iPod given waterproof suit

What’s the best method to keep your iPod dry? The answer is simple - don’t bring it out to a poolside party or the beach. What happens if you absolutely must break that cardinal rule? This is where the Allsop Splash Pack DriPod provides full waterproof protection thanks to its air tight soft case. It not only keeps your iPod dry, but other similar sized electronic items as well. There is also a heat-sealed headphone jack for you to groove to your tunes while lounging about in a pool. The DriPod works great up to 10 feet of water before the laws of physics will breach its triple seals. You will still retain full control over your iPod even when it is inside the DriPod. Pick one up this summer for $19.99.

Akkufresh: just what a power-user needs

Here’s something that’ if really effective, I’ll surely be recommending all around. The Akkufresh is a sheet of ‘exclusive IonXtra nanoceramic’ that you cover your gadget’s battery with, and which supposedly helps increase the battery’s overall efficiency by a considerable margin. It promises to enhance all of the battery’s properties.

What kind of makes me skeptical is the fact that they mix statistics/demos/technical explanations with irrelevant snake medicine.


There’s a nice page on their site that tries to explain in a simple way what’s going on there and how this helps. If you don’t want to read all of that, I’ll try to sum up its multiple useful features:

reactivates and redirects stray or idle ions, by using its own magnetic field
microvibrates, thus preventing oxidation of the electrodes
ionizes the air and keeps the battery at an optimum level of temperature
All you have to do is stick this in the battery compartment with the ‘active side’ toward the battery, and covering at least 80% of its surface. Then, in 5 to 10 charges, it should do its magic and give your batteries better lifetime, less aging and faster charging.

Read their site to see what I mean, there’s only this way to get a precise image about it. Also, I might just buy and try one of these, and I’m sure to report on it’s advantages. I’ll start counting stuff soon, to have something to compare.

Google thinks differently with open source cellphone initiative

While Apple goes to extreme lengths to keep the vastly overpriced iPhone locked down so as to protect their lucrative deal with AT&T, Google has gone the other way in announcing their Open Handset Alliance. The alliance joins 34 companies which will accept the Google Phone and it’s open source mobile platform called Android.


The Android platform is the first step in this direction — a fully integrated mobile “software stack” that consists of an operating system, middleware, user-friendly interface and applications. In addition, handset manufacturers and wireless operators will be free to customize Android in order to develop new products faster and cheaper. This should give consumers worldwide more affordable access and hardware. That’s the theory anyway.

“Open is good because it’s about choice. It allows people to do what they want,” says Steve Horowitz, engineering director of the Open Alliance.

T-Mobile, HTC, Samsung, LG and Motorola are amongst the leading wireless providers who have joined together to provide an open format for cellular communications which will also foster innovation on mobile devices and giving consumers a far better user experience. The goal is to work corporately, rather than exclusively, to create better cellular service and provide more options for the wireless experience. And you can bet the Alliance won’t be bricking any phones should third parties want in on the party or prevent users from using cash to buy a new Google Phone.

Consumers should expect the first phones based on Android to be available in the second half of 2008.

Wind Up Phone Charger Keeps You Connected

We’ve all had it happen to us. You’re out running errands and the battery in your Motorola RIZR dies. You’re at work with no charger and your Nokia N95 is chirping its low battery alert pathetically. You swear to the deity of your choice when you just can’t find the right charger for your Samsung M300. Or the worst of them all, you’re in a power outage and need to charge your cell phone.

The folks over at the Gadgetshop offers up the Wind Up Phone Charger. It is a great gadget that will provide power to your cell phone after a few minutes of turning the fishing reel-like hand crank. After those few minutes, you will have 25-30 minutes of charge restored to your cell phone.

The Wind Up Phone Charger also has a built-in flashlight so in case you misplace anything in that power outage, you can find it again with no trouble. Unless you lose the Wind Up Phone Charger. It also comes with a wrist strap for those of us who are clumsy.

Since it runs on “people power”, it is also eco-friendly - perfect for the gadget-loving green freak on your holiday shopping list!

Features:

Reusable and convenient
Lightweight and compact - perfect for when you’re traveling
Saves you money
Safe to use
Compatible with many of the following models: Nokia, Siemens, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung.
Specifications:

Dimensions: Height: 3.0cm Width: 5.0cm Depth: 6.0cm
Weight: 0.2Kg

Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard

Ever get sick of using that tiny little keyboard on your Blackberry? Tired of scribbling out things into your Palm Tungsten?

It sounds like you need a portable keyboard. But the majority of portable keyboards are bulky, cumbersome and more trouble than they’re worth to take along with you.

