Accessories for Moms on the go - London Free Press (blog)

While we all know that Mom will probably appreciate anything we get her for Mother’s Day, the truth is she really doesn’t need another toaster, another bottle of perfume or something that’s just going to take up more space in the house. So why not get your Mother something that she can really use when she’s out and about?

Keep Mom Safe

You can help keep Mom safe with a Pebble Key Ring Alarm from ila. It’s a fashionable, small lightweight and very discreet keychain, that in case of emergency will blare out a deafening 130dB unique woman’s scream, simply by pushing the central button and pulling out the ring.  The alarm will last for up to 10 min or until you reattach the stem.  Its non-removable battery should last up to three years. Retailing for $19.99, it comes in two colours; black with white swirls or red with polka dots and is distributed in Canada by Abbott and is available in many retail and gift shops.

Instant Wristwatch

The iWatchz Q Series can easily let Mom turn her 6th Gen Apple iPod nano into a cool and fashionable wristwatch and at the same time still let her use it as an iPod.   It’s designed not to impede access to any of the iPod’s controls or buttons so she doesn’t have to remove it to access any functions. It’s well designed. The band is made of strong silicone and the clasps and hardware are made from steel. All Mom has to remember to do is press, slide and click to attach – it’s that easy.  If Mom doesn’t have a compatible iPod nano, you can get her one of those, too! It sells for $29.95 and is available in 5 colours including hot pink. You can purchase it directly from the Apple Canada on-line store or from your favourite retailer.

Luxurious Leather

Perhaps your Mom prefers something stylish and elegant. If so why not consider getting her a Michael Kors Wallet Clutch for iPhone.  It’s handcrafted from full-grain premium Nappa leather and has pockets with room for her credit cards and ID. As an added touch, it’s finished with Michael Kors Golden signature logo hardware.  It practical too! It’s designed so that you can easily plug in your iPod connector and headphones without removing it from the case.

The wallet clutch comes in three colors black patent; golden pebble and even a python print and they are compatible with iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4.  It sells for $84.95 and is also available through the Apple Canada online store.

For the Weekend Warrior

While some Moms prefer true elegance, others are weekend warriors who prefer accessories that’ll survive in the rough and tough terrain.  Or maybe, just maybe, Mom might just be the gravity challenged type, although she may never admit it.  Either way, wink, wink, you might want to consider getting Mom a BullFrog Case for iPhone 4, by iFrogz.

It’s durable, with a rugged polycarbonate core, surrounded by a ribbed silicone exterior. It’s easy to grip and will protect Mom’s iPhone from impact ?“ within reason of course. And when Mom is off camping or off doing heavy duty work, the BullFrog case keeps the buttons and ports covered with removable guards to avoid her iPhone 4 from being exposed to dust and dirt from the elements.

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Gartner Sees iPads As Transformational - InformationWeek

Android tablets also will be contenders, while those from RIM, HP, and others will struggle

In his presentation, "Your CEO Has an iPad, What's Next," Gartner Research Director Daniel O'Connell discussed other kinds of tablets, recognizing those based on Google's Android mobile operating system as serious contenders. But he kept coming back to the iPad. "There is no one thing that makes it the greatest device in the world," but the combination of portability, a compelling user interface, long battery life, and instant-on (no waiting for an operating system to boot) have made the iPad a phenomenon for both personal and business use.

Employees first started to bringing iPads to work as status symbols or fashion accessories, but it wasn't long before they started demanding access to corporate applications, starting with email and working up to remote access to enterprise software using virtual desktop software such as Citrix Receiver, he said.

a significant number of enterprises also were developing their own applications specifically for the iPad, O'Connell said. For example, Hyatt Hotels has an iPad application it uses for check-in and check-out during busy periods and also for concierge services. Proving that such projects aren't only for large companies, some restaurants are also presenting their wine lists (complete with reviews of each vintage).

When it was introduced last year, the iPad was able to take off very quickly by tapping into the large number of touch-screen applications that had been developed for the iPhone, most of which could run unmodified on the iPad, O'Connell said. While BlackBerry maker Research in Motion recently introduced its PlayBook tablet, and HP is developing one based on its acquisition of Palm, it will be difficult for new entrants to attract attention from software and accessory makers, "most of whom have their hands full trying to keep up with iPad and Android," O'Connell said.

The iPad does have some flaws, such as the fact that it doesn't work with a stylus, won't work with a gloved hand (for example, that of a health care worker), can't be disinfected, and isn't rugged enough for some uses. Apple will have to address those issues over the next couple of years, or else its competitors will get their chance to show they can do better, O'Connell said. Enterprises also will have to seek out mobile management capabilities from an immature market of vendors that provide capabilities like the ability to wipe the memory of a device that are lost or stolen, he said.

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The Week in iPhone Cases: A whiter shade of pale - IDG News Service

That didn't take long. After months of waiting and speculation, Apple this week finally--finally!--released the white iPhone 4...and companies immediately started pitching accessories aimed specifically at adorning and protecting the new ivory wonder. But don't worry--if you've got a plain old black iPhone 4, there's stuff for you in this week's roundup, as well.

BodyGuardz

The body-film maker jumped into the white iPhone market with the $20 Armor Carbon Fiber, a PVC-based, carbon-fiber-texture film that adheres to the back of your phone to provide protection against dents and scratches. The Armor was previously available for black phones, but the new version comes in white, ensuring that your white iPhone is as white as it can be. The company is also quick to point out that its Clear Skins ($10 to $25, depending on coverage)--thin, transparent films that can cover the back, screen, and sides of the iPhone--fit the white iPhone. Both products are available for immediate shipping.

Incase

If you're looking for choices beyond black or white, Incase has a solution. The $35 Monochrome Slider Case comes in eight different colors--including "Hibiscus," "Shamrock," and "Tomato"--and offers hardshell construction, a chrome-finish bottom piece, and interior rubber guardrails for shock absorption.

Scosche

Accessory maker Schoshe's latest product protects, powers, and props up your phone. The $80 SwitchBACK surge g4 contains a lithium-ion battery that can restore 80 percent of a charge to a power-depleted iPhone. The case comes with a pair of interchangeable backs that let you customize the case to your need--one back piece lets you clip the phone to your belt, while the other props up the device for hands-free landscape-orientation video viewing.

Trident

Get ready with your "Clash of the Titans" jokes: Trident has released the Kraken! The $45 Kraken II case features polycarbonate shell overlaid with silicone, and includes a screen protector, a kickstand, and a holster. The bottom of the case has a removable sleeve for easy docking.

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Motorola Atrix 4G Review - infoSync World

Motorola Atrix 4G Report

There are few phones that can contend with the Motorola Atrix 4G. It is a breed of its own. First off, this dual-core warrior is exceedingly versatile, courtesy of various accessories like Laptop, Multimedia, or Vehicle docks. Want to work from home using your work computer? That's what the laptop dock is for. Need a GPS unit in your car? That's what the Vehicle dock is for. Streaming 720p HD videos to HDTVs? The Multimedia dock. But then let's take a look at what's under the hood. A gig of RAM, 16GB of NAND flash, 5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording, and a whopping 1930mAh battery pack that churned out the best battery life we've seen on a smartphone to date. Yes, the Motorola Atrix 4G (specs) is a worthy adversary of the iPhone 4 and HTC Inspire 4G. 

Given our penchant for motorcycles, certain materials like titanium, stainless steel, and carbon fiber really light our Bunsen burners. Well, the Motorola Atrix 4G happens to sport a back panel with a faux carbon fiber pattern, and that sold us on the spot. Not only does the phone look slicker than snail snot, but it's almost identical in size to the iPhone 4. Although it is slightly wider, we really didn't notice it while it hid out in our pocket. Besides, the phone's larger 4-inch qHD touchscreen was worth the miniscule width boost compared to the iPhone 4's 3.5-incher. Want to talk graphics? The Atrix 4G's screen is right up there with Apple's Retina display.

You'll also notice that this smartphone mounts its HDMI and USB terminals within close proximity of each other, and that's because they serve as the terminals for dock connections. Also, we weren't fans of the Power/Lock button at first, due to its recessed and hard to reach design. However, we quickly realized the benefit to this architectural divergence, and did not inadvertently toggle the phone while it sat in our pocket. A few other highlights are the Atrix 4G's front-facing VGA camera, four haptic feedback buttons consisting of Menu, Home, Back, and Search, and its 16GB of built-in NAND flash with supplemental MicroSD card slot. Obviously, the phone's 1930mAh battery and 5-megapixel camera with dual LED flash stole the show when it came to performance.

Software and Interface

Like so many Android devices in this current state of time, the Motorola Atrix 4G runs Android 2.2, which specializes in the full Google spectrum with Flash 10.1 support for the browser. But when we look at the phone's interface, that's a different story. The big player seems to be HTC Sense these days, but the Atrix 4G, being a Motorola phone, runs MOTOBLUR. MOTOBLUR is more of an acquired taste, as it specializes in social networking and the conjoining of various accounts into one centralized mass. MOTOBLUR is not as refined as iOS 4 or HTC Sense, but it's universal enough to appeal to a broad spectrum of users. The phone is fast with its NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor (1GHz at each core) and 1GB of RAM.

With that said, the Motorola Atrix 4G has 7 Home screens with the ability to add Motorola Widgets, Android Widgets, Shortcuts, Folders, or Wallpapers with a prolonged press and hold on any screen. We have the classic Android dropdown menu and a vertically-scrolling Applications menu that is easily accessed via the circular button wedged between the large Phone and Contact buttons. The neat thing about MOTOBLUR is that once you sign up, it will remotely save your settings. For instance, we were able to retain all of our signed in accounts just by signing in once to our MOTOBLUR account, so that was a plus.

