Review: IDAPT I3 – Our pick for the geeky Dad
Filed under: Awesomeness, Product Reviews, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano
This year anyone looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift for the tech obsessed Dad need look no further than the iDapt I3 charging station. Well, MY kids at least need look no further (and yeah, I suppose there might be a geeky Mom or two out there who would love it as well).
The I3 is available in “Manly Pink”, as well as 8 other colors.
Designed to minimize the cable clutter and outlet overload of today’s kitchens, the I3 get’s its name from the three separate charging “tips” you can pop into the available openings which will allow you to charge pretty much any handheld device known to geeks. Each I3 comes with tips for the iPhone/iPod, as well as phones from Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Nokia, and both a miniUSB and a microUSB tip, pretty much assuring that you can charge anything from a GPS or digital camera to an iPhone external battery from the likes of Mophie, Mili, or Novothink.
Awww… it’s like they’re getting a couple’s massage…
Swapping tips is easy, simply press on the two raised pressure buttons on either side of a tip to lift it up, and snap in a new one.
The I3 ships with a nice assortment of popular tips, or you can order your own.While odds are the I3 will meet all your charging needs out of the box, you can order additional tips on a tip-by-tip basis if you’d like. For example, being a 2-iPhone, 2-iPod house, I figured I needed 3 iPhone tips. IDAPT sells tips covering most mobile phones, as well as other gadgets like the Nintendo DS, and it even has an adapter for Read more
Review: Griffin TuneFlex AUX SmartClick for iPhone/iPod touch
Filed under: Product Reviews, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano
In a perfect world, like above, the TuneFlex can position your iPhone perfectly. But not in the Camry…
Lord knows the Toyota Camry has its problems, but all the highly publicized defect recalls and deaths are really taking away from the biggest problem the Camry has – namely that there is no decent way to mount an iPhone it it. I’ve tired suction cup mounts which are annoying to have on a window with the various cables hanging down, I’ve tried junky vent clips that invariably break off and fall into the vent, never to be seen again, and cup holder mounts that pop out of the Camry’s removable cup holder divider. So it was with great hope, tempered with much pessimism, that I decided to try out Griffin’s TuneFlex AUX SmartClick for iPhone/iPod touch.
This kind of seems like a waste of plastic, no?
The TuneFlex AUX aims to solve most of your in-car iPhone/iPod needs by delivering power to your device, audio out (via the AUX jack in your car, if you have one), and a remote control for changing songs and such. I already had a car charger and a line out cable to my AUX port, so what really enticed me was the flexible positioning stand and the remote. Read more
“The 12 Days AFTER Christmas” Giveaway: Day 40 – A JBL ON STAGE 400P
Filed under: Awesomeness, Free Stuff, contests, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano
This contest is closed. Congrats to faithful Macenstein reader Paul.
On the Fortieth Day After Christmas, Macenstein gave to you (or, more accurately, gave you a chance to win…) A JBL ON STAGE 400P !
Yes, the The 12 Days AFTER Christmas” Giveaway is slowly winding down, but we’re going out with guns blazing! And speaking of blazing, your head will probably explode when you hear the blazing audio of the JBL ON STAGE 400P ! That is, assuming you win, which you probably won’t.
Your music, the JBL® way.
Clean, powerful sound with lots of bass punch. It’s what JBL® audio components have been delivering for more than 60 years. The JBL On Stage® 400P system puts all that experience to work in a loudspeaker dock for your iPod, iPhone or any music source with an audio jack.Four Odyssey® full-range drivers and an AtlasTM woofer in a single compact enclosure bring accurate, high-output sound to virtually any bookshelf or tabletop. And a smart remote puts you in control of your music library from across the room. There are plenty of docks for iPod out there, but this is the one that only JBL engineers could build.
To enter: Speaking of winning, we were wondering, Have you ever won any type of contest or prize? (Don’t worry, we won’t penalize you out of jealousy if you won millions in the lottery – everyone has the same chance). Winners will be picked randomly 7 days later and notified (kind of like in The Ring, only with less killing… we hope). Open to US and Canadian readers only. Good luck, and thanks for reading Macenstein! (Oh, and be sure to enter ALL our “12 Days AFTER Christmas” Giveaways!)
Please note: Comments may take a while to show up, please do not double-post. Thanks!
“The 12 Days AFTER Christmas” Giveaway: Day 39 – A trio of iLuv 5th gen iPod nano cases
Filed under: Awesomeness, Free Stuff, contests, iPod nano
This contest is closed. Congrats to faithful Macenstein reader Rob.