X-treme Geek brings you the Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard. Virtual Keyboard is a lightweight projector that can be used with a Bluetooth-compatible smartphone or PDA. Once you’re ready to use it, you connect via Bluetooth and you tap the projected images of the keys and the Virtual Keyboard knows which keys you’ve typed and responds instantly with audible clicks. I don’t know how it works - but it’s pretty damn cool that it knows not only what keys you’re “pushing”, but to also add the sound of a clicking key to that motion. You can also adjust the key sensitivity.

Measuring a tiny 1″L x 1 3/8″W x 3 5/8″H and weighing in at a mere 2.3oz., the Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard will fit nicely in a purse or a bag without taking up too much valuable space. Includes AC adapter, carrying case and software on MiniCD. Requires Bluetooth device with HID and SPP profiles.

Pick one up at X-treme Geek for $199.00.

Compatible with:

Acer N50, Asus MyPal A716, Audiovox xv6600 PPC6601 Harrier, Blackberry 7100 Series, Blackberry 7130e, Blackberry 7250, Blackberry 7290, Blackberry 7520, Blackberry 8700, Dell Axim 50/X50V, Dell Axim X50V, Dell Axim x51v, Dopod 535 Qtek 8080 SPV E200 Xphone, Dopod 565 i-mate SP3 Qtek 8010 SPV C500, Dopod 576 i-mate SP3i Qtek 8020 SDA Xphone II, Dopod 585 Qtek 8100 SDA Music Xphone IIm, Dopod 699 M2500 Qtek 2020i XDAIIi, Dopod 700 i-mate PDA2K MDAIII Qtek 9090 VPAIII XDAIIs, Dopod 818 i-mate Jam M500 MDA Compact Qtek S100 XDA Mini, Gigabyte G-Smart, HP 6300 Series, HP 6500, HP iPAQ 2495B, HP iPAQ 4700, HP iPAQ H1940, HP iPAQ H2210, HP iPAQ H2700, HP iPAQ H5550, HP iPAQ hx2790, HP iPAQ rx 3417, HP iPAQ rx3715, HTC MTeoR, I-mate JasJar, M2000 MDA II Qtek 2020 XDA II, MIO 336 BT, Motorola A1000, Motorola MPx220, Nextel 7100i, Nokia 3650, Nokia 6260, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6680, Nokia 7650, Nokia 770, Nokia N70, O2 Atom, OQO, Palm LifeDrive, Palm Treo 650, Palm Tungsten E2, Palm Tungsten T3, Palm Tungsten T5, Palm TX, Palm Zire 72, Samsung i730, Sony-Ericsson P800, Sony-Ericsson P900, Sony-Ericsson P910i, T-Mobile SDA and XPlore M68.

Sony Ericsson Concept cellphone has full sized USB Port

Putting a full-sized USB port in a phone is such a simple idea, even a caveman could think of it. Yet, until now, nobody has. Vincent Palicki's design features such a port by the number keys, allowing devices like thumb drives to plug in and transfer MP3s, movies and documents. Cellphone makers, pay attention...this is a good idea.

Sound Asleep Pillow is music to your ears, and only your ears

Do you have issues falling asleep at night? I can’t really complain about falling asleep, it’s just staying that way that becomes an issue for me. However, for those of you that like to have some sort of noise (like music) playing when you lie down, you might want to check out the Sound Asleep Pillow. This pillow features an interesting built-in speaker that will play music only for the person lying on it.


I’ve seen a number of pillows that promise the world, but this has to be one of the first of its kind. It uses a speaker buried in the pillow to transmit sound that is only audible to those with their head on it. This is great because many times your spouse doesn’t want to listen to your music, and earbuds can be painful if left in overnight.

One corner features a headphone jack that allows you to hook up the speaker to your MP3 player of choice and allows you to select the music that you want to fall asleep to. The Sound Asleep Pillow can be had for just over $40. Just remember that any investment that helps you sleep better is always worth it. Provided that it does indeed help.

Duracell PowerSource keeps your laptop running an extra 2 hours

Duracell PowerSource keeps your laptop running an extra 2 hours



If you’re anything like me, you tend to carry around a multitude of gadgets. Naturally, when any of these go dead while I’m away from an outlet, I tend to go into a panic. I try my best to keep them all charged up, but sometimes you just can’t help it. That’s why it’s handy to have some backup power for your gadgets.
Duracell has recently launched their PowerSource Mobile 100 unit which promises to provide more than a little extra juice to your portable devices. It features two USB ports and a single AC outlet which will let you power just about anything. This little guy isn’t like some other solutions that only powers your cell phone for an hour or so. This particular gadget will power a laptop for up to two hours, a cell phone for 18 hours (that’s talk time) or an MP3 player for up to 96 hours of play time.
Obviously, not all devices are created equally, so you’ll have to take those times with a grain of salt. One thing is for sure though, you’ll get plenty of juice out of this guy. It does however come with a hefty price tag. While it will set you back $140, it will definitely show its worth the first time your laptop dies on the road.