Nomad ChargeKey review
Carrying around a setup to ensure your device is always charged, especially when you’re traveling or out for the night is never convenient. The fact that companies are making a ton of money off of portable battery packs and external battery cases is proof enough it’s time for one of the tech giants (or perhaps this needs to come from an out-of-nowhere startup) to revolutionize batteries.
Until then, we make do with what we have and wait for the next product to help us keep our devices full of juice.
One such product is the ChargeKey from Nomad. Designed to mimic the exact size of the average house key, ChargeKey is small, flexible, and portable.
The model I was sent for review is the Lightning compatible version for iOS devices. It’s capable of carrying 3.1 amps when charging, meaning it will provide enough power to charge full-size iPads. Don’t worry, there is a Micro USB version as well.
The material of ChargeKey makes it so it’s bendable and can withstand the normal abuse metal keys are subjected to on your keyring. With ChargeKey able to bend and move, it also means your iOS device will sit flat on the table or desk as you have your device connected. On top of that, it’s nearly impossible to always find a USB port or charging station that has a surface directly underneath it. As such, the ChargeKey creates a secure enough connection to hold an iPhone, while bending, without requiring you to hold your device the entire time it’s connected.
I have used the ChargeKey for the last few weeks during my trip to CES, and around the house. I find it better suited for use when not attached to my keyring. Keys and a glass screen have never gotten along, and I’m too paranoid my screen will accidentally get scratched when I have my device charging via the ChargeKey. It’s small enough that it fits into a side pocket on a backpack, or heck even your front pocket if you’re really paranoid about a dying battery.
The only drawback that I can come with for the ChargeKey is that it’s not an all-in-one charging solution. You still have to either find a USB port (which is getting easier and easier) or carry around a wall wort to plug ChargeKey into.
The Nomad isn’t currently shipping ChargeKey, but it expects to by the end of February, according to its website. The ChargeKey will set you back $25, or if you’re really creative you can offer to barter a service or good for a ChargeKey or two. Perhaps the best part of the ChargeKey is it’s warranty. Nomad states if your ChargeKey ever breaks, it will replace it free of charge.
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Motorola brings Prip’s push-to-talk service to the iPhone
Sprint’s iDEN network shutdown may have quashed hopes for an iPhone with native push-to-talk support, but that won’t matter much now that Motorola has brought Prip’s service to iOS. The new app lets American iOS 7 users instantly speak to both fellow Prip members as well as Nextel subscribers in Latin America. Many of the features will be familiar to those who tried the Android version, although the cross-platform launch introduces universal sign-ins and web-based account control; you’re no longer tied to Google Play. Whether you’re chatting with a friend or a whole company, you can grab Prip from the App Store today.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google
Via: Prip Blog
Source: App Store
Daily Roundup: Lumia 1320 review, NFC iPhone case, Beats Music hands-on and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Beats Music hands-on
Beats Music is now available for download on iTunes, but can it outshine numerous competitors in an already-crowded music subscription market? Click the link for our hands-on and find out.
Nokia Lumia 1320 review
Nokia’s new $340 Lumia 1320 is a seriously low-specced version of the Lumia 1520. But if you care less about internals than you do screen size, it’s got the cheapest six inches of Windows Phone around. Click through for our review.
LogMeIn ditches free accounts
LogMeIn is shutting down all of its free accounts, forcing users to either upgrade to a paid account or find an alternative. Follow the link for more information.
NFC-capable iPhone case
Thanks to a tipster, we’ve got a photo of what appears to be AT&T retail packaging of an iPhone case with built-in Isis mobile payment support. Click on through for more information.
Filed under: Misc
[Review] myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank
One of the gems I received at CES while visiting the great folks at myCharge was their Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank. Note that this has also been listed simply as the 6000 Power Bank, as it’s called in the instruction manual. No matter what you call it though, the myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank is an external battery unlike any other.
What You Get
The myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank has a clean look. Everything is contained in a small rubber-accented, smooth plastic, and lightweight package without any ports or cables exposed. Its dimensions (per Amazon) are 2.5 x 1.1 x 4.5 inches and it weighs 9.3 oz. Mine came with pull-string bag, an instruction manual and a quick start guide (retail versions may be slightly different).
