Review of Commission Crusher Software

Simply put, Steve is not like any other marketer I have met online online. With nearly 5 years of marketing online, Steve has gone from College dropout at 20 to millionaire
status in less than 3 years. This is something anyone can aspire to do. Obviously not the dropping out of college part, but making millions of course!Steve has done everything from promoting affiliate programs, software programs, sold websites, marketing seminars, speaking at conferences and he has also created his own CPA offers. Steve has helped thousands of people build their own successful affiliate marketing businesses including myself. My affiliate website exploded with traffic after I started using his software. I only wish I had found Commission Crusher earlier!
Steve has had his finger in a lot of pies by the look of it. If you can think of it, he's tried it.Recycle Your Old Watch Battery.He believes that you should always try to help your affiliates and customers. I strongly agree with him and it is this ideology that is the reason for my success and no doubt his as well. People don't buy your product they buy you. Fortunately for Steve his product is actually really good, so he gets the flow on effects from this. The reason I have had so much success in my SFI business is because I care about the results of my team. Steve is also like this.His Commission Crusher software uses a simple method to harness any market or specific area on the internet and see who is getting the majority of the traffic. From there you are able to implement strategies to drive some of that traffic to your own websites. I have had plenty of experience with internet marketing software and I found Commission Crusher to be very simple to use, hence the reason I am writing this review for my affiliates and the general public.
Steve Iser is not like many of the other internet marketing so called "gurus" out there. He always has an interest in helping other network marketers succeed. This is something we should all emulate, it will help us build a successful business. As all my SFI affiliates know, network marketing is about helping people, not taking their money and leaving them high and dry. I'm one of the network marketing successes because I look after my team. Steve does the same! I know all my SFI affiliates will get commission crusher, because I teach them to duplicate everything I do, because if I'm rich and I'm doing something that is working, why try and reinvent the wheel? I recommend any affiliate/network marketer give Commission Crusher a try!

Options Available to Purchase iPad Cases

Cases which cover speakers underneath while you are working on iPad or prevent any access to the button along the side f your ipad and so these would be the added advantage over the simple cases. Types of iPad CasesBased on the above factors there are various types of iPad cases exists which are given below: -Water-resistant This kind of iPad cases is useful for people who love to bring their iPad near the pools or beaches so that it protect their ipad when water spill over their gadget. Carrying Bag This is not just a case for iPad but it is a kind of bag with some additional pockets to carry its related accessories like data cable, USB, power adaptor etc. as well.
Sleeve and Zipper Case Sleeve case is beneficial for those who are on go as by using this it is easy to slip in and slip out the iPad. And Zipper case is a kind of sleeve case but all the sleeve case does not have zipper feature which keeps your iPad safe inside. Book-like cases or Folio These are the hard cover and ideal for those who wishes to protect iPad from the situations which may crush or flatten their gadget. There are numerous kinds of ipad cases in the market and every case would look better in some respect but it is recommended to enquire with the other users of the case before purchasing a new and ideal case for your own iPad.
Villefort. See him, and he ried to kill the turnkey. ""You do not reply to my question, " replied the inspector impatiently. "I will see them both, " returned the in ipad accessories spector; "I must conscientiously perform m case for ipad y duty. " This was the inspector's first visit; he wished to display his authority. "No. 27, " said the inspector. "He fancies he possesses an immense treasure. The latest gadget iPad is getting popular across the globe day by day. Along with it, the accessories are also becoming increasingly popular. These accessories help your iPad to look stylish and impressive. And also make your valuable time happier and faster with the gadget. If you are searching to find out from where to purchase the top rated ipad cases but you are not aware then no need to worry! As there are numerous options available to purchase ipad cases. So, to help you here is a sort guide which will help you to purchase cases for your new iPad. Today you will find variety of cases out there specially designed for iPad. But you should select the one that will best suit your personality as well as your iPad. Before purchasing an iPad case you best new iphone cases have to determine your budget.

Recycle Your Old Watch Battery

In this day and age of environmental consciousness, the movement to safely dispose of and recycle potentially hazardous materials has grown enormously. In spite of being very small, watch batteries can still pose a significant environmental health problem if they are not properly disposed of.Just imagine how many watch batteries are in use today and how many will be changed out and disposed of every year. The figures are in the hundreds of millions so the issue is indeed an important one. To understand just how serious the issue of battery recycling can be we must first look at how watch batteries are made and what potentially hazardous substances they contain.
Watch batteries are often referred to as button batteries or button cells. These batteries can contain any number of different substances, including lithium, mercury, cadmium, silver and other heavy metals. The recycling of these types of batteries, which can also be found in other types electronic devices like hearing aids, has proven to be a very profitable enterprise.The heavy metals can be recovered and reused and since silver and lithium. The process can be expensive but it is worth the effort to recover these substances. Heavy metals like those found in many types modern batteries do not diminish if they are introduced in the environment.
The very nature of these substances means that they remain in the environment and never break down organically.iPad Mini vs Barnes & Noble Nook HD.For example, if heavy metals are introduced into a water source, fish and other aquatic animals may ingest the substance.Since the substance concentrates in fatty tissues, humans and other carnivorous animals who consume the fish are also consuming the heavy metal, which in turn concentrates in our tissues. The body does not expel these substances very readily and they tend remain to remain in the body for years.The more tainted food we consume the greater the concentration of heavy metals in out own bodies. When button batteries and other types of household batteries are placed into an unsealed landfill the case material eventually corrodes and the heavy metals inside leech into the surrounding soils and even down to the ground water. This contributes to environmental pollution and is very hard if not impossible to get rid of once it has leeched out.Heavy metal contamination of living organisms can lead to a whole host of adverse health effects in many species, including humans. These adverse effects can range from birth defects to cancers and many other diseases.

