Short Version: A solidly-built iPhone car dock whose unique, no-batteries-required sound amplification system actually works fairly well provided you get your phone’s microphone and speaker lined up correctly. → Read More
The general idea behind most of Kensington’s products seems to be to perform one main task and then follow up with one or two secondary and thoughtful convergence features. In the case of the Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch, you get a high-capacity backup battery that doubles as a horizontal stand for watching movies. → Read More
I’ll go on record and say that $25 seems like a lot of money for something like this. It’s an intriguing idea, though, and might make a good stocking stuffer or Secret Santa gift for the Apple fan in your life. → Read More
Short Version: Equal parts backup battery and iPhone dock, Dexim’s $55 P-Flip Foldable Power Dock serves as a nice daily desk accessory and then easily pulls double duty as a portable travelling companion. → Read More
Black Friday is almost here. It’s a great time to score some deals, but don’t go at it willy-nilly. Follow these 5 simple Black Friday rules to avoid the scams and wasting time. → Read More
Amazon announced some major changes to their Kindle e-book reader today. Specifically, it stated that they’ve worked out a way to increase battery life by 85%. That means that the new firmware update will allow you to leave your Kindle on (with the wifi active) for about 7 days before you need to recharge. Additionally, the Kindle will now support Adobe’s PDF format natively. Previously, you had to convert PDFs in order to view them on the Kindle. → Read More
If there’s one thing I’ve always missed about MacBooks it’s the lack of gut-thumping bass. I mean the kind of bass that curdles your insides and causes them to blow out in a wet, pink slurry. I’m talking about bass that will make your parents come down into the basement and ask just what do you think you’re doing and then when they come down they’ll be all like “GLARGGLE!” and then they’ll melt like the Nazi’s in Raiders of the Lost Ark. That’s what I’m looking for. Will you get it with the $80 BassJump subwoofer from TwelveSouth? Probably not, but it will add a bit of bass to your woefully under block-rockin’ MacBook’s speakers. → Read More
Go ahead and take that second helping of bacon-broasted mashed potatoes and high-fat gravy this Thursday, friends, because even if your tummy gets big and round like a steamed black bean bun, there’s an app for that. Fitness apps for all! iPhone fitness apps have come a long way since Nike+iPod. The addition of GPS opened entirely new vistas for running and biking enthusiasts and the iPhone’s video and audio capabilities made it fun to use the iPhone in the gym. Here are a few of my favorites. → Read More
[tab:Intro][flagallery gid=5 name="CrunchGear Gift Guide 2009"] Buying someone else a phone is risky business. Preferences vary, you’ve gotta get their carrier right… it’s a tough game. But if you’re down to make a gamble, we’re here to help. I’ve spent more time playing with new phones in the last year than anyone should ever spend with any phone ever, and have broken down my favorite offerings from each carrier by “Best Bet”, “Best Bet For Under $100″ (though it’s usually worth it to splurge), and “Best Bet for Business” for you Enterprisey folks. Tap on those little arrows down below to begin, and enjoy! [tab:AT&T]AT&T Best Bet — Apple iPhone 3GS: Starting at $199.99 While the Android-vs-iPhone war might not be showing any sign of slowing, AT&T has managed to stay out of things by… not offering an Android phone. As a result, the iPhone is unarguably the safest bet here; it’s drop dead easy to use, gorgeous, and jam-packed with features. Features: Screen: 3.5 inches at 480×320 resolution Storage: 16GB, not expandable Battery: 5 hours talk time Keyboard: Virtual Camera: 3-megapixel Dimensions: 4.5” x 2.4” x 0.48” and 4.8 ounces Product Page | MobileCrunch Review Best Under $100 — Apple iPhone 3G: $99.99 With the launch of the iPhone 3GS, Apple and AT&T decided to keep the one-year old iPhone 3G on the shelves at just $99 bucks. In comparison to the 3GS, you’ll be shaving 1 megapixel off the camera, video recording, voice control, and the compass. You’ll still have access to (most of) the App Store’s 100,000+ applications, though. Product Page | CrunchGear Review Best