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Griffin Expands Kid Friendly KaZoo Line at CES 2013

Posted by JenThorpe at 7:41 PM on January 8, 2013

KaZoo Line GriffinGriffin Technology has expanded their line of animal inspired headphones, cases and accessories for kids. The line is called KaZoo, and it is easy to see how the “Zoo” part got into the name. It features adorable monkeys, frogs, penguins, lions, zebras, elephants, and pandas. Super cute!

KaZoo MyPhones come in two varieties and feature either a bright green frog or a black and white penguin with a yellow beak. They are over the ear headphones designed for children. The headphones have built-in volume-limiting circuitry that keeps the sound pressure down to levels recommended as safe for young ears. It caps at 85 decibels. KaZoo MyPhones sell for $19.99 from the Griffin website.

KaZoo for iPod Touch are cases made from durable, yet soft, silicone. It gives you easy access to the multi-touch display and headphone jack while protecting your iPod touch. Choose from a zebra, penguin, lion, elephant, or monkey. Each is priced at $24.99 on the Griffin website.

The KaZoo Aux Cable line are AUX cables that are designed to be used with an iPod. Each heavy-duty cable has a colorful animal on it and has strain relief built into each plug. These are priced at $9.99 on the Griffin website, and will become available in February of 2013.

The Capper Stylus is awesome! You can see it in the photo above. It is a colorful, removable, stylus that slides onto a regular pencil just like a typical pencil topper would. Put it on the eraser end of a number 2 pencil, and you can use the Capper Stylus on all capacitive touchscreens. It has been designed in three styles: an orange pencil, a blue rocket, and a purple ice cream cone. These will sell for $9.99 and will become available in March of 2013.

You can find Griffin at CES 2013 where they will be displaying their full line of products. Find them in the LVCC North Hall at Booth 5212.

Image by Griffin Technology

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Posted in Accessory, ces, IPAD, ipod

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Kid Friendly Accessories for iPhone, Android, and iPod Touch at CES 2013

Posted by JenThorpe at 6:28 PM on January 8, 2013

Nickelodeon AccessoriesGriffin Technology has partnered with Nickelodeon to create fun accessories for children’s mobile devices. The inspiration came from several of the popular characters that your child watches in cartoons that appear on the Nickelodeon channel.

The first three lines of cartoon inspired mobile device accessories for kids feature SpongeBob Squarepants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Dora the Explorer. Each will be introduced at CES 2013. The products are slated to become available in Spring of 2013 at major retailers nationwide.

The SpongeBob Squarepants line includes a SpongeBob Folio iPad case with several characters from the show done in 8-bit style. (The nostalgic aspects of this one might appeal to adult fans of the cartoon as well as the kids!).

This line also has Faces for iPhone 5G. It is a case that looks like SpongeBob, and you can interchange six different eyepieces and three different mouthpieces to make customizable expressions. In the photo above, you can see the SpongeBob Woogie, a huggable, squeezable, five-legged plush SpongeBob doll that doubles as a protective case for iPhone, iPod touch, and Android devices.

The Ninja Turtle accessories include a Shell for iPhone 5 and iPod touch, which is made of a hard, durable, exterior that protects against impacts and scratches. The photo above shows the Folio for iPad that has Ninja Turtle artwork on the front, microsuede lining, and a loop to carry a stylus.

The Dora the Explorer line might appeal to preschoolers. This line includes a Dora the Explorer skin for iPod touch. It is made of a durable, yet soft, silicone that allows for easy access to the camera and all ports, controls, and connectors. As you can see in the photo above, it also features Dora herself on the back.

Griffin Technology is at CES 2013 where they are displaying their line up of products. You can find them in the LVCC North Hall at Booth 5212.

Image by Griffin Technology

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Posted in Accessory, Android, IPAD, iPhone, ipod

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More Juice for your Apple iPhone

Posted by Andrew at 8:58 AM on January 4, 2013

All smartphones drain batteries like electricity is going out of fashion but many external battery are bulky, fiddly or both. Gosh!‘s new Parallel battery for the iPhone 5 might be the first that’s both sleek and convenient.