It Transforms
As mentioned earlier, there’s no ports or cables exposed. Quickly though, you’ll notice that you can start pry away the rubber port protectors and cables to reveal what makes this external battery unique. You’ll find a fold-out outlet prong for wall charging, a micro USB Cable (0.5-1A output depending on load), a Lightning Cable (1A output), and a USB port (2.1A output). This can charge on all three ports simultaneously giving a combined 27 extra hours of talk time at a maximum output of 3.6 amps. You can click the power indicator button to see how much power is left in the battery: Green is 71-100%, Yellow is 41-70%, Red is 11-40%, and Flashing red is 0-10%. Note that the cables are short, but are very flexible, so you can charge a single devices and hold the battery right underneath it all in one hand easily.
Performance
The myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank had an output while charging my One near 1A constantly. It actually charges faster than the wall does; in a charge vs time graph, the myCharge has a steeper slope (meaning it’s charging more in a shorter time) than plugging into a wall charger. This can been shown below, highlighted by my crude blue effects:
First slope is myCharge, second is wall charger
Final Thoughts
Pros:
- $78
- 6,000 mAh capacity, high grade Lithium ion battery (no cheaposshere)
- Fast charging
- No cables required (unless you have a tablet) for charging devices or the unit itself
- Very light
Cons:
- Wider shape doesn’t fit so well in a pocket as other external batteries do
- $78 may be more than anyone is willing to spend on an external battery
The myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank is my go-to external battery at the moment. I bring it with me wherever I go (or it’s always in my car). I’ve used countless external batteries in the past and I must say that this is probably one of, if not the favorite of mine. If you’re interested in getting a myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank, check it out below:
Skype update for iOS brings two-way HD video chat to newer Apple devices
Did you get a new iPad or iPhone this holiday? If so, Skype has a treat in store for you — it just updated its iPad and iPhone apps to support two-way HD video chat on all A7-equipped devices. Not that Skype is leaving older hardware without an upgrade, mind you. The same update lets the software receive chat messages in the background, and those messages will sync faster across every gadget you own. Whether or not you live on the cutting edge, you’ll definitely want to visit the App Store for the update.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: iDownloadBlog
Source: App Store (iPad), (iPhone)
Google Expands Play Movies & TV to iOS
While we are all about and love our Android devices, there are still those friends and family members that just won’t fully pull the trigger. Google is in the business to make money, limiting how they make money and what devices can participate is pretty silly. Over the years we have seen various Android apps from Google make their way to iOS. It is good for them. After all, many iOS users still have Gmail accounts. Today Google made another move to assist iOS users in their abilities and ways of the Play Store by launching the Google Play Movies & TV to iTunes.
Go go losing it just yet. The app is free for those iOS users out there that wish to install it. However, it won’t do you much good. That is unless you login to the Play Store online to rent or buy movies or happen to be a dual wielding individual and already have some content through another Android device.
The new app for the iOS users among us is only available in the US, Japan and the united Kingdom. It does allow you to cast to a Chromecast device if you have one. Don’t even think about streaming on your mobile carrier though, Wi-Fi is required for all playback. Ouch!
Hopefully getting Play Movies & TV going on iOS will help boost sales, rentals and help the section expand for us all.
Source: 9to5Google
Box redesigns its iOS app for simplicity, speed and real-time search (video)
Box is finally countering Dropbox’s revamped iOS app with a redesign of its own. Its updated cloud storage software centers around a fresh, iOS 7-native interface that’s both simpler and faster at drawing content. The app takes advantage of that newfound speed, too — it now previews over 100 file types with accurate rendering, and grid views make it easier to find photos and presentations. Box has also slipped in real-time searching, a comments sidebar and the option to copy, delete or move multiple files at once. Even if these features don’t justify an upgrade by themselves, the company is sweetening the pot by offering 50GB of free, lifetime space to anyone who downloads the new app within the first 30 days. If you’re at all interested, we’d suggest hurrying to the App Store.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Storage, Mobile
Source: App Store
China Mobile iPhone pre-orders are in the millions, Tim Cook calls deal ‘a beginning’
It sure took quite a while for Apple and state-owned carrier China Mobile to finalize their deal, but it could end up being well worth Cupertino’s time. According to The Wall Street Journal, the partnership extends beyond the carrier offering iDevices in the country and “entail[s] broad cooperation” between the two companies. As you’d expect, lips from both camps are tightly sealed, but Tim Cook says he’s “incredibly optimistic” about the outcome. Whether the two are working on any big promotional or retail opportunities in an effort to catch up to Android in China remains to be seen. For now, we’ll keep our eyes peeled in case new info surfaces when China Mobile starts shipping out iPhones (millions of them, apparently) on Friday.