Internet

The Motorola Atrix 4G is blessed with one of the better browsers out there. It's not as sleek as the HTC Sense browser, but it's quick and smooth. We get pinch-to-zoom and double-tap-to-zoom with text wrapping, and response time is great. Also, Flash 10.1 support allowed us to watch our YouTube reviews right from within the browser, lag-free. The Motorola Atrix 4G comes with Vlingo, which is a speech-based phone search application that enabled us to search anything online or send emails via voice. We tested Vlingo, and it worked very well. Overall, the phone's HSPA+ speeds were well up to snuff, and Wi-Fi connectivity enhanced our browsing even further.

Multimedia and Productivity

With Quickoffice right out of the box, the Motorola Atrix 4G allowed us to work on Microsoft Office documents via the exceptionally welcoming keyboard. We were able to fly through sentences on Motorola's keyboard, and it heightened our level of productivity significantly. Thanks to our MOTOBLUR experience, the Atrix 4G offered a Universal Inbox, which combined all of our emails, messages, and other correspondence from various accounts like Gmail, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. This had a tendency to be overbearing, but our Account synchronization was flexible. The Motorola Atrix 4G also proved itself as a solid multimedia phone, handling 3D games with ease, thanks to its accelerometer and tasty dual-core action. The phone offers DLNA for streaming content onto other wireless devices and Media Share, which aided In the transferring of files to other devices.

Call Quality/Battery Life

Battery life is one of the Motorola Atrix 4G's primary strengths, as its 1930mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery pack cranked out the best smartphone longevity performance we've ever seen. This could not just be attributed to the phone's larger battery pack, but also its power management. There are three flavors to choose from: Maximum Battery Saver, which stops syncing data after 15 minutes of inactivity and dims the display. Then Nighttime Saver functions the same, only it allows full syncing throughout the day. Performance Mode is obviously geared for the minute-to-minute syncer, and uses the most battery power. However, we used Maximum Battery Saver and our Atrix 4G review unit lasted for days on standby. Holy moly. Yes, this phone is a marvel of battery craftsmanship.

That being said, voice quality paled in comparison. It was decent enough, but with connectivity to a nearby AT&T tower, we have heard better. That's not to say the Atrix 4G did not perform well?calls were perfectly acceptable. However, the Atrix 4G could not match the noise-canceling goodness of the HTC Droid Incredible 2.

Accessories

Now let's talk accessories. No other phone on the market is compatible with the level of device-specific accessories that are available for the Motorola Atrix 4G. We were sent the Laptop dock and Multimedia Dock. We'll start with the Laptop Dock, which operates by plugging the Atrix 4G into the USB and HDMI prongs located behind the display. We could view and control all action on the phone via Mobile View, which was represented in an individual window, or we could pop over to Firefox or Facebook for full browser-like experiences.

There was also a File Manager for easier control of our phone files and we could make calls through the phone in a skype fashion usin an on-screen dialer. For media, we got Motorola's Entertainment Center, which combined all of our images, videos, and music into one snazzy interface with the support of HD. Add in the fact that we could use Citrix to work remotely from the office?ideal for "sick days"?and the Laptop Dock was probably the most useful accessory. Oh, and don't forget the Bluetooth keyboard and mouse that Motorola sent us either.

We were also shipped a Multimedia Dock, which came equipped with three USB terminals, an HDMI port, and other clutch forms of connectivity. With the Multimedia Dock, we found it was best to set it next to an HDTV and hook the Atrix 4G up for 720p action, though we did not feel that the Multimedia Dock was a necessity, or as functional as the Laptop Dock. Then there was the Vehicle Dock, which transformed the Atrix 4G into a car GPS. This was a bit more useful, and we're sure Garmin must be very angry.

Camera

The Motorola Atrix 4G has a 5-megapixel camera with dual LED flash and 720p HD video recording. We tested the Atrix 4G against the T-Mobile G2x, and the G2x blew it away. That's not to say that the Atrix did not crank out a decent image performance. Bright light was good, and the phone had a modest amount of manual controls, Scene modes, and effects. Unfortunately, the Atrix 4G lacked touch focus and we could not toggle the video light on or off while recording. Also, low light sensitivity lacked significantly, especially when compared to the awesome power of the G2x's 8-megapixel sensor. The bottom line was that the Atrix 4G's camera was sufficient enough for most users, but those looking for a camera as the primary feature in a phone will want to check out the T-Mobile G2x or iPhone 4.

Motorola Atrix 4G ? infoSync Diagnosis

The Motorola Atrix 4G is an example of innovative thinking brought to the forefront of modern smartphone technology. We have a dual-core demon with 1GHz of RAM, fantastic battery life, and compatibility with accessories out the wazoo. The Atrix 4G will make working from home a breeze, thanks to the Laptop Dock, and can navigate your car wherever it needs to go, courtesy of the Vehicle Dock.

We are typically weary of phones that are compatible with a multitude of device-specific accessories, but the Atrix 4G proved itself as a worthy candidate. Though the phone could use a little boost in voice quality and camera quality, its overall package did not cease to impress us.

If you're looking for a great iPhone alternative, the Motorola Atrix 4G should be the first stop on your map, followed by the HTC Inspire 4G. Motorola really hit a home run with this phone, and we can't wait to see the follow-up to this model.

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