On the Thirty-Ninth Day After Christmas, Macenstein gave to you (or, more accurately, gave you a chance to win…) A trio of iLuv iPod 5th gen nano cases!
iLuv makes a ton of cool iPod cases, but their stylish new graphical cases for the 5th gen iPod nano are some of their best to date. Of course, it’s hard to pic a favorite, so you’re getting not one, not two, but THREE different styles of cases so you can change your nano’s look to match your mood. Assuming, that is, your mood can be classified as either “City”, “Tatz”, or “Camera”, which are the three styles we’re giving away.
iLuv 5th Gen nano cases
· Perfect fit for your iPod nano 5th generation
· Provides maximum protection from scratches and scrapes
· Full access to controls
· Charge and sync while in case
· Glare-free protective film included
To enter: Speaking of “Tatz” (or Tattoos), we’d like to know, do you currently have any tattoos OR piercings? Winners will be picked randomly 7 days later and notified (kind of like in The Ring, only with less killing… we hope). Open to ALL READERS WORLD-WIDE. Good luck, and thanks for reading Macenstein! (Oh, and be sure to enter ALL our “12 Days AFTER Christmas” Giveaways!)
Please note: Comments may take a while to show up, please do not double-post. Thanks!
How to get 3 free iPods with only a screw driver, a pair of scissors, and a bag of marshmallows
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Free Stuff, Humor, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano, video
Damnit, I just threw out two VCRs on junk day!
Apple’s most ironically named event, ever
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Cynicism, That's Weird..., Updates, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod nano, iPod shuffle
Well, Apple’s “It’s only Rock ‘n Roll, but I like it” event has come to a close, and it had virtually nothing to do with Rock ‘n Roll, or even music in general. Sure, just about every announcement made today had something to do with the iPod, iPhone, or iTunes, yet it was all about apps, video cameras, price drops, and pedometers.
So, what did Apple announce? Well, new iPod touches with more capacity, faster processors (presumably matching the iPhone 3G S) and bigger storage (even bigger than the iPhone). New iPod nanos – also with video cameras – as well as a built-in pedometer for workouts and an FM radio (what? No AM!?!?!) The shuffle got no love, but did receive a price drop, so maybe someone will buy it now.
But the big news is iTunes 9, which got a major revamp to accommodate music apps. Yes, new Genius features for recommending apps you might like based on your buying preferences, new iPhone/iPod touch application managing from within iTunes, and new application ranking charts to make developers happier. Top it all off with the new iPhone/iPod touch OS 3.1, and you have a music-less announcement rivaling a Mac Pro unveiling. Even the much rumored Beatles announcement was a no-show. Sure, Apple announced they would now offer LP bundles for some albums which will tack on music videos and photos to Album purchases, but since iTunes pretty much single-handedly killed the album format, this two-minute announcement hardly warranted taking over the event poster.
All in all it was a pretty decent (albeit expected) series of nice hardware updates, and a nice update to iTunes (that should have come 2 years ago).
One more thing
But of course to any true Apple fan, the fact that we got to see Steve Jobs back on stage and standing on his own power was the biggest thrill of the afternoon (although I would have personally preferred to see him walk through some sort of hoop or something to prove there were no wires controlling him).
Review: Scosche’s reviveLITE for iPhone/iPod
Filed under: Product Reviews, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano
For years now I have been wanting to charge my iPods and iPhone in dark rooms, but I’ve just been too scared. Well, thanks to Scosche’s reviveLITE, I have been able to take back the night, and can now charge my iPhone with impunity!
OK, that’s a little much. I was going to start this review out by making fun of how companies are adding iPod docks to just about anything these days –including night lights – but the reviveLight actually makes a little bit more sense than some other dock-strosities I’ve seen lately.
Quite simply the reviveLITE is a wall charger for your iPod or iPhone, combined with a light-sensor-activated nightlight, meaning it will turn itself on automatically at night. There’s also a button on the front that allows you to turn the night light feature off, so it can work solely as a wall charger if you’d like. I’m such a fan of sleeping in the dark that I usually have to cover my alarm clock’s digital display to keep me from being annoyed, so I found the night light to be plenty bright enough, although I suppose if you are expecting it to light up a large room you may find it lacking.
Available in either black or white, the reviveLITE has a fold-out arm to hold your iPod or iPhone while charging. This folding design (combined with the folding AC plugs in the rear) allow the reviveLITE to function quite well as a travel-sized charger for on the road charging, especially for those who are afraid of the dark.