iPad Mini vs Barnes & Noble Nook HD

We'd say the iPad Mini looks a good deal better than its larger cousin, with a number of the same visual cues, but while on the full-size iPad the look has become too familiar in this smaller format there's something about it that looks more refined.Perhaps it's the 7.9-inch display's aspect ratio lending the device very flattering proportions, or the very thin sides and slightly thicker top and bottom panels creating an iPhone-like shape. Either way, it looks sharp and has an aluminium back panel.The build quality is, on the whole, extremely good, as you might expect from an Apple product and the iPad Mini is the thinner and lighter of the two devices in this comparison.With the Nook HD, Barnes & Noble has gone for a daring, bold aesthetic with a soft-touch plastic unibody back panel which also sweeps around and envelops the edges and part of the front of the tablet, rather like a bumper.
Indeed, in a way it looks a lot like someone has taken an iPad Mini, squashed it width-ways, stretched it long-ways and installed a bumper onto it.The corners have a very strong curvature creating a bubbly appearance, meanwhile the display is recessed slightly into the bodywork and this is echoed by a recession on the back panel too.Fit and finish is well above average, though we'd say the iPad Mini does have a significant edge in this case.While some might appreciate the Nook HD's kooky design we find it a bit too cartoonish for our liking.Apple's iPad Mini is equipped with a 7.9-inch IPS LCD capacitive display with a 1024x768 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 162 pixels-per-inch (ppi).
Normally we're used to Apple products using the company's famed Retina display technology and it's a disappointment that it's not present on the iPad Mini.Despite the lack of Retina tech, the iPad Mini's display is still very good with excellent brightness, colour and contrast. The clarity is decent, but noticeably not as good as its larger cousin. It's also nowhere near up to the same standard as the Nook HD's display.The Nook HD uses a slightly smaller 7-inch IPS touchscreen but with a much higher resolution of 1440x900 pixels resulting in a pixel density of 243ppi.Not only is it incredibly sharp but the overall brightness and in particular the richness of white tones makes it a much better offering.The Nook HD has options for either 8GB or 16GB of onboard storage space combined with microSD card capability, which allows expansion by up to 32GB.The iPad Mini has a more varied selection of built-in storage models with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants but, as is always the case with Apple products, there's no card slot to be found.

Iphone Case-Make your Iphone look more perfect

Now there are various alternatives of iPhone cases that you could decide on from. It truly is top that when you do choose an iPhone case that it is proper to suit your needs. Most iPhone circumstances will final for the life of one\'s telephone if you happen to take good care of it. You can get numerous distinct kinds of situations that you could pick from now. You\'ll not have a tough time discovering a case which will last you to get a exceptionally long time.When you are picking out an iPhone4 case there are several factors. Most iPhone cases are not cheap and some can be very expensive. You need to determine the amount of money that you are willing to spend on an iPhone case. You also need to consider how much abuse your iPhone is going to take. Determining how much abuse and use that your iPhone case will take will lead you to a better decision in the buying process.
Next you need to consider your lifestyle and the level of abuse that your iPhone will take. There are basically four types of cases that you can buy. You can choose between a rubber, metal, leather or plastic type of case. If you are looking for an affordable case and your iPhone is never in much danger and does not fall out of your pocket much then a plastic case could fit your needs. If you have a larger budget and can afford a leather case and are after looks and style then a leather case could fit your needs best. If you are a construction worker and your iPhone is more danger than say the typical person then you might consider getting a metal case.Learn How To Make Apps For The App Store.You must remember that the utility and the measuer of an iphone 4 case can\'t be ascertained from the price of the case itself.Just because one case is more expensive than anothe doesn\'t  necssarily mean that it if better or offers more protection,unless it is a high-end iphone 4 case that costs a mini fortune.
There are a number of websites and dtechnology forums that also have many cheap phone cases reviews on them,so you can consult them as well.There are some long standing favorite iphone 4 cases that most  iphone 4 owners prefer,and you can find out about them.You must also take into consideration what your habits and living conditions are like.If you spend time outdoors then you will need an iphone 4 case that caters to such conditions,and you may even want to consider getting yourself a waterproof iphone case.When picking an iPhone case the most important factor is that you really like it. If you do not really like it then what is the point of having it? You will not have a problem find an iPhone case that you like. There plenty of choices and styles to choose from.

How to Replace Your iPhone Batteries With No Problem?

Iphone enthusiasts are highly concern about how to replace their iphone batteries.This has become a great unease because unlike any other cell phone,the iPhone's battery is apparently soldered inside,onto the device and cannot be swapped out by the owner.It is not intended to be user-replaceable.Consumer advocacy groups have expressed outrage over Apple Inc.'s battery replacement program for the iPhone,while developers and hackers are trying to figure out ways they could expand the capabilities of the gadget.When the crossbred cell phone,iPod media player,digital camera and wireless Web-browsing device was launched,customers began complaining that they were being left in the dark about the course of action and cost of replacing the gadget's battery.Apple then quickly posted the replacement batteries details on its Web after the product went on sale.The procedure is similar to the one it has for the company's best-selling iPod players.If users iPhone battery's ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished,they would have to submit their iPhone to Apple for battery service.
The service will cost users $79, plus $6.95 for shipping,and will take three business days.If you can't live without your iphone,Apple is also offering a loaner iPhone for $29 while yours is under repair.All the data on your iphone will be cleared,when it goes through the service process.It is therefore important to sync your iPhone with iTunes to back up your contacts,photos,email account settings,text messages,and more.Apple says they are not responsible for the loss of information while servicing your iPhone and does not offer any data transfer service.You are also advised not send any accessories with your iPhone for the battery service.Since July 2007 third party battery packs have been available at a much lower price than Apple's own battery replacement program.These kits often comprises of a small screwdriver and an instruction leaflet,but as with many newer iPod models the battery in the original iPhone has been soldered in.Therefore,a soldering iron is required to install the new battery.This is not the case with the iPhone 3G as it uses a different battery fitted with a connector.
Many people question why Apple outlined its cellular service rates and many other features of the iPhone in advance of its launch,which drew snaking lines around stores across countries,but fail to disclose the iPhone's battery and repair costs earlier.The iPhone costs $499 or $599, depending on the model when it was introduced onto the market,and requires a minimum two-year $60-a-month service plan with AT&T.So every one is just surprised at Apple's decision to disobey the common practice of allowing users to purchase replacement batteries.

Learn How To Make Apps For The App Store

Are generally you aware of the Apple app industry? If not, then it's time to get a grip on it and understand how you may run a money-making business by looking into making an iPhone/iPad application. You must know that lots of basic apps have gone incredibly viral and have produced thousands of dollars for their developers. Simple online games and puzzles that keep iPhone individuals busy and engaged have ended up selling scores of copies, and so can your application. The key concern that's raging inside your mind now is that you don't know programming, which may be required to learn how to make apps for the App Store. Well, there's help available and it's not necessary that you must be a programming wiz to build a profitable application.
A number of iPhone app developers have released online training programs that can help you build an app and release it on the App store within the space of a weeks time. Online game applications work really in a major way and you may even give these apps free and yet earn money.Classy And Solid Ipad Cases.For instance, if you have a concept and feel that it will work, all you need to do is buy a web-based training course that can help you learn how to make apps for the App Store, create the app, and then send your application for approval. When your app is free of charge then you can certainly generate income by running adverts within the app and if it's priced then you can market it for anything between 99 cents and 10 dollars.There are several marketing networks that pay out on a CPM or CPC basis once you sign up with them to run their campaigns on your application. These function like Google AdSense. Naturally, before building "in apps", you must first learn how to make apps for the App Store, that literally brings us back to square one. So, as stated before, it's really not necessary for you to know programming. Today, programming is not as difficult as it used to be once upon a time. Remember the moment when people used to have difficulty to develop HTML/CSS websites? These days, all that is a breeze with the introduction of content management systems like WordPress.
Nevertheless, creating an app does require some programming experience and this is where the online courseware launched by the application programmers who have made it big helps. You will find out from their training course on the way to program your own applications using either a Windows or a Macintosh device. You don't even have to know C++ or about working on the Mac-based coding languages. The web based courseware will allow you to learn how to make apps for the app store using strategies and very easy and effective methods.

Classy And Solid Ipad Cases

iPad cases also offer to add a bit of additional sophistication due to its design. A variety of iPad designs are available in the market today. You could choose from a vast array of colorful designs or if you are that kind of user who does not go much for sophistication, you could always go for plain designs in simple black or brown leather cases.Your gadget will speak well of your techno savvy personality. An iPad is a gadget of high tech capabilities and has features which others may find it "hard" to use if not that well versed in the sophistication of today's technology. iPad cases offer these gadgets another step in "accessorizing" that will not only "protect" the iPad itself but speak volumes on the kind of user you are. Loud colors for iPad cases will show the world that you do not expect to be real quiet in this large techie world and you expect to be noticed. Swirling designs and exotic sketches on iPad cases speak well of your vibrant and vivacious qualities, readily transmitted, as you lug along your iPad in those wonderfully enticing iPad cases.
Some iPad cases are fashion-minded while other cases simply focus on functionality. The messenger style case offers a good deal of padding to protect your iPad from bumps and bangs. It also features extra pockets for note pads, business cards or whatever you need to carry along with you as you rush through your busy day. It look great in black but you can also choose violet and grey with black details if you prefer.
Clam Case is not simply a great multitasking, but also ultimate all in one case for your iPad. It protects your device and turns itself into an attached Bluetooth keyboard and the price is yet unknown. With the help of Particle case you can find that there will be no fingerprint smudges on your iPad. But need not to worry; this thing has a handy stylus and having rubberized ends. Book iPad case looks like you are reading a book, but at the very time you could be searching on the Web. Cinema seat iPad will help you keep your passengers entertained while going or traveling to a super market. This is a cool case that can transform the iPad into an entertainment hub for your car. You just place the adjustable strap around the headrest, and give your passengers a possibility to enjoy music, movies or games.But remember, all this process needs your full attention. You should not even miss a single thing so that you can get desired results. To protect your gadget is important because surely you don't want to get your device damage and injured.

New iPhone apps worth downloading: Make My Face and Angry Birds Star

If your iOS device is filled with photos from the weekend, you might want to try today's leading new app, Make My Face, which gives you decals and and more so you can mess with your snapshots. Also, two great games to kick off your week: Jet Set Radio, an action game about graffiti and skating from the Sega Dreamcast era, and a big update to Angry Birds Star Wars that takes players to the ice planet Hoth from The Empire Strikes Back.What's it about? Photo app Make My Face lets you mess with your photos in a number of ways, adding elements to make for funny creations.What's cool? The best thing about Make My Face is that it offers a lot. Snap a shot or grab something from your Camera Roll and throw decals on it, add a cartoonish background, and more. Since the app is geared toward faces, most of the available decals include things like hats, noses, and eyes; you can mix and match them however you see fit to create whatever it is you want. When you're done, save your creation to your Camera Roll and share it through Facebook and Twitter. And with the app's latest bug-cleaning update, it works even better.
Who's it for? Fans of the novelty of messing with their iOS photos should take a look at Make My Face.What's it like?Will you love the iPad Mini?FatBooth also gives you the option to alter photos in some funny ways, and Friend Doodle allows you to draw on your photos and share them with others.What's it about? A classic Sega Dreamcast title, Jet Set Radio has players skating around a city, tagging buildings, vehicles, and pedestrians with graffiti to earn points.What's cool? The 3-D Jet Set Radio mixes a great soundtrack with fast-paced skating action and graffiti tagging, which is simply cool. Your goal as you skate around the game is to tag signs and walls to cover your gang's turf, while also doing tricks and grinds to earn points. You can even tag other gang members, which is hilarious. The game includes a newly redesigned control scheme specifically for mobile.
Who's it for? If you loved Jet Set on Dreamcast, you should get it here, and if skating and graffiti tagging sounds like fun, it's definitely worth checking out.What's it about? Angry Birds combines with Star Wars to take on the Empire in Angry Birds Star Wars, and the game's latest update adds more Imperial piggies to bring down.What's cool? Angry Birds Star Wars' "Hoth" update adds content inspired by The Empire Strikes Back's battle on the infamous ice planet. It throws in new structures and elements, like giant pig-faced AT-AT walkers, as well as a new pink bird to dressed like Princess Leia. The new bird is a pretty significant game-changer herself, as her tractor beam ability is great for destabilizing structures, but using her effectively requires practice and skill. The update is free if you've already purchased Angry Birds Star Wars, which is even better.

ORA iPad Sound System adds eight speakers to your iPad

The success of the iPad suggests that it already functions rather well as a device for consuming movies and music, in addition to playing games. That said, even the most enthusiastic Apple fan would be hard-pressed to argue that the tablet's speakers offer optimum fidelity. This is where ORA steps in, providing a protective case and stand for the iPad, which also contains eight speakers to push out the tablet's audio.Taking a look at ORA, it appears to function perfectly adequately as a protective case and stand. However, it's really the audio system which sets it aside from the countless other options already on the market, and while it would be a stretch to expect any speaker setup to transform an iPad into a high-end sound system, this device certainly appears to give it a good shot.
A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) ensures that the 3D stereo expansion works in both landscape and portrait orientations, and a built-in equalizer is tasked to provide a better overall listening experience. Beyond sound quality, ORA also produces significantly more volume than the iPad's stock speakers, with a reported five times increase in volume offered. There's also a standard headphone jack, for good measure. The built-in battery is rated to match the iPad's own battery life, and should last for up to ten hours.ORA comes in three iterations: the Stealth and Pop, which both weigh in at 12.8 ounces (365 grams), while the ORA Limited is a sizable 13.8 ounces (392 grams). To put this into perspective, the weight of the WiFi-only iPad mini is around 10 ounces (308 grams), so there'll be a noticeable increase in weight when using the ORA. Size is increased by just over an inch (2.5 cm), in both height and width.
Whether or not this extra heft is a deal breaker will largely depend on how you like to use your iPad – holding may be uncomfortable for some, but this matters less if you like to mostly use the stand.Compatibility for the device is currently limited to the second and third generations of the full-sized iPad, though fourth generation and iPad mini versions are in the works. Colors available are black, grey, red, green, cyan, and a white/aluminum version, depending on the model chosen.ORA is the product of a collaboration between product engineering firm Shift and design consultancy Industry, working under the joint name of Objekt. The team is currently running a Kickstarter campaign, and in order to secure a unit, prospective purchasers must make a minimum contribution of US$99 for the Stealth model, which does not include stand and cover.