Filed under: Misc, Mobile, Apple
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Moment begins Kickstarter campaign for clip-on smartphone camera lenses
If you’re fed up with the camera on your phone, there’s no shortage of clip-on lenses to enhance the experience: Just take a look at Sony, Olloclip and Photojojo for great examples of this. This doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a new contender, however. Moment, a startup founded by the creator of Contour, has just launched a Kickstarter project for a pair of lenses that clip on to your iPhone, iPad or Samsung Galaxy S 2, 3 or 4. The new products, which consist of your choice of wide-angle or telephoto, can be mounted onto the phones with a thin piece of metal. Each one features a four- or five-element lens, almost no geometric distortion or chromatic aberration, the same professional-quality cinema glass that Moment claims is used for HD film and slightly larger diameters designed to keep image quality the same around the edges as it is in the center. If you choose to back the project, you’ll be able to buy one lens for $50 or two for $100, though there are a couple more expensive options should you be interested in getting something a little more exclusive.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple, Samsung
Via: Recode
Source: Kickstarter
Just Mobile unveils its fine-point capacitive stylus, expands dock and battery lineup
Just Mobile was back at CES to sprinkle some magic dust on its new accessories, and this time it involves a mixture of batteries, Lightning docks, cables and styli. We’re most excited by the company’s AluPen Digital, a fine-point capacitive stylus that works on any modern mobile device, without the need of Bluetooth or any additional sensor. We also got an exclusive look at the upcoming AluBolt Pro Lightning dock for the iPad, along with the Launch Pro and Launch Ice iPhone docks, the AluCable Flat and the aluminum refresh of the Gum++ battery. Read on to check them out.
AluPen Digital
As mentioned earlier, the AluPen Digital shifts away from the conventional blunt stylus to deliver something closer to a real pen. The only thing needed here is an AAAA battery (yes, such a thing exists!) that keeps the narrow tip going for about six to eight weeks. When you’re done with doodling, you can also retract the tip by twisting the small cap. The best part of all is the price: just $49.95. Expect this to be made available in Q1 this year.
AluBolt Pro
Just Mobile launched the AluBolt Lightning dock for the iPhone in late November, and given the funky design, it’s no surprise to see a larger version made for the iPad — and we were apparently the first people outside the company to see it. The only downside is that both stands are set at a fixed angle due to their Lightning plugs, but if you don’t mind the missing Lightning plug, then you may consider the similar-looking Encore that lets you adjust your tablet’s angle. The AluBolt Pro will arrive in early April for $59.95 — the same price as the Encore, which is already available.
Gum++ aluminum edition and AluCable Flat
The original Gum++ launched last year with a Rimowa-inspired design, but apparently there’s a demand for a smooth aluminum version, hence this refresh. All five colors are pictured above: black, space gray, silver, red and gold. The specs are the same as before: 6,000mAh capacity and a generous 2.5A output. You can grab one at the end of this month for $79.95.
If you’re looking for a Lightning cable as well, Just Mobile’s also offering the self-explanatory AluCable Flat, available in black with silver caps, black with blue caps or white with gold caps. You can grab one by the end of March, with the long version for $24,95 and the short version (pictured above) for $19.95.
Launch Pro
This minimalistic iPhone dock has a couple of not-so-obvious features. For one, there’s a retractable support stand behind the phone (but the Lightning plug alone also does the job), and there’s also a hole underneath the iPhone’s speaker, which amplifies the sound through a front-facing slot at the bottom of the dock. This will be available toward the end of March for $34.95 — it’s cheaper than the AluBolt Pro because it uses your own Lightning cable.
Launch Ice
Last but not least, we have the Launch Ice, which is clearly designed with the iPhone 5c in mind. It’s named as such because when plugged in, it’s as if you’re looking at a popsicle. Aww. The wooden plug isn’t just for show, though, as it actually houses your Lightning cable’s plug. This is also launching around end of March, and it’ll cost $29.95.
Filed under: Peripherals, Mobile
AIVAnet 