You’ll find no lack of highly fashionable accessories for your Apple devices in the archives and active market at Moshi, their newest offering for the iPhone 5 (and the iPad mini) being no set of exceptions. With the iGlaze Kameleon for the iPhone 5 (with models for the iPhone 4 and 4S also being offered up for the masses) you’ll be both well protected and ready for stand-up action, with a fabulous form-fitting casing surrounding the device with a hard metal kick-out stand ready at the back for portrait or landscape sitting action.
The iGlaze Kameleon looks and feels extremely similar to the basic iGlaze collection with its cut-out circle set for a full Apple logo peek-a-boo. You’ve also got full access to each of your ports, switches, and your camera and flash. Best of all (and required for a people such as we), this case does not place any casing around the headphone jack – or at least the closest casing isn’t going to interfere with our headphone plugs. That’s vital for the on-the-go headphone wearer and/or hard-wired car audio lover.
Understated fashion is what we’re talking about here, and the kickstand sticks with the theme. You’ve got the Moshi name/logo sitting near the end of the tail while the bulk of the stand is a perfectly simple flat aluminum, just ever-so-slightly darker than the rim of your iPhone 5. There’s also a protective “skin” included in the package that adheres to your iPhone 5′s back before you add your iGlaze Kemeleon case – the case attaches on its own, while the skin helps protect the logo of your iPhone through the revealed logo hole. Note here that we’ve got the black model while there’s a white color combination available from Moshi now as well.
Another case we’ve just gotten our first chance to take a peek at is made for the iPad mini and called “concerti”. This case is made of a hybrid silicone / microfiber inner casing for shock and scratch protection, and includes magnets for Smart Cover functionality. Close it up like a book and your iPad mini falls asleep, pull the elastic band around from the back to keep the whole case closed. This case also stands up and several angels and allows you full access to your back-facing camera, even when the case is folded backward.
The concerti for iPad mini case will run you $45.00 USD and is available right this minute from Moshi. The iGlaze Kameleon is also available now from Moshi and will cost you a cool $49.95. Interestingly enough, you can also use Moshi’s own “Xen Credits” for these purchases, these being points you earn from Moshi for special events and through your friends adding your name to their purchases upon payment – wild stuff!
It’s time to have a close-up look at the newest model wearable camera ready for 1080p recording, direct-to-Facebook live streaming, and the ability to connect to your smartphone for remote control – the Looxcie HD. This machine builds on the abilities of the past with the original Looxcie Bluetooth video camera that we reviewed back in April of 2011. Back then the camera was an ear-wrap sort of situation while here we’ve got a slightly larger machine, made for mounting to your hiking backpack, your helmet, or basically anything flat that you’ll be able to stick to with the sticky pads included in the box.
This machine is roughly the size of a harmonica, able to fit in your pocket quite easily with the included soft material drawstring bag. Also in the box is a Ball Cap Clip, a Helmet Mount, and a Bike Mount, the helmet mount including a couple of stickers and mounts so you can work with more than one helmet if you do so desire. Though the camera is not meant to be tossed down a flight of stairs, it is delivered in such a form as to be damage resistant – you wont have to worry too much about dropping this device out of your pocket onto a hard surface, essentially.
This machine connects to your smartphone via wi-fi this time around, working with a variety of apps like the “Looxcie Mobile app” as well as the Facebook app and LooxcieDesktop. Each of these apps works with iPhone and Android, Facebook, or Windows and Mac, so you’ll be compatible almost no matter what. You’ll be able to control what quality video you’re recording on the camera from your smartphone, turn on streaming (and collect video at the same time if you like), and connect to Facebook – where the stream will be streaming.
You’ll be connecting to your computer to move video to your machine with a microUSB slot that sits at the back of the device, the back being covered by a “water resistant” cover included in the box. The battery that attaches to this unit is a 1200mAh in capacity, this being able to stay alive for several hours (we’ve not run out yet) of video at a time. You’ll be collecting video on a microSD card that you’ll have to supply yourself, the slot under the battery inside the device able to hold up to 32GB class 10 microSD/microSDHC cards for lots and lots of video storage.
The camera’s sensor is able to capture up to 1080p HD, but you’ll be able to switch between that and 720, 480, or 320p resolution if you like. You’ve got a 650 mV/lux-sec low light-friendly sensor working here with automatic light correction (hooray!) for indoor/outdoor operation – you’ll see this in action in the hands-on video above. Each video clip is saved to MP4 format – that being iTunes friendly, they make sure to note – and is easily uploaded to any number of online services without conversion.
