Hasta La Gadget!

To many smartphone users, the need for outdoor activities far outweighs the value of their phone. Sure, they need a phone for pics or to communicate but protecting it won’t stand between them and the slopes, bike trails and the like. Knowing the phone is at risk, an investment in an appropriate case seems a no brainer.

Hitcase developed a perfect solution. Their Hitcase and Hitcase Pro cases for iPhone 4 and 4S (5 coming soon!) offer shock and water protection plus mounting options. Their ShockSeal system gives ample protection for the inevitable blow and their ShockPad cushions the phone and keeps it in place within the case. So yes, you can still type with ease on the protective screen. Of course the units are waterproof too – really sealing your phone off from the world. Outdoorsmen (and women) will have no problem affixing their phone to just about anything with the GoPro® mount and their 360 sticky mount. And for the real photographer the Hitcase Pro includes a wide angle lens built in. Hitcase currently sells for $89.99 with the Pro model at $129.99 on their website. So sure, the investment is more – but don’t let technology stand in the way of enjoying the trails.
[ A True Outdoorsy i-Phone Case copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Do you find it rather interesting that a game like Angry Birds have actually branched out to be such a phenomenally successful gaming franchise, so much so that I believe anything else that Rovio releases (which they did with Amazing Alex) will never be able to live up to the Angry Birds folklore and reputation. In fact, you can call Angry Birds as the Golden Goose of Rovio, and another golden egg has just been laid – this time around merging with yet another hugely successful movie franchise that was recently sold to Disney – Star Wars. What do you get when you put two and two together? Why, Angry Birds Star Wars, of course!

It should not be too difficult to find someone who is a fan of both Angry Birds and Star Wars, and you would be pleased to hear that Angry Birds Star Wars is now available for download over from the Windows Phone 8 Store. Basically, both Red Bird and Pink Bird have undergone an epic transformation in their timeless (and endless, at this point in time) battle against the Bad Piggies. Be prepared to go on an intergalactic adventure by grabbing your lightsaber, although it does make me wonder just how birds are able to grasp a lightsaber considering they lack the necessary digits to do so save for feathers.

You will be able to visit iconic Star Wars locations such as Tatooine, the Death Star and the beyond. After downloading the game, in can be installed right away.

For folks who are still running on Windows Phone 7.5, there might be hope for you just yet as there is a possibility of Angry Birds Star Wars arriving on that particular platform. The thing is, both Rovio and Nokia want to do everything in their power to ensure that the Angry Birds Star Wars experience on the older version of Windows Phone will not arrive gimped, making sure that some semblance of quality control has been put in as well. Keep your feathers crossed, folks!

Press Release
[ Angry Birds Star Wars makes a landing, the Egg is strong in this one copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Google has launched a new service aimed at developing countries called Free Zone. It allows users who either don’t have access to data connections or can’t afford it to be able to access basic Google services on feature phones for free. However, it’s only available in the Philippines at the moment.

Google notes that Free Zone is “aimed at the next billion users of the Internet, many of whom will be in emerging markets and encounter the Internet first on a mobile phone, without ever owning a PC.” With that in mind, the Google’s Free Zone will allow users to access Google services, such as Gmail, Search and Google+, on their mobile devices at no cost whatsoever.

Users will also be allowed to surf to any websites that appear in Google search results, but trying to gain access to any site outside of the search results won’t happen — users would be presented with an invitation to subscribe to a carrier data plan. It’s an interesting idea, and it reminds us of Facebook’s own similar initiative called Facebook Zero.

Free Zone is available on just about any internet-enabled mobile phone in the Philippines right now, and according to Google, it’s optimized to work on feature phones, but can also work on smartphones as well. Getting access to Google services over a data connection for free is a pretty great deal if you ask us, but there’s no word on whether Google will be bringing the feature to the US. Since it’s meant for developing countries, you can most likely expect Google to roll out the feature to only a select number of people.

[via Reuters]

Google launches Free Zone, aims to bring Google services to feature phones is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

How many pairs of earbuds do you go through in a year? If you are like me they get beat up, sweat on, tugged around.  Poor things. They have to perform though. Life is too short to buy cheap earbuds. Yet I’m hesitant to spend too much, knowing how I abuse them.

The audio gurus at Monster came up with a good solution to serve both needs. iSport Immersion in-ear headphones are built for abuse…and performance. A proprietary waterproof sealed housing protects the buds. How much? You can wash them! Yes, do not fret if your iSport Immersions end up in the laundry. So a little snow or ocean water won’t ruin them. Cult of Mac provided the picture above and review, illustrating just how much water they can handle. Smartly enough there is a right angle jack to fit into any situation. The in-ear design with OmniTip™ swivel nozzle and their patented Sport Clip give a secure yet comfortable fit that won’t fall out as you workout. Performance wise, expect all that Monster products offer including microstrand conductors, gold-plated contacts and isolating eartips. Hands free calling, multiple sizes of eartips and a protective pouch are also included. Sure, you pay a little more for performance – blue set at $79.99, yellow or black at $99.99 on Amazon.com. But if you tally up the amount you spend on earbuds and take into consideration these were made for active people – I think you will justify the price. If you like to stay active but can’t survive without tunes give the Monster iSport Immersion series a go. I doubt you will be let down.

[ Go Ahead, Submerge Them copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

If the area you’re in was hit hard hard by Hurricane Sandy, then we’ve got some good news to share today. Verizon has announced that its mobile network is almost back to full strength in the areas that have been ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, so it should be a bit easier to get in contact with loved ones and friends. As of this morning, Verizon says that 97.2% of its cell sites in the northeastern United States are functional, with the rest hopefully coming back soon.

Verizon says that its coverage in most areas is “approaching pre-storm status,” but clarifies that in some areas that were hit really hard by Hurricane Sandy, such as lower Manhattan, that isn’t the case. Coverage in those areas may not be up to where it was before the storm hit, but Verizon says that service should still be good in those places. It’s also worth pointing out that when Verizon issued this statement earlier, it said it would be bringing more cell sites up to snuff throughout the day.

That means it’s entirely possible that Verizon has boosted its 97.2% figure by now. Even if you don’t have decent coverage where you are, Verizon reminds that its still deploying “mobile disaster recovery and emergency network assets to fortify our network.” It has power generators to make sure cell sites remain functional as we dig in and begin the recovery process too.

We have to say, it’s really nice to see carriers stepping up and doing all they can to help customers out during this understandably rough time. In addition to efforts Verizon has been making, T-Mobile and AT&T have also done their part by waiving late fees for those who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. We’ll keep you posted on these carrier efforts to aid in the recovery after Hurricane Sandy, so keep it tuned here to SlashGear.

Verizon restores 97% of mobile network in Sandy-affected areas is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.