Hasta La Gadget!

Wow, can you believe it? The iPod touch is now in its fifth generation of existence, which is saying something as we do know that Apple takes a slightly different approach to their product line, more often than not using just the same name no matter which generation it is, while their competitors come up with different kinds of names, although lately Samsung has followed Apple in their footsteps with the Galaxy S range. Having said that, just what does the latest iPod touch deliver to the masses? Let us check out whether a dedicated portable media player has a future in the world of smartphones, shall we?

The new iPod touch, just like the iPhone 5, is the thinnest version of the iPod touch to date, where it will share the same display as that on the iPhone 5 – a brilliant 4-inch Retina display, accompanied by a 5 megapixel iSight camera with 1080p HD video recording capability, running on Apple’s beefy A5 chip (which means there is no A6 processor as found on the iPhone 5). Not only that, Apple has also decided to throw in Siri, the intelligent assistant which first debuted on the iPhone 4S, as well as the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 6.

The new iPod touch (5G) will come in pink, yellow, blue, white and silver, black and slate colors, where pre-orders for it will start from September 14th onwards. You will be able to choose from 32GB and 64GB capacities, which will retail for $299 and $399, respectively. Of course, you can make a purchase outright on the Apple Online Store from October onwards. Having said that, the fourth generation iPod touch will still remain available, so Apple has not yet phased that out yet. Has the latest iPod touch impressed you enough to cough up money for it?

Press Release

[ iPod touch enters the fifth generation copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Active bodies are constantly on the move. And music is certainly a motivator. Running, walking, hiking, biking – they all improve with the right tunes (or podcasts). Most of us have gotten into the earbud or headphone mode. And they are fine, to some extent. But I think any earbud wearer has been in one of these situations: 1) You are in a zone, listening to your music and step or ride out into traffic only to have a near miss with a car, 2) Walking across campus and someone – unbeknownst to you – is running after you shouting your name in an attempt to get your attention, 3) Walking with a friend, who doesn’t have tunes, and you want to share yours.

So what is a good solution? Try the Sonic Walk from XSories. This $99.99 strapped contraption contains two 1.5W speakers, an input and a storage space for your player or smartphone. So rather than depending on your earbuds or headphones simply plug in, store your player and hear and share your tunes. The neoprene and spandex straps create a comfortable fit that won’t weigh you down. Recharge the unit after running it down and you are back in business.

Rather than risking your life with your ears plugged by buds or in order to share the tunes with those hiking, biking, running or just walking with you check out the Sonic Walk.

[ Keep Your Ears Open copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

I look around my house and see my devices charging at every conceivable electric outlet, I have all sorts of electronics plugged into ugly little power strips all over the place. I have tried hiding the cords or using more attractive charging stations, but in the end I have a tangled mess of cords and gadgets stuck in every corner. Maybe we should go the other way, and stop trying to hide our charging gadgetry and make the charger an objet d’art. What if our chargers were something beautiful to behold?

Check out Strut’s LaunchPort, sure, it’s an incredibly convenient and wireless way to charge your iPad, but thats not the best part. The LaunchPort is a jewelry grade, stainless steel hand polished sphere shaped pedestal, used in conjunction with a uniquely handcrafted Burl wood, carbon fiber or leopard print case, that charges your iPad and looks simply beautiful doing it.

Using powerful magnets that easily secure the gorgeous case to the magnificent pedestal, the unit can tilt, turn and pivot to almost any angle and the specialty case actually directs the sound from the rear of your iPad up to the front, allowing increased volume and clarity over your stand alone iPad. The case can be removed should you desire it, and a mini USB is also included in the event you require charging somewhere away from the base station.

The pedestal is available in chrome, matte black and gloss white with special order engraving and custom finishes available, same goes for the elaborate cases which have many special order options in addition to the 5 standard finishes currently available. Please visit Strutlaunchport.com to learn more and as you may have guessed, this much style doesn’t come cheap, the Launchport rings in at about 1200 bucks for the pedestal with the case. Is that too much money for aesthetic bliss?

[ LaunchPort – Charging your iPad in Grand Style copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

When the iPhone and the iPod touch were first introduced to the masses half a decade ago, many people figured out that the iPod touch was the iPhone – sans the phone part, of course. Well, the iPhone went on to be a huge success around the globe since then, and the iPod touch, well, it continued to reign as the top portable media player in the market, but over time, you could be sure that smartphones took over the portable media player’s mantle as a to-go entertainment device of choice for the masses. Well, if you happen to own an iPod touch, how about giving it a new lease of life with Dexterity’s MorphCase? This unique case is capable of transforming the humble iPod touch into a Wi-Fi mobile phone – and you do not even need a headset or a Bluetooth device to boot. Let us see how this is achieved in the extended post.

For starters, the MorphCase will play nice with the second, third and fourth generations of the iPod touch, where it will make good use of the audio jack input with any voice over IP (VoIP) app, hence eliminating the need for pesky external wiring or a headset. In fact, it will also come with a built-in speaker that is located at the top complete with a microphone at the bottom, similar to how a traditional phone works.

I guess you can say that the composition of “smart” in this “smartphone” is far more than that of a “phone”, but at least you are still able to make a call with a data connection. After all, many people have fallen on economically difficult times, hence it makes perfect sense to examine one’s spending habits and cutting down on paying for multiple cell phones, data plans, usage fees and monthly cellular bills.

The MorphCase will take advantage of any Wi-Fi hotspots around, and once connected, you can use an app like Skype (make sure you have credits inside if you want to call a mobile or landline number!) to keep in touch with the rest of the world. Color choices for the MorphCase include Black Fury, White Lightning and Limited Edition Chromax, retailing for $49.99 a pop although pre-orders are slightly cheaper at $35.

Press Release

[ MorphCase turns iPod touch into a smartphone copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Is there a generation gap when it comes to music these days? Some might say so, and continue to diverge in their paths, while other folks who have more inclusive tastes do not mind listening to the songs of old from a different era, coming to appreciate what their parents used to rock out to. Well, in terms of music playback devices, so too, will there be differences that need to be bridged – and with the £99.99 iLP Turntable ($149.99 from Amazon.com).

.com, that day has finally arrived. The iLP Turntable is suitable for vinyl lovers, where it will be able to convert all the tunes from your old LPs straight to your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch – all without the need for a computer to function as the middle person in the equation.

All you need to do to transfer vinyl directly to your iPad is to pop the player in the slot, spin the vinyl and press the record button. The iLP Turntable will have all the necessary brains within to perform some sort of electronic, digital magic, transforming all of those classics of yore directly to your iPad’s music app. Heck, it is even capable of separating tracks automatically to boot.

[ iLP Turntable merges old school with new copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]