Will you love the iPad Mini?

That's the short answer. It is lovable. I use a MacBook Air for my heavy lifting and a Verizon iPhone 5 as a phone. The Verizon iPad Mini is the perfect companion in size, speed and power.If you are not an iPhone or Mac user, is the iPad Mini still lovable? Not so much. If you are an Android phone user, you have to look closely at the Google Nexus 7 and, if you need 4G connectivity, wait until LTE becomes available or pick up the AT&T HSPA+ pseudo 4G Nexus 7 now for $299. There is no reason to purchase an iPad Mini if you are an Android person. None.What if you already have a full-sized iPad? Is there still a reason to get an iPad Mini? This comes down to personal choice. My wife loves the iPad Mini because of its size. It easily fits in her handbag and it is very lightweight. She retired her iPad 3 (New iPad) in favor of the iPad Mini. You probably don't need both, but only you can make that decision.
What if you already have a Kindle Fire? Apples and oranges -- the iPad Mini is a full-featured tablet. The Kindle Fire is not.The bottom line -- The iPad Mini is a winner. Yes, it will be much better with a Retina display and an A6 processor when the new one comes out in March or next summer. But for now, if you want an iPad Mini, just go buy one. After all... nothing else will do!It is an important factor that a user will check carefully before heading to buy a small tablet. To be honest, Kindle Fire HD is the best option here. The device comes for a price that a starts at $299.The Caps Lock key is about the size of the nail on your index finger.You will be getting a high performance and content-rich small tablet for a price that will not make you in trouble.Nook HD+ starts at $269, but thing is that it is not a perfect tablet. Though having a quality HD display, it doesn't have much to offer you in content and apps. In case of iPad Mini, it is, for sure, unintelligently priced by Apple. It starts at a huge $329, which is indeed a big price for a device that misses Retina display and better processing elements.
Samsung has argued it is 'almost certain' that the HTC deal covers some of the same patents involved in its own litigation with Apple.It seeks to show Apple is willing to license its technology if the price is right.It has been speculated that HTC has agreed to pay Apple a royalty of up to $8 on each smartphone it sells, but the figure has been flatly denied by the firm's chief executive. The settlement of Apple and HTC ended their worldwide litigation and brought to a close one of the first major flare-ups in the global smartphone patent wars.Apple first sued HTC in 2010, setting in motion a legal conflagration that has since circled the globe and engulfed the biggest names in mobile technology.

The Caps Lock key is about the size of the nail on your index finger

On the bottom side, the notebook is sealed in such a way that you can't easily get at the battery, SSD or RAM. (This is pretty typical for Ultrabooks.) That bottom surface is also where you'll find the speaker strip, which is somewhat unusual: laptop speakers are usually located in the keyboard area or around the sides. The back edge of the machine is completely taken up by the vent, which will make its presence known quite frequently (more on that when we dive into performance).As for ports, the S7 offers almost everything you'd expect in a 13-inch Ultrabook: two USB 3.0 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and an SD reader. (We only expect an Ethernet jack on thicker systems.) The one thing you might have wanted that you won't get is a full-size HDMI socket; there's just a micro version here. Happily, though, you do get USB-to-Ethernet and micro-HDMI-to-VGA adapters, along with a carrying case and mouse, so hopefully there won't be any hard feelings.
  As it happens, our tester unit has the layout Canadian customers are going to see, but that doesn't mean our thoughts on the backlit keyboard won't resonate with shoppers here in the US. As we found with Acer's two other Ultrabooks, the keys are awfully flat and shallow, and don't offer much in the way of travel. Meanwhile, the actual sizing of the buttons is a mixed bag: the Caps Lock key is about the size of the nail on your index finger, but Enter and Backspace are amply sized. In any case, whatever considerations Acer made in designing the keyboard seem to have paid off: we quickly found ourselves typing at a brisk clip, making very few typos. And when we did make a mistake, that oversized Backspace key was easy to hit.
The story of the trackpad matches what we've seen from some other new Windows 8 laptops: it does a good job of handling native Windows 8 gestures, but isn't as good at single-finger navigation. For instance, you should have no problem swiping in from the right to expose the Charms Bar; that's a trick that really doesn't require much practice. When it comes to dragging the cursor around the screen, though, the arrow often stops before you get to whatever you meant to click on. Other times, the touchpad registered a left click, when all we were doing was moving the cursor around the screen. We had a similar issue when doing pinch-to-zoom (though the zooming itself was otherwise smooth). So, if we weren't careful, we'd accidentally open apps when we didn't mean to. Good thing the computer was quick to react when we hit the Start button as a way of backing out.The decision on which device to get is subjective. Some may prefer the more solid build that the Surface brings, or they may really be enamoured by that kickstand and the simplicity and innovation of the Touch Cover. Some may just prefer the larger size and cinematic aspect ratio.