The Parallel comes in two parts, the battery pack itself, and a matching iPhone case that makes connecting the phone to the battery an absolute doddle. The iPhone 5 can stay in the case when you don’t need the extra power, but as soon as the main phone battery starts to fall, whack in the extra battery and it’s good to go. The additional 2,500 mAh is a huge increase over the iPhone 5′s standard 1,440 mAh.

The Parallel battery has smooth lines that fit the iPhone 5′s taller size and the case comes in a choice of 5 colours too.

Gosh! Parallel iPhone 5 case and battery

The Parallel is on show at CES, North Hall, iLounge Pavilion, Booth 6723.

 

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Posted in Accessory, Apple, battery, ces, iPhone, smartphone

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Update On Belkin “YourType” Folio + Keyboard For iPad 2 & iPad 3

Posted by tomwiles at 7:08 PM on October 20, 2012

Belkin Bluetooth Folio KeyboardRecently I purchased a Belkin “YourType” Folio + Keyboard for my iPad 2. The unit operates via Bluetooth. When I initially began using it I noticed there was a rather prominent problem with rather frequent lost or multiple keystrokes when a given key was only hit once. I didn’t know if this was a Bluetooth problem, or a problem with iOS 6 taking too many CPU cycles on an iPad 2. An iPad 3 might not suffer from the same lost keystroke problem when connected to a Bluetooth keyboard since it comes with a faster processor with much improved performance.

So, I started a bit of troubleshooting. One of the things I suspected might be stealing CPU cycles was app notifications. My one and a half year old iPod Touch really became sluggish after installing iOS 5 on it. I was able to mitigate the sluggish iPod response problem somewhat by turning off push notifications for the vast majority of apps. So, I turned off all of the push notifications on my iPad 2.

Turning off all push notifications did seem to help, but did not entirely fix the problem. I started experimenting with typing old standby typing phrases such as “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” This phrase seemed to type in just fine with no lost keystrokes. But then when I started typing other things, I noticed the lost keystroke problem immediately reared its ugly head once again.

What could the problem be? What about that automatic spell check that is enabled by default in iOS 6? Could that be an issue? I went into the iPad settings and turned off the automatic spell checker, along with the automatic correction feature, as well as eliminating the sample shortcut that comes with iOS 6, and that helped out even more.

For good measure, I also went through and deleted as many apps as I could that I really don’t make use of on my iPad.

Since my iPad 2 is WiFi only, I also have an external “Dual” GPS unit that connects to the iPad via Bluetooth so I can use the iPad as a GPS device with apps such as TomTom, USA Atlas (Hema) and Co Pilot. I noticed if I turn it off while I’m using the Belkin Bluetooth keyboard, it helps reduce the occasional lag problem even more.

All of these things combined have improved the Bluetooth keyboard response dramatically. There are still a few dropped keys now and then, but at this point they are much less frequent to the point where the keyboard is now quite usable.

It’s likely that had I never upgraded the iPad 2 beyond iOS version 4, there likely wouldn’t be a Bluetooth keyboard lag problem. Why is it we seem to always scream for the latest iOS updates, but then ultimimately end up annoyed by poor performance?

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Posted in Accessory, Apple, application, iOS, IPAD, ipod

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Belkin “YourType” Folio + Keyboard For iPad 2 & iPad 3

Posted by tomwiles at 12:23 AM on October 13, 2012

20121013-022128.jpg

Not long after I purchased my iPad 2, I ended up finding a Bluetooth keyboard case combination on a discount table at a Flying J truck stop priced for $15 dollars. For that low price, I figured I couldn’t go wrong.

Unfortunately, you do get what you pay for. The keyboard quality was very low. It was extremely difficult to type on the rubberized keys — actually no better than the virtual iPad keyboard.

So, I did some looking around online for Bluetooth iPad keyboard reviews and ended up getting a Belkin “YourType” Folio + Keyboard.

Typing on the Belkin keyboard is much easier than the experience I had with the other keyboard. The keys on the Belkin seem to work a bit better and have better overall placement for touch typing.

The Belkin keyboard does not replicate the experience of typing on a good computer keyboard. Also, there seems to be a problem with some occasional lag from when keys are pressed, or even key presses that are missed or ignored. I figure this problem is likely caused by iPad 2 performance issues, and not the Belkin keyboard itself since I experienced the same issues with the prior inexpensive Bluetooth keyboard.

