Mobility Site » Accessories

Video: AT&T Exclusive Otterbox Defender iPhone Cases

Chris Leckness — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:40:01 +0000

I posted about some nifty colors that Otterbox is offering for their Defender iPhone cases that are exclusive to AT&T a couple weeks ago on iPhoneMVP. I got my hands on a couple and they look nice! Check out the video after the break…

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SDXC Coming to a Laptop Near You…FAST

Zealot — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:20:47 +0000

Considering all the wonderful products and advancements that are currently slated for 2010, next year is beginning to sound like a strange, mystical land filled with wonders and mystery like Narnia, or New Jersey. The next milestone is one that has been on the standards roadmap for a year, but looks to soon appear on mainstream devices.

The new SDXC memory card standard which was announced near the beginning of the year is all ready to begin replacing current SDHC cards in 2010. The new SD cards will support speeds as high as 300MB/s and capacities as large as 2TB (as opposed to SDHC which can handle up to 45MB/s and 32G capacity). On top of the size and speed of the new cards, the standard is also backwards compatible, so SDXC readers will be able to use SDHC, SD, and MMC memory cards as well.

DailyTech reports that Lenovo, HP, and Dell are already preparing laptops with SDXC support, based on Intel’s upcoming Arrandale mobile CPUs. The only thing that has kept vendors from offering SDXC readers in current laptops is that most SDHC readers are connected internally through a USB 2.0 bus. USB 2.0 can’t handle the bandwidth of the new cards, so SDXC readers must be connected through the PCIe bus. The new hardware designs are taking that into consideration.

These first SDXC enabled laptops are expected to be shown at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in January, a year after the new standard was announced at the 2009 CES.

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Celio RedFly in Action

Diego Samuilov — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:36:00 +0000

A few days ago I commented about the Celio Redfly adding support for BlackBerrys. I came across that bit of information first while researching to purchase a Celio RedFly myself and then while I’ve been using it with my Windows phone. It certainly extends the usefulness of my HTC Touch HD, and it should do the same for you if you have a Blackberry. In this review I will tell you, my thoughts and experiences with this product.

While my review was using a Windows phone, the device features are the same when using a Blackberry phone except for some minor details I will explain later on.

For all of you who don’t know what the Celio RedFly is; let me tell you that it appears to be a Netbook, but the appearances are only on the outside… literally. It certainly does look like a Netbook, but it has no CPU nor storage… so then, shat is it? Simple: its most obvious features are that is acts like a terminal for your phone which means that it acts as a replacement keyboard that can be touch-typed on, a higher resolution screen even if your phone has less resolution than the RedFly, an interface for thumb-drives of any kind and a multimedia tool.

You may ask yourself why on earth would anyone want to have this type of device instead of a cool Netbook then??? Read after the break for the answer to this question and more…

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Motorola Droid Plastic Case

Mr. Hi-Definition — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:08:06 +0000

Look what I was able to get a shot of at my local Best Buy thanks to my personal spy… It’s an accessory for the new Verizon Motorola Droid, a plastic shell case to be specific. Word is, I should be getting a hands-on with the real thing VERY soon… I will definitely keep you guys posted on that but for now, enjoy the accessory goodness…

Here is a shot of the back:

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The So SuperSpeed. A Zune Hard Drive?

Zealot — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:51:24 +0000

Remember a couple years back when it seemed that every new device that was coming out had a sort of iPodish look to it, a whole bunch of matte white cigarette packs? Ever since then, Apple Fanboiz will say that any small device with a screen is ripping off Apple, and to be fair, Apple’s influence in product design is powerful and widespread.

However, they aren’t the only design sheriff in town anymore….behold the first SuperSpeed USB 3.0 external harddrives, from Dane-Elec.

Look familiar?

I have been waiting a long time to say this…“Dude, that so totally is ripping off the Zune HD…”

Damn but that felt good.

As for the drive itself, it is the So SuperSpeed line of HDDs and SSDs (The So? What is it with names today?). Thanks to USB 3.0 the drives transfer data at up to 250MBps, which is about ten times faster than current external drives. More info after the jump.