There’s a variety of additional accessories you can buy for this machine including a windshield mount and a carrying case, and the folks at Looxcie have been around long enough now that you can bet they’ll be keeping the ecosystem strong for some time. This machine will cost you a grand total of $329 USD if you pick it up online right this minute, and it’s available on the market now.
What we’ve got here is the HP EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook, a business-oriented notebook made to work in the Windows 8 environment with an amalgamation of hardware that’s precision-tuned to suit your in- and out-of-office needs. At first glance, this machine doesn’t strike one as the most unique piece of machinery on the planet – it’s a silver laptop, after all. But what it lacks in unique aesthetics, it more than makes up for in details that we’d consider suggesting this device to friends for on their own.
Hardware
This machine measures in at 13.3 x 9.09 x 0.75 in (33.8 x 23.1 x 1.89 cm) and works with a lovely 14-inch LED-backlit HD anti-glare 1366 x 768 pixel resolution display and is cased in mostly hard and soft plastic. While the bulk of this machine is metal, its ever-so-slightly soft along the top and the bottom while a ridge of almost rubbery soft plastic runs along the head – above the display, the area that you’ll use to pull the notebook open – very well placed. This notebook is 3.6 pounds – not the lightest Ultrabook in the universe – and is 0.74-inches thick.
Along the sides you’ve got more ports than you’re going to know what to do with, including 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.0 (charging), DisplayPort 1.1a, VGA, AC power, headphone/mic jack, RJ-45, and a single SD/MMC card slot. You’ve also got an ethernet port so you can hard-wire to the web if you’re not all about wi-fi connectivity. You’ve also got a Kensington lock slot so you can keep the machine secure if you’re at a trade show or in a particularly nefarious office setting.
Note also that HP has made a point of assuring the public that their Elite line of products is hardcore – have a peek at our HP Making of Elite Tour Roundup to see our adventures all those months ago – smashing inside!
Also important if you want to keep your machine secure is the built-in HP Fingerprint Sensor which appears on the right side of your palm rest – make sure you’re not eating too much cake before you try to get read. Up to the right above your keyboard you’ve got dedicated on/off switches for both wi-fi and sound (muting, basically), and up and to the left you’ve got your power button – heavy metal!
The model we’ve got here works with a 3rd Gen (Ivy Bridge) Intel Core i5-3427U (2.80/1.80 GHz, 3 MB L3 cache, 2 cores) and has a Mobile Intel QM77 Express chipset. You’ll be able to see some standard performance results in the benchmark listing we’ve got below, but know this: this machine is performing at a 2013 level. It’s swift and powerful, more than ready to take on your standard business needs.
Software
The security and business-friendly options you’ve got on this machine are just what your manager’s been looking for, including HP’s ProtecTools suite with so many tools to keep people out of your computer that you’ll forget why they wanted to get in in the first place – pre-boot authentication and a password vault included! You’ve also got SpareKey for when you forget your own password. And of course, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) built-in.
You also get a tossing of apps that HP’s decided to add-in above what Microsoft’s Windows 7 or 8 gives you, including such gems as PowerDVD and PDF Complete. You do get Evernote right out of the box though, a good incentive to keep taking notes on your smartphone as well as your laptop. You get the option of working with Windows 7 Pro, Windows 7 Home Premium, or the version of Microsoft’s OS that we’re working with here, Windows 8.
If you do choose Windows 8, you’ll need some time to get used to the gestures you’ll be needing to make your own in order to get friendly with your everyday average apps. If you’ve got no touchscreen (this device does not have one, mind you), you’ll be dragging two fingers to the right or the left to navigate your Live Tiles. If you don’t know what that means, we suggest you pick this machine up with Windows 7, without a doubt.
The display on this machine is decent, but not spectacular. The same can be said about the speaker system. HP didn’t put as much effort into this machine’s entertainment abilities as it has with some of its more eye and ear-pleasing machines like the HP ENVY Spectre XT Ultrabook. This Folio machine is, on the other hand, one of the more well-put-together business-minded machines we’ve seen through the past 12 months.