It’s possible that I just have too many apps installed and they are stealing CPU cycles. My iPod Touch, which has an even slower processor than my iPad 2, also suffers occasional stuttering and delays just with everyday use. Turning off push notifications does seem to help this problem on the iPod and may help out on the iPad. The next step would be to start deleting unused or underused apps to see if CPU cycles can be freed back up for improved Bluetooth keyboard performance.

The functionality as a case seems to work as expected. The iPad 2 itself fits snugly in the sleeve. There are cut outs for the on/off switch and volume control, as well as for both the front and rear facing cameras and the home button. It comes with a micro USB charging cable, but you will have to provide the USB charging port.

If I can clear up the Bluetooth lag problem, the Belkin “YouType” Folio + Keyboard would make for a good typing experience for the iPad.

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Posted in Accessory, Apple, Bluetooth

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Breffo Spiderpodium Review

Posted by Andrew at 9:30 AM on August 19, 2012

The Breffo Spiderpodium is an extremely flexible gadget holder that can be used in a multitude of situations. Arachnoid, it’s eight rubberised flexible legs attached to a grey base and it’s easy to bend the legs to grip, to hold or to simply stand. Take a look at some of the pictures – it’s much easier to show than explain.

Breffo Spiderpodium Naked

Twisted Breffo Spiderpodium

Breffo Spiderpodium with Tapwave Zodiac

Yes, that’s a Tapwave Zodiac playing Doom II in the Spiderpodium’s embrace. The eight legs give a great deal of flexiblity in the positioning and orientation of the device. Standing, hanging, upright, tilted, it’s all possible. There’s just the right amount of stiffness in the legs to keep the Spiderpodium in the right position without making too difficult to shape. There’s a bigger version for hold tablets and heavier devices too.

But I’ve a confession to make….I haven’t been using the Spiderpodium for my gadgets at all. I’ve been using it as a clothes hanger in my gym locker to stop my shirt and suit from getting creased. That’s how handy the Spiderpodium is.

Breffo Spiderpodium Coat Hook

A bargain at £14.95 or $19.99, available direct and in a range of colours. It’s also designed and manufactured in Britain, so support local innovation and industry.

Disclosure – I won the Spiderpodium in a contest organised by Breffo in Twitter.

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Posted in Accessory, Gadgets, Gear, smartphone, tablet

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Akitio Neutrino U3+ USB 3.0 Hard Drive Enclosure Review

Posted by geeknews at 2:25 PM on August 12, 2012

Akitio has come out with the Neutrino U3+ a stylish 2.5 Sata HDD enclosure that supports  bus powered USB 3.0 or Firewire 800. The all Aluminum casing with heat sink guarantees your drive will not overheat. The best part is multiple drives can be daisy chained together using the firewire ports. Priced at $79.00 this is one of the lowest priced USB 3.0 Hard Drive Enclosures on the market.

The drive can fall back to USB 2.0 if needed. The package includes a USB 3.0 cable, Firewire 800 cable, enclosure minus hard drive, power adapter for when you are unable to take advantage of Bus Power. The enclosure itself is brushed aluminum to match mac body design.

This is the third product from Akitio that I have reviewed, and I am always surprised by the quality of the product.

 

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Posted in Accessory, review

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WiebeTech UltraDock v5 Review

Posted by Jack Ellis at 2:01 PM on August 12, 2012

Over the years I have owned a number of devices that allowed me to connect a bare drive to a computer. I have box full of these types of devices as they where always one off solutions. This past week I have had been reviewing the WiebeTech UltraDock v5.

This dock is incredible! I can connect to bare 3.5 & 2.5 Sata Drives, 3.5 IDE drives, 2.5 Notebook drives, 3.5 & 2.5 Sata, 1.8 Toshiba Drives, 1.8 Zif Drives, USB Drives and the best part is I can connect it to my PC or Mac via Serial ATA, Firewire 400/800, USB 2.0 or 3.0 . But this dock is what I would call “smart” it has a LCD display that gives you details about the drive you are connected to, capacity, error, warning messages and other relevant drive info.

The LCD screen was invaluable to me as I had a box of drives of various types and I was able to connect to drives that I had failed to be able to do so in the past with other docks. This allowed me to clean up some drives that I had not been able to do so in the past.