Act 2 releases lightweight & compact Mobile Battery Pack

Act 2's new mobile battery pack has dimension of 90x90x17mm and contains a lithium polymer battery. The small compact pack also has a light weight of 220g. The battery apparently carries enough charge to fully recharge 2 mobile phones.As the name of the device entails, the pack is made with phones in mind, and comes with a Micro USB cable attached so that no external cords are needed to charge up your phone on the go. Don't worry though, when you're not using the cable it slots into a nice neat ridge under the base of the unit, so it won't get in your way when you carry it around in your laptop bag.The pack also comes with a USB port, which allows you to use all sorts of cables to power those devices which don't play nice and refuse to support Micro USB (I'm looking at you, Apple!).Recharging of the internal battery is done via the USB cable that comes with the pack, and can also be done in a multitude of ways, including normal USB and Micro USB using the USB port on the device.
The pack's design is also nothing to be scoffed at. It comes in a high class aluminum body case, with legs on the base so that it won't slip off your desk. It also comes in any of 4 colors: Purple, Orange, Silver, or Dark Grey.The device supports input/output current of 2.1A (5V), and it supports up to approx. 500 uses according to official data. (Don't worry, I'm sure a much better model will be released by the time you kill this one!). Charge time for the pack is 8~10 hours, and it operates between the temperature ranges of 0~45°C. In addition to the aforementioned USB cable, it also comes with a leather case.In addition to the Android model, a MiPow Power Cube for iPhone which comes with an Apple dock connector will also available for 11,700 Yen, but a release date has yet to be unveiled.Speck HandyShell for iPad: Perfect for Broadcasters.Samsung has about 140,000 patents worldwide on things like light-emitting diodes, computer-memory chips and televisions. It's been in the mobile-phone market since the 1980s, and is counting on that history to get an upper hand in its global fight with Apple. It filed its ITC complaint in June 2011.The iPhone generated $80.5 billion in sales for the fiscal year ended Sept. 29, or 51 percent of Apple's revenue, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Its iPad brought in $32 billion, and the iPod generated $5.6 billion.
When I first wrote about the Cygnett Icon case for iPhone 4/4S, I called it the perfect case. It wasn't rugged like the LifeProof case, and it didn't come with any extra tricks like a fish-eye camera lens, a bottle-opener, or a swiss army knife-style assortment of blades and tools. It did, however, maintain the iPhone's slim profile, it was comfortable due to a soft touch rubber finish, and it protected my phone against many a drop.Today, I'm glad to report that the Cygnett Icon case for iPhone 5 is the same caliber of iPhone case perfection, and most certainly worth considering when shopping for holiday gifts.The best everyday iPhone 5 case I've seen so far. Cygnett pulls in work from artists like animators to graffiti artists and everything in between to adorn their plastic Icon line of cases. Each one is finished with a soft-touch coating that feels great against the hand, and they easily snap on and off.

Apple Granted Patents for Page Turn Animation & iPad Smart Case

 Apple was granted two notable design patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Tuesday: one for the "page turn" animation found in many Apple applications, and another for the design of Smart Case iPad cover, which replaced the original Smart Cover in 2011.Patent No. D670,713, entitled "Display screen or portion thereof with animated graphical user interface," was first filed in December 2011. As a design patent, the application relies on the included figures to illustrate the "animation" that Apple is seeking ownership of. Although the figures illustrate only a basic page turn, users familiar with iBooks and other Apple applications which utilize the animation know that the page turn is truly "interactive," with the animation dependent upon where the user's finger touches the virtual page and the direction and speed at which the user's finger moves.
Apple's attention to detail and realism with the page turn animation helped make iBooks a credible e-book reader and, for many, allowed the experience to be more enjoyable when compared to other tablet e-book software such as Amazon's Kindle application, which features a much more primitive page turn animation.The page turn patent claims Elizabeth Caroline Cranfill, Mikio Inose, and Stephen O. Lemay as inventors.Apple's second noteworthy design patent covers the Apple Smart Case, which the company first introduced alongside the third-generation iPad. An evolution of Apple's Smart Cover, the Smart Case protects both the front and back of the iPad while still providing the benefits of magnetically-triggered sleep/wake and a built-in stand for various positions.
The patent, D670,499, was first filed in April 2012 and lists a multitude of Apple employees as inventors.Including the two patents above, Apple was granted a total of 28 patents by the USPTO Tuesday. Those interested can check out the full list, arranged in descending order by date granted.The joint effort between Sanrio and Tokidoki is the Tokidoki x Hello Kitty Jeweled iPad Case. It features PVC leather, along with a fuzzy inner lining that should be easy on your iPad. The outside of the case is nonstop glamour – Hello Kitty and Tokidoki characters showered with diamonds, jewels, and high fashion. Even the gritty-cute creatures from Tokidoki can't help but feel fabulous.The bejeweled case (well, alright, no actual jewels, but we can dream) fits all models of the iPad. You can score maybe the most adorable iPad case in existence for $40 off the Tokidoki website.

Speck HandyShell for iPad: Perfect for Broadcasters

The Speck HandlyShell case for iPad 2,3 & 4 is a soft rubbery case with an extraordinary handle on the back. The loop/handle can serve as a way to hold the iPad for presenters or broadcasters and also allows the iPad to stand, in several ways, at many angles on a table.This case from Speck Products supports the idea that a tablet like the iPad is often used in a certain kind of operational environment, say a laboratory, school or TV broadcast environment. The iPad is sometimes held while standing for presentation or data input, and then it's put down on a table for viewing, and then it may be carried by hand from one place to another in a kind of a casual, suitcase mode with a handle -- instead of being cradled and possibly dropped.
In order to do that, the case needs a robust, well designed handle that can both prop up the iPad and also serve as a carrying handle, and that's exactly what the HandlyShell has.Think of this case as a gel case that wraps around the back and edge of the iPad, but also has a sturdy plastic back to support the handle. The design is a hybrid: the edges are a soft material that can flex and allow the case to wrap around the edges of the iPad. That way, if the iPad falls face forward, the soft, raised edge protects the face from direct impact.The back of the case is a much harder plastic that has a soft, textured loop attached on a swivel.How the New Nexus Tablet Got Me Interested in the iPad Mini?The nice thing about the design is that you can stand the iPad up in either portrait or landscape mode, and the koop can be at either end in portrait mode providing many different viewing angles. That works because the hinge is very stiff, so it stays where you put it.
 The case and handle/loop come in several different color pairs. Mine was black and yellow, but there are also "pebble + lilac (purple)" and "black + dark grey." All ports and controls are accessible.I can see how TV news broadcasters or weather forecasters would love a case like this because it can be held in the hand securely while standing up or placed on a desk as a monitoring device. It would also be great in the lab or hospital, carried from place to place. Students who want to get a good grip on their iPad without having to cradle it and risk dropping it will be pleased. The handle folds flat either way, rotating a full 180 degrees, and when folded in the short direction provides a convenient way to slide an iPad into a map pocket and extract it easily with the handle. I could go on, but you get the idea.The HandyShell comes in a great package that protects the case well and showcases it on the rack. It won't require a chain saw to open the case. The ruggedness of the case, the sturdiness of the hinge, and the fit and finish look solid. As I mentioned above, the soft edge, which feels like silicone, make it easy to install, but also seems to pick up some dirt and lint.