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SanDisk Releasing X4 SDHC Cards

Zealot — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:57:14 +0000

Progress marches on, as SanDisk announced Monday that they have begun shipping SDHC cards utilizing their new X4 technology (codeveloped with Toshiba) which fits four bits of data into each memory cell rather then the standard one or two allowing for higher memory density, thus higher capacity cards.

Using X4 architecture, SanDisk intends to break the current 32GB limit for SDHC capacity and release 64GB SDHC cards. Currently they are shipping 8GB and 16GB X4 SDHC cards as well as 8GB and 16GB X4 Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.

Consumer grade Flash memory cards are usually not as reliable as Solid State Drives which use the same memory chip architecture. The higher the density per chip and the more bits per cell, the less reliable the memory typically is. SanDisk says it has addressed this challenge with the new X4 chips.

According to Sanjay Mehrotra, SanDisk’s president and chief operating officer…

"Our challenge with X4 technology was to not only deliver the lower costs inherent to 4-bits-per-cell but to do so while meeting the reliability and performance requirements of industry standard cards”

No pricing details or release dates for 32GB and 64GB SDHC cards are available yet. There is also no words when (or if) SanDisk will be able to produce 32GB and 64GB MiniSDHC cards for mobile phones or other devices using X4 technology.

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SSD Growth Powered by Unlikely Source

Zealot — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:17:32 +0000

Solid State Disks or SSDs were predicted a year ago to be the next big thing in Notebooks and Netbooks. Fast, silent, cool, efficient, no moving parts to break down or make unnerving noises…SSDs are considered to be ideal for the slow chips, limited chassis space and small batteries of portable computers. Everyone you spoke to in the memory industry were sure that SSDs would be an ideal consumer product.

However just like Linux OS, SSDs failed to catch on with consumers the way they were expected to, and have been replaced by standard 2.5 or 1.8 inch HDs on almost all factory loaded netbooks and notebooks. So what happened? Most consumers rebuffed Linux for XP due to familiarity and usability, but those aren’t issues in the HD/SSD debate, so what gives?

Pure and simple, it came down to price and size. NAND memory prices jumped in Q2 of this year and since an SSD is just NAND in a box, that caused the prices of Solid State Drives to rise dramatically. Plus, consumers often still work from a “bigger is better” concept…and a 160G HD MUST be better than a 32 or 64G SSD, right? More room for LOLCats pics and pirated movies, after all.

However despite being a flop with consumers, SSD sales are still skyrocketing in 2009. Analysts at iSuppli predict that total SSD income in 2009 will climb to $883 million dollars. That is a staggering number when you consider that SSDs made $127 million in 2008. Unit shipments will nearly quadruple, from 1.4 million units in 2008 to 5.8 million in 2009.

So if consumers aren’t buying SSDs, who is…and in such enormous numbers?

Surprisingly, it’s the Enterprise that is saving the SSD market.

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Coming at the Speed of Light

Zealot — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Yet another possible solution to the USB data speed bottleneck is speeding it’s way towards us. Light Peak by Intel is a solution that utilizes fiber optics in place of traditional USB cables to allow incredibly fast connections between PCs and devices such as phones, external drives and MP3 players.

In the first generation, Light Peak will transfer data at about 10 gigabits per second (USB 2.0 transfers at about 500 Megabits per second, and the upcoming superspeed USB 3.0 can manage 5 gigabits per second). At those speeds, Light Peak could transfer the entire contents of a typical Blu-ray disc in about 30 seconds. Intel claims that in the future Light Peak could reach 100 gbps transfers.

In addition to being blazing fast, Light Peak cables can transmit farther and are thinner then current USB technology, and will likely use smaller connectors.

So, when will we see this revolutionary tech in the local Best Buy? How about early in 2010?

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Music Changed Forever?

Zealot — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:59:03 +0000

…Only if you have a Sony Ericsson phone, and even then not so much.