System – LENOVO 344422U
Manufacturer
Lenovo
Product Type
Notebook
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
Motherboard
LENOVO 344422U
Processor
Intel Core i7-3667U
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.00 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
4
Cores
2
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
4.00 MB
Memory
3.73 GB DDR3 SDRAM 666MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
LENOVO G6ET22WW (1.01 )
Have a peek below at our standard benchmark test results for this machine and remember that it’s not an entertainment machine, and certainly isn’t made for gaming. Instead you’ve got a bit of a worker her made for a worker, inside and out.
Benchmark Score – Hewlett-Packard HP EliteBook Folio 9470m
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 8 Pro (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
3538
5029
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
6639
Memory
Memory performance
4933
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
4812
Battery Life / Options
On the bottom of this machine you’ve got both a docking connector and a secondary battery connector. HP doesn’t mess around when it comes to a strong accessories ecosystem and will certainly have your back when you look to expand with extra long-life-loving batteries and/or if you want to dock this beast up at your house when you get home from the cube. That said, the battery life on this machine is rated by HP for “up to 9 hours and 30 minutes” with its HP Long Life 4-cell (52 WHr) Li-Ion unit, and we’ve seen it bringing on easily 5-6 hours of up-time while using it for medium-to-heavy lifting on an average day.
Lifting, in this case, consists of editing enough video and photos for a full day of work on SlashGear, browsing massive amounts of content on the web, and items as simple as editing text documents (plus lots, lots more, of course). If you’re all about document editing and basic reading, you’ll have no trouble reaching up further for the beastly time HP suggests.
Wrap-up
With the HP EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook you’re getting one of the nicest business-minded computers on the market today. Priced at $1,349.00 USD straight from HP, you’re going to get what you paid for. This is a machine you’re going to be able to use for years to come, and with the hardware this Ultrabook comes with right out of the box, it’s unlikely you’ll need to update your innards any time soon.
HTC recently made their case for a top-tier handset back in November, with the DROID DNA boasting the highest-resolution display of any smartphone. However, in order to balance out its offerings, HTC has a new budget-friendly handset in town. The One VX is the company’s latest mid-range smartphone added on to their One series of devices, and priced at only $49 on AT&T’s network (after signing a two-year contract, of course), we simply had to get our grubby little hands on this device to see what it’s capable of. Does it provide value to entry-level minded customers without sacrificing a lot in terms of features and performance? Let’s find out.
Hardware
The One VX sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz with 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card slot). Overall, this is pretty typical of a budget-friendly device, and while we would’ve liked to see at least 16GB of built-in storage, we can’t really complain about the fact that it comes with a microSD card slot, a feature that a lot of other phones are neglecting.
The display of the One VX is a 4.5-inch Super LCD 2 screen with a qHD resolution of 960×540. The combination of the screen size and resolution makes the display less sharp than more premium 720p devices such as the One X+ — the One VX has a pixel density of 245 PPI, compared to 312 PPI on the One X+. Regardless, text showed up fairly crisp, and images and videos were sharp as well. So, while the display may not boast HD status, it’s certainly something that you can write home about.
The overall design of the phone is reminiscent of HTC’s other devices in the One series. It is a One device, after all, but its budget status doesn’t show through with its design. It sports an elegant shape, with rounded edges and a smooth and sturdy band of silver-painted plastic trim that surrounds the outer edge. The AT&T logo above the screen is subtle, and three capacitive buttons (Back, Home, and Recent Apps) line the bottom of the bezel just like HTC’s other One handsets.
On the top, there’s the usual headphone jack and power button, while the volume buttons are situated on the right side, and the microUSB is centered on the bottom, right where we like it. Flipping the phone over will reveal the matte white battery cover with the HTC logo in the center and the Beats Audio logo towards the bottom, right above the speaker. However, while the back cover is removable, allowing you access inside the phone, the 1,800mAh battery is irreplaceable — taking the back cover off only gives you access to the SIM card slot and the microSD card slot.
There’s definitely not a lot to complain about as far as the design goes. It certainly doesn’t look like a budget-minded device, and its build quality feels really solid. Smaller hands might have a bit of trouble holding the device — as with any 4.5-inch-and-higher device — but we can’t see that has too much of a hindrance on the overall experience.
Software
The One VX runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with Sense 4.1 running on top (surprise, surprise). Therefore, there’s nothing terribly new, but it still packs all of the lovable personalization options and polished widgets that are typically found with HTC’s custom user experience. Beyond that, it’s a little unfortunate to find the One VX running ICS out of the box, as opposed to Jelly Bean, but we should be seeing an update roll out sooner or later for the device.