For Business – BlackBerry Bold: $199.99 The iPhone may be good for a lot of things, but typing emails isn’t one of them. If you’re blasting out more emails in a day than most people send in an entire month, then you’ll absolutely want the physical keyboard of the BlackBerry Bold. Product Page | CrunchGear Review [tab:Sprint]Sprint Best Bet – HTC Hero: $179.99 When it comes to Android phones without physical keyboards, the HTC Hero shows how it’s done. The hardware is stunning, and HTC really knocked it out of the park with their custom “Sense” user interface. The Sprint Hero is a bit more expensive up front than its nearly identical cousin, the Verizon Droid Eris ($179.99 vs $99.99, respectively), but Sprint’s monthly plans are almost always easier on the wallet. → Read More
Amazon is running a deal on the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi, selling the new-ish Sprint smartphones for $80 and $25, respectively, with a two-year contract and free activation. → Read More
We’re giving away five Peek Protos this week, one a day, and we want you to ask us nicely for one so we can give you one. What I’m basically trying to say is that you should respond to this post with a comment (using your real e-mail address) and also follow CG on Twitter and watch the Gift Guide for more special things. → Read More
I love wireless technology and will write-off a lot of its downfalls for the advantages. For instance, it doesn’t bother me that the audio quality of the Jabra Halo is sub-par, because they are wireless and very comfortable. Plus, I can deal with a lot of connection issues if I can eventually get it to connect, but the Jabra Halo headset failed me one too many times. → Read More
It was written that a great Hero would rise from the East. He would be clothed in the sun and his unique user-interface would redefine the user experience for countless fans of social networking and his majesty would reign over all over Android phones forever. That Hero is here, and he’s on Sprint. I love the Hero, even in the form that the phone took in Sprint’s able hands. While the comparisons to another Sprint phone will be rampant, I’m here to tell you that this isn’t the Palm Pre and that this phone is my favorite phone, other than the phone that starts with “i” and rhymes with iPhone. The Hero, in this incarnation, is a perfect mix of form and function. First, for an earlier look at the Hero drop over here for my original review. → Read More
Bluetooth is one of those funny technologies that has an awful lot of potential, but with very few actually useful implementations. Bluetooth headsets are no longer cool. Bluetooth mice and keyboards are quickly becoming the de facto devices for this technology. What else is there? Well, friends, I’m here to tell you that the YUBZ MAGNUM is nearly perfect Bluetooth gadget. → Read More
The era of stereo Bluetooth is upon us. While A2DP – essentially the part of Bluetooth that enables stereo transmission of audio – has been around for years, it’s taken Apple two years to get off its duff and add it to the iPhone Bluetooth stack and, me being an iPhone LUVR, it took me that long to actually pay attention to A2DP. I’ve tested wireless Bluetooth headsets before but most of them made me look like Lobot from Cloud City. The BackBeats are the first pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones that are actually worth looking at. They weigh almost nothing – one ounce – and pair with almost any A2DP compatible phone. The 906 model comes with a Bluetooth adaptor and costs $129.95 while this pair costs $99.95. → Read More
Short version: The Jabra SP200 is huge Bluetooth speakerphone with extra large controls and extra loud volume. → Read More
For ten bucks, Tiger Woods PGA Tour on the iPhone/iPod touch is absolutely, hands-down, the best deal going when it comes to portable golf games. → Read More
I can’t deny the fact that Mophie knows how to make stylish accessories for the iPhone, but after a lackluster experience with the original Juice Pack for the iPhone 3G I’m wondering if the air will fair any better.
Quick Version: The Juice Pack air has an added bonus of being not only a reserve battery pack, but also a hard cover for your iPhone 3G. It doesn’t add too much extra girth to the svelte device and comes with an on/off switch for the reserve battery. → Read More
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