Tag Archives: iPhone

iLuv SmashBox Pro Speaker Case

  By admin | October 2, 2012 - 6:08 pm | , ,
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iLuv ISP123BLK SmashBox Pro Portable Stereo Speaker Case with Hands Free Calling for Smartphones

This iLuv SmashBox Pro Speaker Case was made to attach on the handlebars of a bike. On that back are three straps — two vertical and one horizontal. Both are held in place via Velcro tabs. The vertical straps hold fine, but the horizontal tabs has such a weak grip that it might as well not be included. Still, I was able to securely attach the SmashBox to the bars on my treadmill. Also included is a carabiner, which I think can come in useful.

My iPhone attaches to the speaker via a cable that I insert into its headphone jack. Upon turning the speaker on, the music automatically plays. I don’t have to go to the phone and turn on the music unless I have a preference for a playlist. There is a play/pause, on/off, and volume control button on the outside of the case.

I played music while running on my treadmill with a large box fan running at full blast and was able to hear the music just fine. It’s louder than just having my iPhone on by itself — not by much, but the sound is fuller.

Phone calls are a different story. I can answer phones and hang up by pressing the central button on the outside of the case, but the volume from the speaker is very soft. It’s extremely difficult to hear the person on the other line.

So, as a speaker for playing music while biking or doing some other activity where one wants to listen to music without headphones, this will work just fine. I just wouldn’t use it as a speakerphone.

PROS:
+ includes straps for and carabiner for attaching to handlebars and other objects
+ basic controls on outside of case (on/off, volume, pause/play, answer/hang up)
+ music loud enough to hear over background noise

CONS:
- speakerphone sound is too soft
- case needs more padding (hard battery case sits right on top of phone screen)
- horizontal strap is does not hold

This product was provided for review by the Amazon Vine program.

Peel Universal Controller

  By Ani Fardreamer | September 12, 2012 - 9:23 pm | ,
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Peel Universal Controller

This Peel Universal Controller turns my iPhone into a television remote control. It comes with a unit that hooks up the router and a wireless device (Peel fruit). No instructions are included, except to download the Peel app onto my iPhone. Setup was pretty easy, once I figured out the fruit must have a direct line of sight to the television and satellite (or cable, Blu Ray, etc.) box. The Peel app guides us through step by step.

This device is not good for someone who wants to surf every channel on their set. What it does is make the satellite or cable channels easier to navigate by grouping shows into genres on my iPhone. So, if I want to see what’s on right now for children, I go to the Peel app, touch the “kids” tab to find all the shows available, touch the show I want to watch to read its description, touch “watch it on TV.” That’s it. The show will instantly appear on screen.

There are a myriad of ways to organize the programs. I can arrange the genres in order to my liking, I can save favorite shows and favorite channels, I can look at shows recommended to me.

TV control is basic. I can turn the satellite box and TV on and off. I can pause/fast forward/rewind the action. There’s a volume control that I can’t seem to make work. What is completely beyond its abilities is any way to easily navigate to a channel by entering its number or surfing through them all like my husband likes to do. If only it could do that, this would be a five star product.

This product was provided for review by the Amazon Vine program.

Native Union MM03I-BLK-ST Bluetooth Wireless Handset and Weighted Base and iPhone Dock

  By admin | August 31, 2012 - 7:53 pm | , ,
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Native Union MM03I-BLK-ST Limited Edition Curve Bluetooth Wireless Handset and Weighted Base and iPhone Dock for iPhone/Blackberry and Smartphones

This Native Union Handset and Weighted Base has a beautiful form factor. Less is more describes it perfectly. It’s sleek, with a low profile. The base is weighted so it stays in one place. One doesn’t see lights unless the lights are on. Otherwise, the whole unit looks uniformly black.

The only lights that are visible when the handset is on the base is the tiny charging light and the equally small Bluetooth light, both of which are a soft glowing white. They are unobtrusive at night.

As a charging station for my iPhone 4S, it’s wonderful. It comes with a universal charging adapter for the iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4. What I like about this dock is I don’t have to take my phone out of the case to place it on the dock. To make it fit, I just don’t use the adapters.

As for the handset, sound quality is best when the phone and the handset are in the same room as the dock. Separating either one too far from the dock and we get a lot of static or interference. Even one room over can be a problem, so it’s not as good as using a cordless phone.