How the New Nexus Tablet Got Me Interested in the iPad Mini

September brought bad news for me: the Galaxy 10.1 tablet I'd come to rely on for consuming TV, books, and comics died. Fortunately, the doldrums didn't last long. Sadness turned to anticipation when I realized that I'd probably be replacing the Galaxy with a new iPad.Then, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL  ) introduced the iPad Mini and I got more excited; I'm a bargain shopper when it comes to tech and the palm-sized Mini looks to be every bit the awesome replacement I'd been hoping for. Millions seem to agree: Apple sold 3 million tablets combined during opening weekend sales of the Mini and fourth-generation iPad. Initial reports suggest the Mini was the biggest benefactor.
But as Monday rolled around I began to have doubts. Why? I navigated to Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG  ) Play store for movies and TV and found something interesting. Shows I'd been subscribing to on iTunes are now available at Google Play. Notably, series 7 of Doctor Who and season 3 of The Walking Dead . Passes to the current standard definition runs of both shows are now available.My predisposition toward the iPad over the Nexus or even Amazon.com's (Nasdaq: AMZN  ) highly capable Kindle Fire, which I find to be an amazing tablet for $199, is that Apple aggregates content like no other. Amazon Instant Video is available on every iPad via a new app.But the lines are blurring, as the additions to the Play Store illustrate, which makes me more interested in the new Nexus 10 tablet than I might have been otherwise. The 10-inch Wi-Fi tablet costs $399 if you opt for 16 GB of storage -- with access to Google Drive, I don't see why you'd pay more -- and includes a sharp HD screen. I'm also a heavy user of Google's services, which the 10 promises to handle deftly. There's a lot to like, especially the price.
Which brings me back to the Mini. Much as I respect Google's and Samsung's efforts with the 10, I'm jonesing for a Mini because of the value it offers. Bigger than the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 and offering substantially more content -- and with iTunes, in a package that ensures I get access via my Mac or Apple TV -- the mini cuts costs without making too many compromises, which is why I just added it to my holiday wish list.Will I have plenty of company? So far, Apple has remained coy about Mini sales. Yet its component commitments suggest a record-breaking quarter is in the works, which leaves investors with a lot of information to digest. To help, we've added two bonus reports to our premium Apple research service. Each one addresses a different area of the Mac maker's business, and they're included -- right now -- at no additional charge. Learn more by clicking here.

Belkin Unveils Lightning-Enabled Accessories

Apple has finally given a third party the go-ahead to make accessories for its new Lightning connector.Accessories maker Belkin today unveiled two new Lightning-enabled products: a car charger (left) and a charge-and-sync dock. Belkin said these devices are the first of several other Lightning accessories the company will launch this year.The Belkin car charger was exclusively designed for the iPhone 5, but also works with the fourth-gen iPad, iPad mini, as well as the latest-generation iPod nano, and iPod touch. It can plug into any automobile power outlet and sports a four-foot cable with reversible Lightning connector. Its ultra-compact design sits flush with your dash.Meanwhile, the Charge + Sync Dock (right) offers a foldaway auxiliary jack and hidden cable channel that holds your Lightning connector in place. It also has a removable magnetic base as well as an audio-out port for headphones or speakers.
Both devices are available for pre-order now for $29.99, and Belkin said they will ship by Nov. 15."Belkin was the first third-party manufacturer to develop accessories for the 30-pin connector back in 2003, and we are thrilled to be first to market again with solutions for the new Lightning connector," Martin Avila, general manager of Belkin's core division, said in a statement. "People are eager for Lightning accessories and Belkin's give them a reliable way to keep their new iPhone 5, iPad 4th generation, iPad mini or iPod touch charged, protected, and ready to go."
Apple unveiled the Lightning connector back in September with the iPhone 5. The new connector sports just 8 pins as opposed to the old 30-pin connector, which was used in all iOS devices for almost a decade.Looks like iPad Mini in short supply.Lightning is better suited to Apple's ever-shrinking iDevices, and is reversible so there is no wrong way to insert it.But the change was not without controversy as it makes existing speaker docks, charging docks, and other Apple accessories incompatible with the iPhone 5 without a pricey adapter. Some were also peeved that Apple again chose to use a proprietary connector, for which it can charge hefty licensing fees, instead of an industry standard like microUSB.The color of the back varies, as well: On the black iPad mini, the back and sides are matte, slate-black aluminum with matching aluminum buttons and switches; the white-bezel iPad gives you a matte, silver-aluminum back with matching controls. And like the iPhone 5, the iPad mini has polished, chamfered edges between its body and the glass front.

Du-ra-cell Pow-er-Mat: 24 Hour iPhone Pow-er So-lu-tion

The promise of in-duc-tion charg-ing is sim-ple: wire-less pow-er. If that sounds crazy, then you haven't at-tend-ed CES the past few years and seen the growth in the cat-e-go-ry. Grant-ed, we're still in the in-fant phase, where no ma-jor de-vices have the tech-nol-o-gy built-in, and the range is very, very lim-it-ed. These are still con-tact-based so-lu-tions; it will def-i-nite-ly be a bit be-fore you're able to draw juice for your bat-ter-ies through the air mag-i-cal-ly. But our pre-dic-tion: it will hap-pen, even-tu-al-ly, since bat-ter-ies are waste-ful, heavy, and in-ef-fi-cient.
One small step on the path: the Du-ra-cell Pow-er-Mat iPhone 4/4S 24 Hour Pow-er Sys-tem. Yes, some of us here have switched to the iPhone 5, and word is that a com-pat-i-ble ver-sion will be com-ing soon (as will a mod-el for the Sam-sung Galaxy S3). This is a small, cute sys-tem, avail-able in black or white (ours was white, prone to show-ing fin-ger-prints a bit more) and each has some classy metal-lic ac-cents. The ba-sic idea: lay it flat on your bed-side table, throw the in-clud-ed case on your phone, and then nev-er have to fum-ble with a plug- just lay your phone on the Pow-er-Mat and let it charge away. We've seen sim-i-lar sys-tems- ear-li-er mod-els have been around for a cou-ple of years now- but this is the best con-tender so far. Small enough to be portable, with clean-er de-sign, it's a sol-id pack-age.
This mod-el comes not on-ly with the re-quired charg-ing pad and iPhone case, but al-so with a fair-ly small and durable back-up bat-tery, for those who find them-selves drained of bat-tery life be-fore the day is done. If your phone is like ours, bat-tery life isn't quite what it used to be, and we reg-u-lar-ly find our smart-phone down be-low the dan-ger-ous 20% mark by the af-ter-noon. With the back-up bat-tery safe-ly stowed in a purse or pock-et, we can be as-sured of nev-er hav-ing to miss an In-sta-gram mo-ment or text mes-sage or im-por-tant call- as long as we keep the back-up bat-tery charged of course. It can sit next to your phone on the charg-ing pad and both de-vices can get topped up si-mul-ta-ne-ous-ly. It's not quite as fast as plug-ging in to the wall, though, and re-mem-ber that the sys-tem re-quires some align-ment- you can't just drop the phone or bat-tery any-where, but need to en-sure that there is mag-net-ic con-tact with cer-tain points.Quick note on the bat-tery- it's rat-ed at 1850 mAh- pret-ty im-pres-sive for it's size and weight, and it's not on-ly for Ap-ple prod-ucts. Much like the my-Charge line, there is al-so a flip-out Mi-cro USB con-nec-tor in ad-di-tion to the Ap-ple 30-pin adapter, which seemed like a nice sur-prise! You may be won-der-ing why- and it's a fair ques-tion. The an-swer in-volves the cus-tom case.

Looks like iPad Mini in short supply

Apple's iPad Mini will now take about two weeks to ship to customers who order it from the company's online store, suggesting the product may be temporarily sold out.Models with Wi-Fi only are available to ship in two weeks, while versions with wireless-network connections will be sent to customers in mid-November, according to delivery information on Apple's website. When it introduced the iPad Mini on Oct. 23, Apple said that Wi-Fi only models would be available by Friday, with wireless versions shipping a couple of weeks later.The 7.9-inch iPad Mini, which costs $329 to $659, is entering a tablet market crowded with cheaper alternatives from Amazon.com, Google and Samsung. The backlog suggests Apple will continue to dominate the market, and may sell 101.6 million iPads in 2013, said Michael Walkley, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity.
PayPal will cut 325 jobs and take a pretax restructuring charge of $15 million, part of President David Marcus' efforts to streamline the eBay payment division and accelerate new products.Could You Start Your Car With D-Cell Batteries?PayPal is also ending work arrangements with about 120 contractors worldwide, San Jose's eBay said Monday.Marcus is overhauling the payment unit, whose almost 13,000 employees are competing with startups such as Stripe and WePay that have been able to roll out services more efficiently. Marcus, who took over in April, so far has consolidated nine product groups into one and announced a plan to reorganize offices into a more collaborative environment.PayPal accounted for 43 percent of eBay's revenue last year, compared with 25 percent in 2007. While sales rose 23 percent to $1.37 billion in the third quarter, that gain was less than the 32 percent jump to $1.11 billion during the same three months in 2011.
Facebook has been sued by Kickflip, which does business as Gambit, over claims the Menlo Park social-networking company broke antitrust laws in the virtual-currency market.Gambit was the leading virtual currency and payment-processing provider to software developers that published games on Facebook and other social networks. Facebook's decision in 2009 to offer its own services to developers destroyed a "vibrant and competitive market," lawyers for Kickflip said in court papers made public Monday in federal court in Wilmington, Del."Facebook leveraged its dominance in the social-game marketplace to control and dominate the separate market for virtual-currency services," Kickflip lawyers said. "As the result of Facebook's actions, Gambit's business was destroyed."

Could You Start Your Car With D-Cell Batteries?

I seem to recall a question like this in an introductory physics textbook. The basic idea was that your car has a 12-volt battery that is used to start the engine, right? Well, 8 D-Cell batteries in series will also make a 12-volt battery. However, not all 12-volt batteries are the same. The D-cells just won't do the job of starting your car.The problem is that as you increase the current out of a battery, the voltage across this battery does not stay constant but instead decreases. For example, take a D-cell and connect the negative and positive terminals with a plain copper wire. This wire has a ridiculously low resistance. Suppose the wire had a resistance of just 1 Ω, With a 1.5 volt potential difference, you would have 1.5 amps of current going through this wire. That's pretty high for a single D-cell battery.Then how can we model the actual voltage across a battery? The key is to model the battery as a constant change in potential along with a built in resistor in series with this. Here is my diagram of a D-cell battery.
This also shows why your D-cell won't start a car. Suppose you need 200 amps going to the starter motor for it to function correctly. Even if the internal resistance is just 1 Ω, that would be a 200-volt drop inside the battery. Of course, that is larger voltage drop than the internal battery itself. Bummer.There is a way to get 200 amps out of a D-cell – have a whole bunch of D-cells in parallel. Lets say I have 200 sets of 8 D-cells in parallel. In that case, each D-cell would only need to produce 1 amp of current. With them all together, this would be 200 amps.There are a couple of ways to determine the internal resistance of a battery. It is easy to determine the "internal" voltage. All you need to do is measure the voltage across the battery while it has no load (not connected to anything). Next, hook the battery up to some low (but known) resistance. Like this.Just a check. This does have the correct units. Also, if the battery has a really low internal resistance, the voltage across the battery will be about the same as the "internal" voltage. This is essentially what this equation says.The only thing is that to use this method, you need to know the resistance value of the load you put on the battery. There is another way.What if I measure the current and the voltage across the battery for a variety of resistance loads? In this, case, I would expect the following relationship.From this, I can plot the voltage across the battery as a function of the current coming out of the battery. This way I can put whatever resistors I like for a load and it just doesn't even matter what these values are. The nice thing about this other method is that it uses more data points and ignores the resistance. If I take a 10Ω resistor and hook it up to a battery, it might not actually be 10Ω. Resistors don't always have a constant resistance.