Sony Ericsson has been been saying for a couple weeks that they had an announcement that was going to “change the way you listen to music forever.” What they actually announced were…well…ear buds.

Admittedly, pretty cool ear buds. They are MH907 “Motion Activated” headphones. What that means is that they use your skin as sort of a giant capacitor so that when you have both headphones in, the music plays. When you remove one, the music pauses and you can use the headset for phone calls. Hang up, put the other earbud back in, the music starts up again. Neat, right?

Main problem as far as I am concerned is that as far as I know, they are only usable with Sony Ericsson phones that have their Fast Port technology. No word if there is anyway to use them with any other devices. If I could use them in an MP3 players, for example, I would get them just for the ability to pause automatically by removing one. I wonder if they could work other controls in there somewhere? Open your mouth wider, the music gets louder? Slap your chest to skip forward? Grab your crotch to load your Michael Jackson tribute playlist?

Hopefully if this technology does indeed work, we will see it in other products down the line.

Here is the little promotional video Sony Ericsson released for the MH907 headphones. If you are into watercolor psychedelia or want tips on how to use earphones to annoy scary giants on the train, then enjoy.

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Budsgoblue Shhh…. a Secret!

PPCApache — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:25:31 +0000

Imagine Bluetooth headphones an inch in size, with full music, call and volume control.

Today I received an email from an insider in the headphone industry, that a major company, possibly, Sony, Motorola, Jaybird or Altec Lancing will be releasing some brand new Bluetooth headphones.

So far I have been informed…

The ‘memory shaping’ ear loops are completely flexible, they shape to any ear.

It includes voice command, so iPhone 3Gs users, will have a way to access track commands.

My insider states these Bluetooth headphones maybe the ultimate Bluetooth headphones for iPhone and are exactly what everyone’s been waiting for. Going from the slated promo pic I was sent looks great next to the iPhone.

So check back for more updates as they come to hand on this possible great release and confirmation on which manufacturer it is and the cost.

My contact has advised that there is a website that the manufacturer has setup for registering interest and getting a sneak peak, head over to http://budsgoblue.com and register for live updates.

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Sound ID Announces the Sound ID 400 Bluetooth Headset

Jack Cook — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:31:19 +0000

BRINGING NEW FUNCTIONALITY TO THE BLUETOOTH CATEGORY

Sound ID will be offering a NEW bluetooth headset that will have PersonalSound custom hearing modes to boost your listening power and Environmental Mode to amplify sound between calls. In addition, it will be compatible with the new Sound ID CompanionLink Remote Microphone.

There are three unique features worth noting:
1)    PersonalSound, which consists of three listening modes tuned to the most common hearing preferences to further enhance speech clarity without raising the volume. This feature is only found on Sound ID products – no other Bluetooth headsets offer this capability.
2)    The Sound ID 400 is the only headset to deliver Environmental Mode, a feature that enables users to hear equally out of both ears in-between calls. When the Environmental Mode is activated, the hearing ability is enhanced and soft sounds can be heard while wearing the headset – allowing clear conversations “On” and “Off” the phone.
3)    Additionally, the headset is the only one of its kind to be compatible with the optional Sound ID CompanionLink Remote Microphone – creating a Personal Sound System. The CompanionLink is a small clip-on device, a mere two-inches in size, that syncs with the Sound ID 400 and can be worn by a conversation partner or placed near a sound source to pick up audio at its origin for a richer sound experience. This device can greatly enhance the clarity of speech in many communication situations, such as: (1) a distant talker, e.g. a lecturer; (2) a very noisy environment, e.g. a restaurant; or, (3) a talker whose speech is received as faint due to his or her physical location with respect to the listener, e.g. a passenger sitting in the back of the car.

The Sound ID 400 also offers NoiseNavigation, which uses multiple microphones and special DSP algorithms to remove background noise and elevate speech. The goal is to improve speech understanding in noisy situations. Finally, Sound ID 400 can connect with two devices simultaneously – enabling users to answer calls from two phones from the convenience of one headset. It is designed with a Black Velvet soft-touch finish.

