Mobile Apple Me

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Accessories, iPod, iPod Accessories, iPod Docks and Speakers, Reviews

Provides: Interchangeable simultaneous charging of up three devices
Developer: IDAPT
Minimum Requirements: 110v wall outlet, compatible digital devices
Price: $59.99
Availability: Out now

Back in April, I reviewed the IDAPT I3 digital device charger. It was a good system; a convenient way to charge up to three devices at once. And with the interchangeable tips, you get to determine the devices. A couple of things about it bugged me, though. With the IDAPT I4, IDAPT has addressed enough of these to make the $10 price hike worth it. First, let’s talk about what’s the same.

Editor’s Note: I’m going to steal from I3 review where appropriate

The IDAPT system looks to solve cable confusion and clean up your countertops by providing a single unit that conveniently and cleanly charges most of the popular devices you use on a daily basis. It measures about 5-1/4” deep by 6-3/4” wide by 1-3/8” high, and sits snugly on a countertop or desk with four wide, rubber feet to hold it in place.

Unlike with the I3, the power switch is now on top, not behind the device. This allows for easier access, but has a much more important benefit as well; you know when it’s on. When powered up, an LED light turns on in front of each tip. If green, a device isn’t plugged or that device is fully charged. If red, the device is charging. So, you not only know the status of your charge, but you’re also reminded to turn the I4 off to conserve electricity.

My problem with the power cord’s extensive length remains, although this is clearly a preference issue. In my use, the I4 sits less than a foot under its outlet, so I’m still stuck with wrapped up cables lying on the counter. Either including a shorter cable or providing a tuck-away area in the unit would solve this issue. If you’re not near an outlet, however, you’ll be pleased with the cord length.

It’s the interchangeable tips, however, that make the IDAPT models so useful, so let’s shift focus to that. The unit ships with six tips: Nokia2, SonyEricsson2, Samsung4, iPod/iPhone, miniUSB and microUSB. This is an odd mix that I imagine few families will make full use of. IDAPT allows you to customize the mix, selecting four tips of your choosing for the same price as the pre-packaged six. The number of tips you can add to this is pretty impressive (visit idaptweb.com for currently available tips). This is only available online, but I think it’s worth it to make the purchase this way instead of buying the six and then adding ($9.99 each plus shipping).

To use the tips, you simply push them into their socket until they latch in place. To release them, push the buttons on each side until they pop out. They sit securely, although the whole unit itself feels a bit flimsy. The plastic (available in black, metallic blue, lime green, orange, red, silver and white) isn’t quite as nice or heavy as it looks in the photos, making the unit seem cheap, but it does the job nonetheless. Also, the new glossy sheen does a better job of showcasing dust if you get a darker color.

One concern that remains from the I3 is that the iPhone stands up in the device with only the dock connector for support. Because of the interchangeable nature of the device, I get that IDAPT couldn’t put any support behind the tips, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it…I’ll just have to place it where it’s unlikely anyone will bump into it. You can certainly forget about plugging in an iPad.

Also, although IDAPT provides plenty of room between tips, that doesn’t mean they’ll always sit well on the device. As you can see in my photo below, the DSi XL tends to weigh down a bit on one side (although not as much as it did on the I3), and would either hang off the edge or bump into the other tip in the back row.

But I’m a fan of the IDAPT I4 despite these complaints. Fact of the matter is that surpasses the I3 to become the most robust and convenient method of charging multiple devices I’ve ever tried. It cleans up clutter, and it’s easy to use. More importantly, it’s likely to grow with you. As you get new devices, you can simply add new tips…provided IDAPT supports them. Until then, I’m sure there’s another outlet I can use somewhere in this house.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, iDevice Accessories

iPhone, iPod and iPad product updates and announcements for August 27, 2010:

• Apps
• Accessories

Apps

• Independent developer Buddy Bergman has released The Language Buddy 1.0, his new app for iPhone and iPod touch. The Language Buddy provides a simple interface to enter in a word or short phrase in your native language along with a Romanized “sounds like” spelling for another language. You can also assign photos and audio clips. The Language Buddy provides an easy way to manage new words and phrases as you make your travels to far off or local lands.
• In conjunction with AppDope.com, Sauce Digital is running a competition to win $50 of iTunes vouchers and loads of promo codes. Details can be found at appdope.com. To enter, just post links to AppDope.com from as many other websites as you can, or get other people/websites to. This could be on a blog, a forum, a social networking site, or any other website. They don’t have to be run by you, so feel free to talk to other website owners.
• Lucas Remmerswaal has announced the release of The Tale of Tortoise Buffett and Trader Hare 1.3 for iPad users. This app teaches the good habits that fueled the success of billionaire Warren Buffett. Mr. Buffett’s values and principles are powerful and effective yet, as this story shows, are so basic and simple that a child can grasp them. Released just in time for Warren Buffett’s 80th birthday, The Tale of Tortoise Buffett and Trader Hare 1.3 was inspired by his life and success.
• Mad Dog Software has announced BoxMaster 1.0, their new Dots and Boxes game for iOS. Boxmaster is a turn based game where players compete to take control of the most boxes on the screen. It’s simple enough that young kids can play, yet strategic enough that adults can enjoy a challenging game. Designed from the ground up to leverage the iPad’s high resolution display, BoxMaster provides a space themed game board complete with explosions, sound effects with OpenFeint support.
• ARZ Associates Inc. has announced LeadMyGoals 1.0 for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. Created as a simple yet practical mobile solution to manage tasks and goals, this app allows the user to organize their priorities and track their progress as they complete tasks and move towards achieving their personal goals from anywhere. An active tracking capability also allows the user to closely monitor the progress or each task or goal as they are completed.
• Pinball HD and Pinball HD for iPhone are now on sale for only 33% of their regular price. This offer is available for a limited time, so you’d better hurry.
• Full Fat Games today is pleased to announce a poster of “Mahoney” the Zombie Cop to celebrate Zombie Flick 1.0 being featured on the App Store. Six variants of the poster can be found on the game website for desktop computers, iPad, iPhone and iPhone 4. Zombie Flick is a massive follow up the the hugely successful ‘Deadball Specialist’. Featuring three stunning environments, Zombie Flick offers dozens of unusual weapons, from frisbees and vinyl records to lava lamps and ukuleles.
• Kaplan Publishing is offering more than 90 book titles as free downloads exclusively on the iBookstore until August 30th and then 20 free titles from August 31st until Sept. 6th. These titles would normally cost a student hundreds of dollars, but now they can download them for free!
• Venan Entertainment has announced that both of its critically-acclaimed and best-selling independent Venan Arcade titles are going on sale, and will be on sale through Labor Day to help make students’ lives more bearable as they enter the new school year. The epic space-faring action/RPG Space Miner: Space Ore Bust is now available for $1.99 down from $4.99, while the original arcade ninja climber Ninjatown: Trees Of Doom! has been reduced to $0.99 from $1.99.
• For a limited time, the full version of TextNow will be 100% free in the App-Store. As a part of this special offer, the developers are going to include the New Phone Number Feature, for all users, at no additional cost.
• Angel Eyes is an augmented reality iPhone app which helps a person take a snapshot and change the person’s eye color. The user can use the app in both snapshot mode where the 3D eyes are overlaid on a snapshot as well as a live video mode where the eyes are overlaid on a live video feed. The app was written using face detection software and uses OpenGL and 3D graphics.

Accessories

• Universal Electronic Accessories (Uniea) has announced it is offering a 25% discount on all online purchases as part of a Back To School promotion. The offer is scheduled to run from August 27th until September 30th, giving students and parents alike ample time to take full advantage of this promotion.
• Grace Digital Audio is bringing your music outdoors with three new wireless weatherproof speaker systems. Just in time for Labor Day, the Rock Speaker, Schooner II, and Mini-Bullets II allow you to enjoy the freedom of wireless audio technology. Whether by the pool, at the BBQ, or at the tailgate, Grace Digital’s innovative audio system provides a family of audio products that work seamlessly to create the ultimate indoor/outdoor audio solution.

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, iDevice Apps, Originals

Another great week for free apps on the app store. There are new utilities, games, tools, entertainment apps and more. Once again, I’m fairly certain you’ll download at least one of the following:

• AmpKit - Peavey and Agile have quite an app on their hands with AmpKit. It’s similar to AmpliTube in that it’s a gutiar processing / modeling app.  They say their app can output high gain sounds much better than competitors, and after a brief trial, I’d agree.  This app doesn’t come with a lot of gear, but it’s honestly better than some paid apps even before any in app purchases.  You can buy more gear in the app or just buy everything with AmpKit+ if you like.
• Netflix - They’ve added Instant Watch streaming to the iPhone version of this app.  Now you can stream tons of content straight to your iPhone anywhere you have Internet access with a Netflix membership.
• Clicker - Watch over 1,800 web shows with Clicker.  Also, you can check schedules, find show details and check in with what you’re watching to share with friends.  The app is supposed to support Hulu and Netflix streaming soon.
• Fly&Share - Automatically update your social status with your flight status.  This is a pretty sweet app that takes your flight number and automatically posts details of the flight, as it happens, to Twitter or Facebook. Very convenient.
• OnMyWay - An app from TeleNav that keeps a specified contact up to date on whether you’re going to be on time based on your current location and time.  As soon as you get close to your destination, the app sends an SMS or email to your contact letting them know you’re almost there.  I may be old fashion, but I’d just call them.
• Solitaire Favorites HD Free - Your three favorite solitaire games for iPad supported by iAds.  Included are Klondike, Spider and FreeCell.  The graphics are very nice and there are plenty of options for each game.  The only real drawback is the ads.
• Free Birthday Alert Reminder Facebook Push - Seriously, with a name like that, you know what you’re getting.  This app links up to your Facebook profile and reminds you every time one of your friends has a birthday.
• TiltShift Generator Free - A free version app that generates those images that make real places look like miniature replicas.  This version will do just about everything, but it won’t output full quality images.  Still, you’ll get the idea.
• Express - The official app of Express stores.  Shop for clothes to keep yourself looking good.
• Rent.com - Moving?  I know I am.  If you haven’t already found a new place to live, then why not check out listings on Rent.com with their iDevice app?  You can access the full site specially formatted for your iDevice.  It makes contacting properties as simple as pushing a button.
• Sam’s Club - Get detailed information about Sam’s Clubs, including the closest locations, store hours and more.  You can browse SamsClub.com and buy things, or even get information about specific products while in store by “scanning” them with your iPhone’s camera.  It’s an essential app for anyone who frequents Sam’s Club.
• Dixtance - Track your location simply.  This app will record where you are and output a GPX file for you to use eslewhere.  It supports iOS 4.0, so it runs in the background nicely.  It’s a great and simple way to know where you’ve been, how far you traveled, how long it took you, etc.  What you use it for is up to you.
• Night Stand HD Lite - This app is a full screen clock for use in a dock, perhaps as your alarm clock, even.  There are choices of designs of clocks and support for alarms.  Since it supports iOS 4.0, the app doesn’t need to be the active app to alarm you.  It’s quite a nice looking clock.
• Piranha 3D - I’m sorry, I just had to share this app.  You know what it is, yet you’ll still click the link.
• USB Disk for iPad - Free today only, this app allows you to use your iPad similarly to a USB flash drive.  It’s basically a file viewer and storage method.  Nothing too fancy, but if you want a free way to store files on your iPad or a way to store PDFs, Office documents etc, then this might be for you.

Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Section: iPhone / iPod touch / iPad, iPhone, iDevice Accessories, Reviews

Provides: Windshield/Dashboard mounting system for iPhone
Developer: Arkon Resources, Inc.
Minimum Requirements:
Price: $19.95
Availability: Now

As more and more of us get iPhones, and as the hardware and software technology improves, the advantages of using them as GPS units continue to grow. You’ve already got the phone, after all, and the software isn’t too much more expensive, but how do you mount them in your car? Perhaps on your dashboard? Arkon Resources would you like you to consider that option with their IPM512 : Mini Friction Dashboard Mount.

The Friction Dashboard Mount is composed of three units: the mini weighted friction mount itself, the Travelmount Mini swivel windshield suction pedestal, and the Slim-Grip holder for your iPhone. For the benefits and drawbacks of the Travelmount Mini and Slim-Grip holder, read their separate review. To see how they work with the Friction Dashboard Mount, read on.

This system is pretty easy to set up, as it’s meant to just be placed on your dashboard. The Travelmount Mini attaches via its suction cup to a platform on the mount, and it holds quite securely. You should have no problem with it popping free.

The weight and material on the bottom of the mount are there to hold it in place, and they kind of do, based on your dashboard and driving environment. It bumps when you bump, and it slides a bit when you turn sharply or brake quickly.

Still, dashboard mounts are the preferred method of GPS mounting in some states, so Arkon pushes this model with the inclusion of an adhesive hook to help hold the Friction Dash Mount in place. This hook latches onto a loop on the mount, with the intent of preventing it from sliding out of position or, worse, off the dash completely.

In my initial test of the Friction Dash Mount, the hook held just fine and the mount did little more than slide a bit to its right. As mentioned earlier, the Travelmount and Slim-Grip holder were rock solid, although they did bounce with the car. A hidden benefit to keeping your iPhone on the dash is that if you have it plugged in, your cable won’t be dangling from your windshield. One less thing to distract you.

After my testing period was over, I had my wife keep it in her car. When I got in a few days later, the adhesive had worked itself free of the hook; it was just a strip of adhesive stuck to the dashboard. The friction and weight of the mount kept the system on the dashboard, but I still found this disconcerting.

The good thing here, I suppose, is that if you have trouble with the friction mount, you’ve got a fully functional windshield mount ready to go. You’ve just paid an extra $5.00 to get it.

As a result, I can’t completely recommend the IPM512 : Mini Friction Dashboard Mount. It’s easy to install and use, and if you get two hooks, you can transfer the entire system between vehicles. But I’m not comfortable with the strength of the adhesive, and depending the slope and material your dashboard, counting on friction to prevent your iPhone from sliding to the floor may cause for some stressful highway moments.

Also see:

• Appletell reviews the IPM514 and IPM515 Mobile Mounting Solutions

Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »