment please do as I welcome the feedback.
On a final note – I did review other designs just didn’t find one that was as stylish as the iphone itself.
Ped3 – iphone desktop holder accessory (view site)
Simple in design but not on the same level as the
For example Christen da Costa of Gadget Review showed this one but what I didn’t like was all the little holders around all sides which creates a distraction visually. If you enjoyed this post, then make sure you subscribe to my RSS Feed and Follow on Twitter!
Top 5 iPhone 3G Battery Extenders Review
My Apple iPhone 3G is always running out of battery life and many vendors are catching on to the add-on market for portable battery extensions. In this post I review my top 5 favorite designs and assume many more exist that are great but still on the drawing table right now. In researching this I came across a page at Apple that basically says turn off 3G, wi-fi, lower brightness, turn off push mail… get serious Apple!
Apparently a new iPhone is arriving in 1 week so maybe this issue has been resolved..
What is important in a Battery Design for the iPhone
- Small & thin in design (if adds to much bulk, not worth it)
- Function with the iPhone as if you didn’t have a battery pack (no removing battery to charge phone)
- Modern in design and flow (Apple set the bar high on this one)
- Not increase phone size so much it doesn’t fit in your pocket (I carry mine in front pocket and the extra size would not be cool)
- Easy to sync phone without removing (essential, I heard horror stories on this with some battery solutions)
- Ability to leave on at all times and remove easily.
- Sturdy connection point (don’t want this to break the connector on the phone do we?)
- Price can’t exceed $99 (if phone is $199, that battery can’t be 50% of the price)
- Doubles the battery life of the iPhone or not worth it. 1000mAh minimum (I found that 1200mAh will provide 270 hours of additional standby time and 4.5 hours of 3G talk time).
- No additional blinking lights
- No large branding statement on the battery case.
The $6 Solution Before I begin I found a Cnet article that mentioned how to replace the iPhone battery internally by removing the 1100mAh and replacing with a higher capacity 1600mAh (the replacement should give you about 50 percent more runtime). The important point - Opening up your iPhone will void your warranty. So will installing a third-party battery.
Most Popular iphone batteries according to me..
1. Mophie Juice Pack Air Battery iPhone 3G $79 (1200 mAh) (see online)I came across this battery and said this is the one! First impression is good design, slimness, style all sounds good. They make a claim to be the thinnest rechargeable battery case for the iPhone 3G and they are correct! The battery is available only from Mophie & Apple Stores and is Apple certified. You can sync without disconnecting the battery, charged with a USB cable and has a power switch. The life of this battery is 500 cycles and after that will diminish in capacity (just buy a new iphone). It comes in 3 colors and doubles the life of your iPhone which is fine.
Project Gadget Rating: 10 out of 10
Mophie Video Review
2. Mophie Juice Pack Battery iPhone 3G $99 (1800 mAh) (see online)Ok, not as stylish as the Mophie Air it has more juice (1800mAh vs. 1200mAh) and is another rechargeable battery slider for the iphone. The case is non-slip in a soft gel design. It weighs 3 ounces and provides an extra 6 hours of 3G Internet use, 7 hours of Wi-Fi or 6 hours of 3G talk time. This was the first certified Apple battery to work with the 3G and not if that is a good thing or a bad thing.. Personally I like the air design but more power is the reason you are reading this page. You can sync and charge without removing the battery and offers the Latest in lithium polymer battery technology. Project Gadget Rating: 9 out of 10
3. Power Slider for iPhone 3G by InCase $79 (1330mAh) (see online) Although this product has been around for awhile I am keeping it on the list based on it’s design aesthetic and overall approach. The black case is simple. The issue I have heard about this battery is with syncing and have resisted buying it on that alone. The unit weighs 2.5 ounces and increases the phone to the point of not fitting in your pocket. A nice point - "Works with iPhone" certified by Apple Project Gadget Rating: 8 out of 10
Other Ideas for charging I choose to highlight the “other” category for iPhone External power as I am not sure I want one of these designs but wanted to share. I say this because I use a contour Flick case and the thought of flipping the flap and popping this on the bottom is not cool.