(MORE AFTER THE BREAK)

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Car adapter for Viliv X70

ctitanic — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:52:11 +0000

Some of you asked about the car adapter that comes with the Viliv x70. Here is a short video that shows how it works.

YouTube – Auto Support for Viliv X70

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USB 3.0 Speeding Up

Zealot — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:26:42 +0000

Yesterday the new superspeed USB standard, USB 3.0, took a big step closer to becoming a reality for consumers as The USB Implementers Forum announced a new certification program and premiered a logo to be put on all USB 3.0 compliant devices.

Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF president and chair said…

The availability of the Compliance and Certification program is a significant milestone, and means consumers are one step closer to seeing certified SuperSpeed USB products on store shelves. When consumers see the SuperSpeed USB logo, they will have the assurance that the product interoperates with existing USB 2.0 products and provides all the speed and power efficiency enhancements that SuperSpeed USB offers, while continuing the ease-of-use consumers have come to expect from USB.

The new USB standard will be going head to head with eSata technology, as USB 3.0 has a data speed of about 5 Gbits a second as opposed to USB 2.0 which moves at about 480 Mbits a second. Therefore we can expect to see USB 3.0 being used for tech like external Hard Drives, media centers and optical drives as opposed to keyboards, mice or desktop gadgets.

However…we can’t expect to see it just YET. IDC estimates that in 2013, about 30 percent of all USB devices will be using USB 3.0.

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Scosche Enables Us To SolCHAT

Marilyn Torres — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:34:09 +0000

One of the most annoying things is trying to answer a call while driving, and fumbling with a Bluetooth headset that decides to pop off or out of my ear just gets old fast. Scosche has come up with a solution that I could see myself using; a solar-powered Bluetooth enabled speaker with suction cups!

One of the best ideas the Department of Transportation has come up with is the toll transponder with suction cups that adhere to a car’s windshield, so to incorporate a Bluetooth speaker that enables a person to answer calls safely and easily with the added advantage of voice caller identification. It can’t read text messages aloud, but for the not-too-painful $89.99 Best Buy price point I can wait to read my text messages when I get home.

Source: SlashGear

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Revolutions in Charging

Zealot — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:27:00 +0000

It seems that there have been a lot of advances recently in the way we charge mobile devices. I still remember the days when it was a big deal when a device could be trickle charged via a USB port rather then requiring a connection to the mains. Now however the big deal is so called “wireless” charging, but the vision of connection-free charging such a term calls up is still somewhat misleading.

First and foremost in the world of Wireless charging is Palm’s Touchstone for use with the Palm Pre (and I assume more WebOS phones to come). Since the wireless charging receptors are built directly into the Palm Pre all that has to be done is to set the device on the Touchstone…quick, simple, easy. No other wireless charging solution available today is quite so elegant.

The leading solution for wirelessly charging other products is the WildCharge system. Originally developed for the iPhone and iPod Touch but since expanded to include most mobile devices, the WildCharge system uses a charging mat that you can lay several devices on at once for charging. However, it still requires putting the device in a charging skin or connecting a power receptor of some kind to the device. You can’t just toss your phone on the pad at night and let it charge up.

However, one element of wireless charging may soon be simplified…availability of the equipment. Battery giants Duracell have apparently licensed the WildCharge technology and are selling their own branded version of the system. According to their website, the Duracell myGrid system will be available in October and will initially support products by Apple, Motorola, BlackBerry and Nokia. You can buy the pad, and as many “tips and Power Clips” as you need to charge all your devices. Since the system works based on plugging into the device’s power connectors, those four should cover the connector types of most popular devices by any vendor. Hopefully this will be a step towards making the WildCharge technology standard, so that phone vendors will begin building it directly into their handsets and eliminate the need for Power Clips or special skins.

While the Duracell myGrid may not exactly be “wireless” yet, it will still be a big leap forward for gadget lovers when we can buy the system and replacement Power Clips at our grocery store’s check out line, along with other Duracell batteries, caffeinated chewing gum and this week’s copy of The Star.

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