SOLUTION FOR SOME PROBLEMS

The manual was not very helpful for some of the problems I encountered, so I will share some of my solutions with you that worked for me. Keep in mind, I have an iPhone 4S. This may not work for everyone:

iPhone NOT AUTO-RECONNECTING:
1) Unpair the handset.
2) Turn off the handset.
3) Place the handset on the dock.
4) While the handset is on the dock, press and hold the power button (MFB) until you hear a tone.
5) Turn on the handset and pair your phone.

HANDSET HAS NO SOUNDS:
Go to settings –> general –> accessibility –> incoming calls –> choose “headset.”

I know the accessibility on my phone was initially set on “default” and that did not work. Changing it to “headset” and then later switching back to “default” somehow did the trick so that I no longer have to worry about getting sound over the handset.

CONCLUSION

I use this dock more as a charging station for my phone than for the handset. The handset is more comfortable to hold than the phone, but I’m stuck using it in the bedroom (where the dock is), so it’s not as convenient to use. It is very elegant. It looks pretty sitting on my nightstand. I just wish it had more range.

This product was provided for review by the Amazon Vine program.

R2-D2 iPhone Collector Case

  By Ani Fardreamer | August 22, 2012 - 10:07 pm | , ,
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POWER A CPFA000533 Star Wars R2-D2 Collector Case for iPhone 4/4S

I knew that if I ever got an iPhone 4S, I would turn it into R2-D2. This R2-D2 iPhone Collector Case has a thin rubber cushion on the inner surface, which I think helps in case of impact. All the necessary ports and buttons are exposed. The camera eye is necessarily more recessed, but that’s good. I believe that protects it from scratches and smudges.

The case fits well. It looks great. I’m happy with my purchase.

PowerGen Mobile Juice Pack 5200mAh External Battery Pack

  By Ani Fardreamer | August 19, 2012 - 7:54 am | , ,
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PowerGen Mobile Juice Pack 5200mAh External Battery Pack High Capacity Power Bank Charger 1A output for Apple iPad 2, iPhone 4 4s 3Gs 3G, iPod Touch / Samsung Galaxy S3 S S2 S II, Advance, Galaxy Nexus, Epic 4G / Blackberry Torch Bold Curve / HTC Sensation 4G, XE, XL, One X, Thunderbolt, EVO Shift 3D, Inspire / LG Optimus V 2X 3D t / Motorola Droid Razr X 3 2 Bionic, Atrix 2, Triumph / Nokia Lumia 900 800

I have owned a lot of battery packs. They all work exactly as advertised, but this PowerGen Mobile Juice Pack 5200mAh External Battery Pack has one feature that sets it apart from the rest: it is my most compact battery pack to date, much smaller than my other 5000 mAh battery. It is sleek and beautiful and my current reigning favorite.

The PowerGen 5200 works as expected for a 5200 mAh battery. I can charge my Kindle 3G from critically low to full charge twice with enough juice left to give it one more partial charge. I charged my new iPhone 4S from 5% to full charge once and I still have about 75% charge left in my battery pack. According to the package insert, this battery pack has capacity to charge the following:

* iPhone 4: 2 charges
* iPad 2: 45% of one charge
* iPad 3: 27% of one charge

This 5200 mAh battery pack comes with two charging cables (27-inch and 7-inch) and more connectors than its 8400 mAh PowerGen sibling:

* PlayStation Portable
* Nokia
* Samsung
* Sony Erickson
* LG
* Mini-USB
* Micro-USB
* iPhone

I charge the battery pack with the micro-USB connector, not a proprietary connector like some packs. That means I don’t have to worry if I lose that connector. Just use another micro-USB cord for charging.

The PowerGen 5200 comes with one USB port to charge my devices. That is common for a battery pack of this capacity. More powerful battery packs usually have two ports to simultaneously charge two devices. Also included on the unit is one LED bulb flashlight that I find comes in handy.

This is a great battery pack for charging phones and the Kindle 3G. It will work for a Kindle Fire, but I’d recommend something in the 8000 mAh range for that. For an iPad, I recommend 10000 mAh or higher.

Of all the battery packs I own, this is the one I choose to carry with me. Its compact size and sleek look has won me over. I can carry it without feeling excessive weight in my purse, and it has plenty of power for my iPhone and Kindle 3G.

This product was provided for review by EnerMall.