Wiebetech has stated the the v5 version of the dock is substantially improved over the v4 version. They say that it has an upgraded chipset and faster host connections (USB 3.0, eSATA, and FireWire 800), and is 24% faster than its predecessor with benchmark speeds of up 211.9 MB/s

A cool feature is that if you have drives with a Host Protected Areas (HPA’s) or Device Configuration Overlays (DCO) you can now create, modify or remove the areas. Programmers may want to modify or upload their very own builds.

This dock is priced at $249.00 but I found the price to be justified as they have developed this into a docking solution that works both on the Mac and Windows operating systems. The LCD screen in my opinion is one of the best features. Being the dock is compact and versatile in being able to connect to nearly every format it is worth every penny. Do not forget the speed factor with data transfer clocking in at 211 Mbps this bad boy screams.

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Posted in Accessory, review

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Waterpik Waterflosser Cordless Plus

Posted by tomwiles at 12:13 AM on July 17, 2012

Keeping teeth clean by brushing and flossing is one of those jobs that we know we should do, but it’s easy to put off or even completely ignore.

The Waterpik home dental appliance has been around since the early 1980’s. Think of it as a miniature pressure washer for your teeth and especially your gums. The original Waterpik plugged required AC house current to operate, but now there’s a cordless version called the Cordless Plus.

Even though I’ve been pretty good about brushing and flossing for many years, I still have gum and bone erosion and my dentist’s dental assistants want to do something called “deep cleaning” to my teeth and gums. After a bit of research it is apparent that this so-called “deep cleaning” has some negative side effects. Instead of allowing them to do the “deep cleaning” instead I’ve decided to do daily water flossing instead and see if that has any positive effect.

Even with regular brushing and flossing, my gums often had sore spots. Now that I’ve been using the Waterpik Waterflosser Cordless Plus once a day in addition to my regular brushing and flossing regimen the soreness in my gums has gone away. I’ve decided against the “deep cleaning” and instead will take my chances with daily water flossing instead.

The Waterpik Waterflosser Cordless Plus is easy to use. Simply fill the reservoir up with warm water and turn the unit on. It holds enough water for about 45 seconds worth of water flossing. I typically fill it a total of four times during each daily use, concentrating the power spray of water along the gum line and between teeth both inside and outside, upper and lower. This really does seem to do the trick. Just add warm water and periodically plug it in to keep the built-in battery charged.

The Waterpik Waterflosser Cordless Plus sells for as little as $39.97 on Amazon.Com, or you can buy it like I did at my local Bed Bath and Beyond.

As an ever-aging adult that easily qualifies for so-called senior citizen discounts, I can tell you that keeping your teeth and gums clean is a task you should take very seriously.

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Posted in Accessory, amazon, Information

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A System to Prevent Traffic Jams

Posted by KL Tech Muse at 5:43 PM on April 27, 2012

Honda We’ve have all been in one either as a driver or as a passenger a traffic jam. Sometimes they are caused by an accidents, but many times the cause seems to be a complete mystery. These are known as shock wave traffic jams and are often caused by drivers braking or slowing down causing a ripple effect behind them. Most of the time they clear out quickly but they create a wave-like an effect, traffic bunching up, than clearing out, then bunching up again.

Scientist had known about this phenomenon for quite a while, however finding a solution has been much more difficult. Changing people’s habits is never easy especially when they don’t think they are doing anything wrong. Someday we may have driverless cars like the one Google is testing, but until that day Honda is trying something different.

Honda is trying a system that encourages drivers to change their habits by a system of color codes. Honda hopes to use these color codes to help the driver drive more smoothly. This will help cars behind it from bunching up. At this time the system is single car only, but they do hope to link it to the cloud so cars can talk to each other. Right now in initial test the average speed increased 13 percent and fuel savings by 5 percent. This system will also help to prevent a lot of fender benders.  They plan to do further testing in Italy and Indonesia before they release the system commercially.

The biggest trouble with this system remains the human dimension, after all the system will only work if the driver follows the suggestions. Right now the system is set up so that the benefit for the drivers behind the person using the system. The more cars the system is installed in and the more people follow the suggestions the better traffic will flow.

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Posted in Accessory, automotive, Information

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