Those include the:
4. iPWR SuperPack iPhone 3G Battery Pack $59 (1800 mAh) (read recent project gadget post)
This small, modern battery pack for the Apple iPhone 3G is my favorite plug in style design. With 1800 mAh power source it’s the smallest battery and you can achieve 120% the battery life of your iPhone with re-charging in 2.5 hours. The lithium-polymer battery allows you to talk on the phone while it’s attached and that’s important to me. Available in Black & White and comes with a nifty top snap-on case and very thin in design. If I was buying an external battery pack I would suggest this design.
Project Gadget Rating: 10 out of 10
5. Richard Solo 1800 iPhone external battery pack $69 (1800 mAh) (see online) Honestly, I have some doubts about anything remotely tied to Sharper Image (ex-sharper image guy) as the quality of the brand went down so much I don’t see why this would be different. However, I will give the benefit of the doubt and say it provides an extra 1800 mAh of power which is as good as anything on the page and you don’t have to leave it on the phone which is nice.
Project Gadget Rating: 8 out of 10
Overall, I see the Mophie Air the winner in my iPhone 3G external battery solution research. If I was to go to a 2nd choice it would most likely be the IPWR external pack and just use it when I needed it. Please comment on what you thought.
I wanted to update my post and say that I purchased the Mophie and it is great - 2 Thumbs Up on this one and used during an entire 3hr flight, flicked the switch and powered up the battery right away. A must for long hauls!
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Plantronics Voyager Pro Review
I was talking with my brother Mark about his new Bluetooth headset and asked him to share his findings. He was frustrated with cell phone headsets and have to say I am too!
I recently purchased the Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset for use with my Blackberry Curve. I love it! Worth the $99 . My top criteria were; sound quality/noise cancelling, fit/comfort and talk time.
Sound quality/noise:
I was getting complaints about road noise when I made calls from my car. My teenage son actually refused to talk to me if I was on the highway – too much noise/cut outs. (Frustrated him – go figure) My first test on the Voyager Pro was driving 40mph, windows and sunroof open in traffic. Sound quality was excellent and I was told there was almost no road or wind noise. Also, my son told me I should re-record my voicemail greeting with the new headset – I did and have had a few people comment on how much better my message sounds. Distance - I found I could go about 30 feet from my phone before I started to hear some static on the headset. Voice dial on my Blackberry Curve works much better with the new headset!
The Earbuds are changeable
Fit/comfort:
I unfortunately do not have a notch in my ear so headsets without an over the ear design fall out of my ear. Another thing that bugs me is when a headset falls off when you look up. (Had some Motorola’s that did that) The Voyager Pro is very comfortable – I find myself forgetting is on my ear. I find there is no wobble and the unit stays in place even with a violent head shake. (Yes, I just shook my head and am feeling a little dizzy.)
Complete with Free USB Charger if you buy from Plantronics
Talk time:
I was close to buying the BlueAnt Q1 but right before ordering I read a few reviews that compared the Q1 to the Voyager Pro. One thing that caught my eye was the 4 hour talk time on the Q1. I drive for work once or twice a week to cities about 2 hours away, talking most of the time. The talk time on the Voyager Pro is “up to 6 hours”. That would have been a hassle with the Q1 and some of the other headsets I was considering.
Other features:
Mute: You can mute the Voyager Pro by pressing the + and – buttons together on the top of the headset. When you do, a nice female voice says “Mute on” – same with off.
Pairing:
Easy – phone found the headset no issue.
Bonus!
While writing this I remembered that I should register my headset. I went to the Plantronics site and filled out the registration info. When I finished registering, a screen popped up saying there was a promotion from April 2009 to Dec 2009 that entitled me to a free car charger for my Voyager Pro. (Best Buy rep did not mention this) Value $19.95 with free shipping. Filled out w/o having to give my credit card. Nice.
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I hope you enjoyed Mark’s review and feel free to comment. If you enjoyed this post, then please make sure you subscribe to the RSS Feed and Follow on Twitter! Thanks!
Project Gadget on Kindle
The Kindle Revolution has begun and Project Gadget is jumping on board. In case you have been in a cave, the Amazon Kindle is a cool portable book reader which now has the ability to subscribe to blogs via the included Amazon Wispernet delivery system. Check out the Project Gadget Service (14-day free trial) as I really want to hear feedback on it. As I post new gadgets it automatically sends to your Kindle!