I suppose you can use the reviveLITE in any number of locations, but to me the one that makes the most sense would be in a kitchen, as that is a room that has elevated wall outlets (I don’t think I want to bend down every day to charge my iPhone in a hallway outlet) and while a bathroom also has elevated plugs, I’m not a fan of intentionally exposing my iPhone to excessive moisture. I like that the reviveLITE keeps my iPhone off the kitchen counter, away from spills and such, but the kitchen is not really a place I need the night-light feature. I suppose this might be a good fit for a child’s room who owns an iPod (both my kids do) and odds are kids don’t mind plugging an iPod in to a low outlet on a regular basis, but to me I see it more of a kitchen or travel charger.
Issues
The reviveLITE is a pretty simple device, and works as advertised. I only have two issues with it. The first is, my iPhone and iPod touches did not fit in the reviveLITE when in ANY of the dozens of cases I own for them. It’s not a huge deal to take your iPhone out of the case, at least with most cases, but it CAN be annoying, so if the dock had just an extra 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space around it, it would have helped. iPod nano owners should have no problem, however.
Above: The reviveLITE’s sinking feeling.
But the second issue, which despite being less of a functional problem and more of an aesthetic one is, I found the weight of an iPhone 3G appeared to be almost too mush for the reviveLITE to handle, and the device would lean to the left in a not so cool-looking manner. The problem is that the folding AC plug in the back is a two-prong plug, so while a three-prong would understandably have made it harder to fold in, it would have help the unit much sturdier in the outlet, and kept it looking cooler. I should say that with proper, careful placement you CAN get the reviveLITE to usually stay upright for a period of time, but with long charges invariably when I can back the unit had tilted a bit. Given that I have the reviveLITE plugged into my kitchen outlet near rows of straight-lined tiles, the sagging is perhaps more noticeable than if used on a flat wall. If there were a way to add a 3rd prong to the device to help anchor it better, it would alleviate this issue.
Above: Smaller, lighter-weight iPods shouldn’t have the leaning problem I experienced on my iPhones and iPod touches.
Conclusion
The reviveLITE works well as both a folding travel charger and a night light. I found it was best suited for kitchen use, as it helps keep your iPhone off the counter away from spills and such, and it is one of the more commonly used rooms with elevated, accessible outlets. The only real gripes are the reviveLITE tends to sag to one side under the weight of an iPhone, and odds are you will need to remove your iPhone form it’s case to fit it in the rather snug dock.
Price: $39.99
Pros: Works as advertised, holds iPhone up, away from danger, night light is decent (and can be turned off) folds compact for travel
Cons: Not all that convenient outside of a kitchen where raised outlets are plentiful, two-prong AC plug is not sturdy enough to keep reviveLITE from sagging when loaded. Probably about $10 too expensive. Look on Amazon for cheaper price.
A nano that can hold 47 trillion songs
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Awesomeness, design, iPod nano
Fashion designer Sir Paul Smith got a pretty cool birthday gift from his fellow Brit and BFF Jonathan Ive – a giant pink iPod nano.
On a sad note, four seconds after this picture was taken the giant pink nano was lost in Paul Smith’s cluttered shit hole of an office.
This is one of those cool things that as an Apple fanatic I see and think “Oh my God! That’s Awesome!” and then after looking around my house for a second, I think, “Where the hell would I put that?” I know if I were to get that in the mail, it would only end up collecting dust in the garage out by the Bowflex I never use. At least I can hang wet laundry on the Bowflex to dry… The Giant Pink nano is more or less useless. In fact, I have a feeling Jonny was probably just cleaning out his office and saw an opportunity to pawn off some garbage as a free gift. So Mr. Ive, you’ll have to do better than that for MY birthday next year (March 1st, FYI). I demand a little more thought in MY gifts.
[via Paul Smith's blog]
Further evidence that Darth Vader invented the iPod
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Hardware, Humor, Photos, design, iPod nano
Extremely long-time readers may recall that I uncovered evidence that Darth Vader in fact invented the iPod.
(above: the iPod was conceived a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away¦)
Well, I uncovered further evidence while watching the season finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. As you can see, in the episode entitled “Hostage Crisis”, we can clearly see Anakin Skywalker (AKA Darth Vader lite) build an iPod nano out of spare parts.
OK, maybe this theory is a bit far-fetched, but you gotta admit it certainly makes more sense than Anakin building C3PO.
Celebrity Mac Chick Sighting: Evangeline Lilly
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Awesomeness, Celebrity Mac Chick, iPod nano
Wow, this makes LOST even MORE confusing. How did Freckles get an iPod? Is this iPod in the past, present, future, or all in Desmond’s mind?
[via UseMyComputer]