Because the VX runs the older ICS software, you won’t be able to enjoy newer features such as Google Now and improved notifications, as well as some of the new performance enhancements, but for those who don’t mind not having the latest software versions, we can assure you that ICS on the One VX runs like a charm, and you’ll still have the same great features that come with HTC’s Sense UI, like custom widgets and social integration of all your contacts, if you’re into to that kind of thing.
Camera
While 5MP certainly isn’t anything special, some people may actually find that the camera suits them well, but a majority of users will probably want to stick to their dedicated cameras. Provided that there’s enough lighting, you’ll be able to get some decent shots. However, if you’re picky enough, you’ll be quick to point out its faults. Brighter areas seem to get washed out a lot, and darker areas don’t seem to get a lot of attention depending on where the light is coming from. HDR mode helps that a little, but it’s only good if you have time to spare, since snapping an HDR photo takes a little bit longer to pull off.
However, even with adequate lighting, there can still be a lot of noise that shows up in photos. It really depends on the circumstances, but I was quick to notice that even in broad daylight, ISO noise was still a problem, and it ruins an otherwise great photo.
Video recording at 1080p was fairly decent, although it had trouble with re-focusing, and the exposure took a little long to adjust when going from light areas to dark areas, and vice versa. It records macro fairly well, though, and doesn’t have too much of a problem with focusing in on small, detailed areas. In the end, the camera works in a pinch, but it’s probably not worthy to replace your main point-and-shoot camera at this point.
As for the camera app itself, it’s the same as HTC’s other offerings, and it’s easily one of my favorite camera interfaces of any device. The photo shutter button and the video shutter button are side-by-side so you don’t have to switch between the two. There’s also quick access to real-time filters and effects that you can apply to both photos and videos. The settings menu is also really intuitive and easy to navigate, and it lets you change settings that would otherwise be cumbersome to change on other handsets.
Benchmarks & Performance
In everyday use, the One VX offered mostly snappy performance. Apps opened quickly, and I was able to page through home screens without hesitation. It’s not as buttery smooth as, say, the One X+ running Jelly Bean, but the difference will be negligible to the layman, and most people wouldn’t notice a difference when using the VX by itself.
The 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 CPU in the One VX turned in some respectable benchmarking results. For example, it scored a 9,600 in AnTuTu, right on par with the last-generation flagship Galaxy S II from Samsung, and beating the Galaxy Nexus by a good length. In Quadrant, it scored just over a 5,250, edging out the One X, but is way behind when compared to the One X+, which scored over 7,000. Putting the phone through some real-world graphics testing in the form of Asphalt 7 proved to be successful. Low framerates were practically nonexistent — something that I can’t say with many other budget handsets.
Battery
The One VX comes with a 1,800mAh battery, which is a bit less than the 2,000mAh that smartphones are currently moving up to, but thanks to the slower-clocked processor, the lower capacity wasn’t really a problem. In total, I easily went almost two full days before the battery dipped below warning levels, and this was from casual web browsing and surfing Facebook and Twitter, while also checking email on occasion. On the second day, however, I ended up doing quite a bit of gaming and watching TV shows on Netflix. The battery took a larger hit that time around.
One of the more interesting aspects, though, was how big of a hit the WiFi was on the battery. Usually the screen is the biggest culprit in most cases, and rightfully so, but WiFi laid the biggest smackdown on the battery, claiming 32% of resources. Then again, battery life didn’t suffer one bit, and not in a second would we consider this an issue. It took me a good couple of hours of continuous use before I noticed any kind of huge knock on the battery, so that’s definitely saying something.
Wrap-Up
The One VX offers a balanced ratio between price and performance, and while it’s classified as just a budget device for those cash-strapped consumers looking for a good deal, the One VX will provide the experience of a top-tier handset — it looks and feels like a top-of-the-line HTC device, and it performs about as great as you’d expect from a flagship smartphone, with only a few setbacks that few will grumble over. If you’re not willing to shell out money for the One X+ or Galaxy S III, the One VX will surely make you happy for only $50.
With the AT&T MiFi Liberate you’ve got what’s straight up the most advanced mobile hotspot on the planet, complete with a full-color touchscreen, microSD card storage, and DLNA connectivity. This machine is unique in its abilities as well as its physical state, it sitting upright like a tiny folded-over book of notes with AT&T’s 4G LTE network under the hood. The hardware here was created by Novatel Wireless and the network is all AT&T, and as this is just one of two AT&T hotspots on the market at the moment, you’ll find that the few features it hold above the head of its brethren do indeed make it worth the extra few bucks you’ll be paying right out the gate.
Hardware
The MiFi Liberate takes what you want in the first place, AT&T’s 4G LTE network connectivity, and adds a few bells and whistles so you know you’re getting a unique device, not just a parred-down smartphone. This hotspot’s only competition on AT&T is the Sierra Wireless Elevate 4G, a device that also offers up 4G LTE. The Elevate also works with a microSD card slot and a 1.77-inch display with a 1,800 mAh battery. While the Elevate offers connectivity to 5 devices at once, the Liberate offers up to 10.
That’s where the Librate starts to look a lot more enticing. This device starts at $199.99 but the only way you’ll be able to buy it from AT&T is on a two-year contract, this reducing your price to $49.99, at which point it’s the data costs you’ll be looking at for the most part. The battery on the Liberate is a massive 2,900mAh, its touchscreen display is a 2.8-inch color TFT LCD, and the entire device measures in at 99.5 x 73.1 x 8.8mm, weighing 120 grams.
There’s a simple setup here with microUSB port on one side of the battery enclosure on the back, and a power button on the other. The back (underside) of the machine also has a couple of soft plastic bumpers so your device doesn’t get away from you and a rubbery cover for your microSD card slot (capable of carrying up to 32GB, mind you). You’ve also got access to your SIM card under the battery enclosure – all of this is easy to work and open yet securely fastened for on-the-move action.
User Interface
This machine is able to work with several “modes”, each of them having more or less wi-fi range and battery conservation. You’re able to receive text message updates for the device from AT&T, but because you’re not working with a keyboard, you’ll not be sending any outward. You can work with quite a few different security measures on this device including NAT Firewall, anti-CSRF, VPN pass-through, and of course wi-fi protected setup.
You’re also able to set up session timeouts for when you’re only planning on using the device for a short time but wont be able to reach in and tap the machine off (if it’s in your backpack for example). You can also create an admin password hash and block “retry” attempts from users making with the hack – no luck for them!
Data Speeds and Battery
While Novatel Wireless rates the battery time at 11 hours on this device, we’ve been hard pressed to empty the machine out. This is with AT&T’s 4G LTE network in both Minnesota (we’re in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul) as well as NYC (having traveled there recently during our review period), and we’re certainly not complaining. You’ll easily be able to bring this hotspot out to your local coffee shop and work for a good 8 hours online without worrying about the battery running out.
As for data speeds, we’re seeing pretty standard fare for AT&T’s 4G LTE network. Download speeds seemed to max out right around 16-19 Mbps on average and hit upload speeds of right around 9 Mpbs pretty constantly. Our most recent tests of devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S III yielded essentially the same results in the same testing areas.
Bonus Points
This machine works with GPS and DLNA. Isn’t that weird? What you’d use GPS for is connecting to your notebook computer to see where you are in the world should your notebook not com packed with such a feature. DLNA allows you to stream media wirelessly to your DLNA audio devices with ease. Interestingly you’ll be doing this via your web browser on a device that’s not the Liberate and not the speaker you’re streaming to – so in the rare occasion that you want to stream to a speaker with DLNA capabilities and don’t have that capability on your notebook, you can do it with a microSD card plugged in to your Liberate!
That’s the kind of fun connectivity we’re glad (if not a little baffled) to see on a wireless hotspot such as this – well done!
Wrap-up
While it’s difficult in general to get too excited about an internet delivery machine, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that the MiFi Liberate is easily the most awesome mobile hotspot I’ve had the pleasure of using. If you’re looking for the top mobile hotspot on AT&T’s network for 4G LTE, you’ve found it. Now you’ve got to decide if it’s work the extra few Hamiltons you’ll be paying for it over the one competitor it’s got – good luck deciding!
The case we’ve got here from Spigen SGP is easily the most form-fitting unit we’ve get had our hands on for the iPhone 5, and it’s quite the looker, too. This is the Spigen SGP SGP10091 Armor Slim Case for iPhone 5, and after you’re done with that mouthful, you’ll want to know that works with both a relatively hard-yet-rubbery TPU base and a polycarbonate midsection for both a bounce-factor and a hardcore beat-up protection assurance.
This case comes in three different color combinations, the one we’re working with here called Satin Silver. The other two options are Metal Slate and Gunmetal – very fashionable indeed. The different centers and covers are interchangeable, too, so if you’re thinking about getting the full collection, you can mix light and dark! We’re all about the light with our White iPhone 5, mind you.
This case allows a rectangular opening for your mute switch / rotation lock that’s accessible but not overly wide. Your volume buttons are covered by the TPU casing with + and – symbols so you still know what you’re pressing, the same being true of your power/lock button up top (without the symbols). On the bottom of the device you’ve got a slim opening for your Lightning port wide enough for your standard Apple Lightning cord.
The bottom also has a set of grilles that allow your audio to continue blasting forth from your device like wild. The headphone port – one of the most important points on any case for case maniacs like us – is slightly wider than the hole – as it should be! Spigen SGP makes a point of noting that Apple EarPods and “earbuds with L-shaped plug (within 6.17mm diameter) including Beats by Dr.Dre” are compatible with this case specifically.
The case is next-to-weightless, super-thin, and protective, available starting this week for $17.99 MSRP in stores that carry fine cases galore – go grab one!
It’s time to get extremely bright with the Flashpoint 500C LED Light from Adorama – so bright it’ll make your photo session as visible as the sun. What this unit actually consists of is 500 individual Ultra Bright 5mm LED bulbs in a lamp with 4 barndoors, a 2-way switch , two color temperatures, and a 13-foot long power cord. This unit is both extremely light and super bright, especially for the cash you’re going to lay down on it.
We used this array of LEDs in a single unit for several product shoots as of late, including (but not limited to) the Parrot Zikmu Solo speaker, Sony HX850 BRAVIA hdtv, and the Samsung UN75ES9000 HDTV (as seen above and below). This light is more than ready to be one of your key lights in any portrait or product shooting situation, without a doubt.
You’ll be working with 50%-5900 K (Kelvin) Color Temp and 50%-3200 K (Kelvin) Color Temp and there’s a two-way switch for when you only need 250 bulbs instead of all 500 at once. You’ve got AC V style battery pack or XLR connection for power and of course four lovely barndoors to pull the light in what ever direction you do so desire. The light itself is 35 cm X 19 cm X 7 cm / 14 X 7.5 X 2.75 inches in size and you’ve got the ability to work with an add-on Flashpoint battery V Lock mount Li-ion 162.8-watt battery if you do so desire. We just used the massively long cord straight to the wall, this coming in standard with the package.
You do need to purchase a stand separate if you don’t have one handy, this costing around $40 from Adorama as well. The final cost of the light itself without the stand or the add-on battery is $199.95 USD, and for such a price you’ve got yourself a heck of a deal. Brighten up your life with so much light blasting from this beast that you’ll never know how you lived, breathed, and shot without it!
It’s time to take another peek at one of the strangest and surprisingly year-round-appropriate cases for the iPhone, that being the Loop “Mummy”. We’ve had a look at this case as it resided on the iPhone 4/4S, now it’s time to see how well the Loop team made the concept fit with the iPhone 5. This case is made not just for Halloween, but for all seasons in which you want to get fashionable with silicone on your iPhone – and with a few card-holding bandages to boot.
This case comes in an appealingly large amount of different colors, the one we’re having a peek at this week being the Neon Blue. You can also get this case in Black, Graphite, Magenta, Purple, Powder Blue, Orange, Neon Green, Red, and White. The folks at Loop also offer up both single cases and bundles of three, with a discount occurring to the tune of $15 for three – that’s $60 USD where otherwise you’d pay $25 for one.
They’ve got custom packs (choose your own three) or pre-made packs including Aqua Thunder, Chicago, El Diablo, Good n Plenty, Greyscale, The Hulk, and Urban Camo – see if you can guess which set of three creates each of those bundles. And rest comfortably knowing that each of them, made with the same mold of course, fits the iPhone 5 perfectly. The design for this case improves over the Mummy we inspected for the iPhone 4/4S as well, with slightly more perfected sizings on the holes for the mute / display lock switch and moving forward with the Lightning port at the bottom of the device with a bit more form-fitting an amount of silicone to keep the case tight.
The usability of the case as a card holder is still ever-so-questionable. Not because it doesn’t work – it certainly does hold a few cards if you want it to, securely, too. Instead it’s not a realistic sort of situation for any modern card-holding citizen. Where there’s one, there’s 20 – and I can’t fit 20 in this case, that’s for certain. If on the other hand you’re a minimalist and want to skip the wallet because you’ve got only digital money and a driver’s license, this case/card holder is the one for you!