A cool point about this services is that Amazon Kindle Blogs are auto-delivered wirelessly to your Kindle and updated throughout the day so you can stay current.
iPWR SuperPack iPhone 3G Battery Pack
I have been looking for a small, modern battery pack for the Apple iPhone 3G and the iPWR SuperPack is my favorite design. With 1800 mAh power source it’s the smallest battery and you can achieve 120% the battery life of your iPhone with re-charging in 2.5 hours. The lithium-polymer battery allows you to talk on the phone while it’s attached and that’s important to me. Available in Black & White at $59.95
Streamlined, ultra-compact, light-weight design:
Weighs 1.5 oz and extends 2.3" - compact dimensions no other direct plug-in battery can match. Dimensions: 2.4” wide, 2.3” long, and 0.45” high
Advanced integrated circuit:
True shut-down capability with "On/Off" switch allows to hold charge for up to 12 months when not used.
Compatible devices:
iPhone 3G, iPhone 1st generation, Pod touch (1st and 2nd generation), iPod with video, iPod nano (3rd and 4th generation), and iPod classic. "Made for iPod" and “Works with iPhone” certified.
Novatel MiFi 2200 Portable WiFi Router
Novatel has a new portable wireless wifi device that allows you to jump on the internet and share the signal with up to 5 friends within 30 feet. The gadget will be available from Verizon in mid-May ($100 with 2-year contract, after rebate) and gives you 4 hours of internet service (rechargeable batteries). Based on Verizon’s 3G high-speed cellular data network it’s $40 a month (250mb of data transfer / 10 cents per mb over).
Battery last 4 hours and standby is 40 hours so perfect for a trade show, student or business trip.
Note - If you watch videos and move lots of data, the $60 plan is the way to go (5 gigabytes). Or try the one-day pass: $15 for 24 hours and the MiFi costs $270.
Obvious Question? Why doesn’t my Apple iphone do this??? I could tether my blackberry but not the iPhone on At&T so hopefully this will make AT&T and Apple take notice.
Kindle DX Large Screen – 9.7 Inch
Today, Amazon announced the Kindle DX with the large 9.7” screen for $489. The original Kindle 6” Screen at $359
I was all set to get in line for the large screen version but feel the price should be $399 max on this and $299 for smaller version. Really, it’s black and white guys??
Nice 1/3” Slim Design (photo from Gizmodo)
Size of smaller version (holds 1500 books and downloads a book in 1 minute)
If you purchase this I actually make a small amount so thank you in advance!@
Micro Wind Power Portable Generator
Imagine using wind power to charge your iPod, iphone, digital camera? The Micro wind power generator by Hymini.com fits in your hand and will power most 5V digital gadgets with a 65 mA capacity. The case is translucent and the wind turbine glows green when charging. Minimum of 9mph wind speed to start charging.
The power is stored in a 1200 mAh built in lithium ion polymer rechargeable battery and has a USB plug so you can connect different gadgets.
LG TV Cell Phone LG-CU920
I want Live TV on my cell phone and went looking for alternatives and found the LG CU920 Cell Phone. With At&t mobile TV service you can enjoy full-length broadcast quality TV shows, play music and record videos. With a 2MP camera and touch screen the competitors are closing in on Apples iphone.
Looks like a nice design.
Callpod Fueltank iPhone Portable Power
My iphone is always running out of battery life and have been searching for a charge on the go solution that is nicely designed. I found the Callpod Fueltank and with it you can charge 2 devices at the same time with 7x the capacity of mobile phone battery in Lithium Ion design. At 8 ounces it’s ready to travel and perfect for
charging the iphone, ipod, cell phones, bluetooth headsets, digital cameras, gps and more. I really want to test this product as I have never seen anyone with it. Otherwise based on the demo, the CES 2009 Innovation award I have to give it 2 thumbs up!
What’s in the box:
AC/DC Wall Plug, Mini-USB adapter, Carrying pouch, Voucher for 1 FREE adapter at Callpod.com