The folks at Bodyguardz have created an all-glass screen protector for the iPhone 5 that’s only the second such solution on the market we’ve seen after the Spigen SGP GLAS.t and tR – blink and you might mistake one for the other. This is essentially a whole extra pane of glass that you place on top of your standard iPhone screen with slightly rounded corners and cut-out holes for your home button and earpiece. This version of the glass screen protector comes in at .4mm thick and boasts at 8H+ surface hardness, too.
What’s the difference, then, between this solution and the solution they’ve got over at Spigen SGP? Not one whole heck of a lot, that’s for sure. In fact, if you look at the specifications of the Spigen SGP GLAS.tR, they’re nearly identical. Both glass panes work with a completely transparent body, both have the holes cut out in the same places, and they really, truly feel like they were designed by the same group. That’s either really good taste on the parts of both companies, or they’ve got the same single license owner for the original technology – the makeup of the glass and the design.
While we investigate further, know this: this glass screen protector works fabulously. It’s extremely strong, thing enough that it’s not in as much danger of cracking as the thicker solutions, and it feels really good to use. On that note though, you should know that the edges MIGHT chip if you bang the glass around enough. It’s said to be hard as steel, but chips can happen to anyone.
Note: If you have a toddler at home who uses your iPhone often, this is not the screen protector to get – the same goes for all glass-based screen protectors. We’ve seen glass screen protectors break in the past, and we’re not convinced beyond the safety of our kids’ fingers that it wont happen again, no matter the manufacturer.
That said, it does indeed protect your iPhone’s display just about as well as you could possibly hope for. This protector applies in a single push, results in no bubbles (unless you’re really, really unlucky), and is entirely transparent. This solution is available for sale from Bodyguardz online right this minute for $39.95 USD and the box contains installation instructions, an alcohol wipe / cleaner, micro fiber cleaning cloth, and the glass screen protector itself.
You also get a couple of bubble home button stickers since putting this protector on your iPhone results in a home button that’s a bit deeper than you’re used to – I personally like to stay away from the sticker because this way I’m not having any accidental chats with Siri, but to each their own! Have fun with it!
It’s time to get ready for the inevitable zombie apocalypse now that we’ve passed by the Mayan end of the universe – what better way to do it than with your own self-chargeable AM/FM/NOAA weather ALERT radio, USB smart phone charger, and LED flashlight. This machine goes by the name Eton FRX3 and comes in two fashionably powerful shades: black/gray/yellow and red/gray. Up top you’ve got a solar charging panel, on the side you’ve got a hand-crank turbine, and on the inside you’ve got both a place for batteries of your own and the single rechargeable Ni-MH pack you’ll be pumping up with the crank.
This machine is made to be rugged, prepared to stick with you be it in your own home for an emergency or out along with you camping. You’ve got connectivity with radio along AM and FM as well as all seven NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) weather band stations – and an “Alert” system to boot! This “Alert” function, when activated, automatically has your unit broadcasting emergency weather alerts from your area.
The turbine is quoted as giving between 10 and 15 minutes of radio and flashlight use per one minute cranked – and we’ve generally found that to be entirely accurate. If you’re in an area where you’ve got your own supply of AAA batteries, you can feel free to use those too – and if you’ve got a wall socket, this machine takes in DC power via mini-USB. This machine also has the ability to “dump charge” your smartphone with its own USB port – plug your own microUSB cord in and let it pump up!
You’ve got the ability to play the radio stations as a standard radio would or you can choose to play tunes through the machine’s AUX-input. This means that if you’ve got your smartphone and an audio cord, you can plug in and blast the tunes out through the FRX3 like a pro! There’s also a 3-LED flashlight that can shine straight-up white or blink red, and all of the buttons around the entire device are illuminated. The area around the solar power panel is also glow-in-the-dark.
You’ve got a small display in the center of all this that shows you what you’ve got turned on or off, which radio station you’ve got on, and if you’ve got an alarm set up – yes indeed you can set this machine up to be your alarm clock, too. The display is back-lit so you can see it in the dark, and the whole device measures in at 7.875 H x 7 W x 3.5-inch D. You can pick this machine up at fine electronics stores near you for right around $60 USD, and it’s worth every penny.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