A month with the iPhone 5

Record-breaking preorders. Anticipation. Lines that begin forming a week in advance. Excitement. Launch-day lines that extend for blocks. Chaos. Supply shortages. Heartbreak. Preorder delays. Panic. Record-breaking opening weekend sales. Doubt. Problems that begin to arise. Scandals. Troubles continue to mount. Apologies. Heavy demand persists… These are the makings of an Apple (AAPL) device launch.When Apple released its third-generation iPad earlier this year, it seemed like the hype surrounding Apple launches might finally be subsiding. Lines were short, inventory was plentiful and some were left wondering if Apple fever had subsided. As it turned out, that was not the case at all. The company's manufacturing partner had finally managed to build enough devices to satisfy demand while Apple encouraged customers to preorder online rather than making in-store purchases on launch day.Electric Car Battery Maker A123 Expects Debt Default.Apple ended up selling 3 million iPads during the device's debut weekend, making it the company's second-biggest launch of all time behind the iPhone 4S.
But Apple was back to its old self last month when the iPhone 5 finally hit store shelves (albeit briefly). The phone that took less than an hour to sell out on Apple.com was also sold out at many Apple Stores and carrier stores across the country after just a few hours, and it remains extremely difficult to find a new iPhone more than a month later.Demand for a fresh new design had been building ahead of Apple's iPhone 4S unveiling last year and when the company pulled back the curtain on a smartphone that looked exactly like its predecessor, people were disappointed. They got over it quickly, of course, and the 4S went on to become the fastest-selling smartphone of all time. Even still, people wanted a "new" iPhone.I have spent the past month using Apple's new iPhone 5 alongside various other devices that have launched recently, and I've measured it against the competition as well as its predecessors. The device is certainly not without its faults — "Scuffgate" and "Mapsgate" have shown us that — but is the new iPhone 5 really "the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone," as Apple claims?
I have owned each generation of iPhone, from the original model through to the current version. From a design and materials perspective, the original iPhone was always my favorite. I was not happy when Apple moved away from aluminum and opted for plastic on the iPhone 3G and 3GS, and while the iPhone 4 and 4S moved back in the right direction by dumping cheap-feeling plastics in favor of glass and metal, I still missed the sleek aluminum housing on the first iPhone.

Lab tests: Why Consumer Reports can't recommend the iPhone 4

This just hit my inbox from Consumer Reports so I thought I'd share it with you: "Consumer Reports engineers have just completed testing the iPhone 4 and have confirmed that a hardware flaw creating the reception problem.  As a result, Consumer Reports has decided not to recommend the iPhone 4."It's official. Consumer Reports' engineers have just completed testing the iPhone 4, and have confirmed that there is a problem with its reception. When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side—an easy thing, especially for lefties—the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal. Due to this problem, we can't recommend the iPhone 4.
We reached this conclusion after testing all three of our iPhone 4s (purchased at three separate retailers in the New York area) in the controlled environment of CU's radio frequency (RF) isolation chamber. In this room, which is impervious to outside radio signals, our test engineers connected the phones to our base-station emulator, a device that simulates carrier cell towers. We also tested several other AT&T phones the same way, including the iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre. None of those phones had the signal-loss problems of the iPhone 4.Our findings call into question the recent claim by Apple that the iPhone 4′s signal-strength issues were largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software that "mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength."
The tests also indicate that AT&T's network might not be the primary suspect in the iPhone 4′s much-reported signal woes.We did, however, find an affordable solution for suffering iPhone 4 users: Cover the antenna gap with a piece of duct tape or another thick, non-conductive material. It may not be pretty, but it works. We also expect that using a case would remedy the problem. We'll test a few cases this week and report back.The signal problem is the reason that we did not cite the iPhone 4 as a "recommended" model, even though its score in our other tests placed it atop the latest Ratings of smart phones that were released today.The iPhone scored high, in part because it sports the sharpest display and best video camera we've seen on any phone, and even outshines its high-scoring predecessors with improved battery life and such new features as a front-facing camera for video chats and a built-in gyroscope that turns the phone into a super-responsive game controller. But Apple needs to come up with a permanent—and free—fix for the antenna problem before we can recommend the iPhone 4.

Electric Car Battery Maker A123 Expects Debt Default

The Company expects to be in default under certain of its material debt agreements. The Company does not expect to timely pay the October Interest Payment due today, October 15, 2012, under the 2016 Notes which non-payment will result in a default under the indenture governing the 2016 Notes, $143,750,000 in aggregate principal amount of which are currently outstanding. Similarly, the Company does not intend to timely pay a 6% P&I Payment due today, October 15, 2012, under the 6% Notes, $2,759,118.69 in aggregate principal amount of which are currently outstanding, which non-payment will result in an event of default under the 6% Notes and will permit the holders of the 6% Notes to require them to be redeemed.  The failure to pay the October Interest Payment and the 6% P&I Payment will also result in events of default under the Loan Agreement, but those events of default are temporarily waived under the First Loan Consent and Waiver Agreement and Second Loan Consent and Waiver Agreement, respectively, as described in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The Company is considering a broad set of strategic alternatives to address its liquidity constraints including one or more potential transactions and is preparing for all contingencies as part of that process.Out of Print's iPad Case – Manufactured by a Real Bookbinder.However, there is no assurance that the Company will be able to pursue a strategic alternative that will allow it to continue to operate its business as a going concern. The Company may not have sufficient cash to fund operations and may need to seek the protections provided under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to, among other things, obtain access to new financing and facilitate one or more of the transactions it is contemplating. No assurance can be given that the Company will be able to avoid restructuring, reorganization, or a bankruptcy filing.
Hoping to kick-start an electric-vehicle battery industry, the U.S. provided $1.26 billion since 2009 to battery makers including Johnson Controls Inc, JCI +0.50% LG Chem Ltd. 051910.SE 0.00%, and Dow Koka DOW +0.85%m, a joint venture of Dow Chemical Co. and South Korea’s Kokam Co., to set up nine factories in four U.S. states. Most are producing far fewer batteries than originally expected. Ener1 Inc., another government-grant recipient, sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring and has since emerged.A123 was awarded $249 million in Department of Energy grants and has used about half so far to pay for some of the costs of building a factory in Livonia, Mich. It was among the earliest entrants in the field, opening its Michigan battery plant in 2010, and outlining plans for a second U.S. facility.

Out of Print's iPad Case – Manufactured by a Real Bookbinder

Right on the heels of GeekMom Kris's review of indie company Out of Print's products, we had an invitation to be among the first to check out a sample of their eReader/tablet case!This made the rounds this past summer as an immensely popular Kickstarter campaign and the necessary funds (and then some!) were raised in just over a week.Out of Print contacted the country's oldest bookbinder about keeping alive a classic trade with a modern twist. These are authentic hand-assembled cloth-bound covers with a molded styrene plastic pop-in holder for the iPad.I had just received a new iPad for my birthday in September and was happy to be able to review this product just a couple weeks later. I had requested The Great Gatsby as my cover of choice; the classic cover brings back memories of the copies of the books we had in the 9th grade for English class required reading.
Out of Print has a mission of spreading its love of classic literature and it donates books for every product sold through the Books for Africa. As we recently discussed here, anything sold to Americans that's made in America is appealing also.This iPad case would be a great gift this holiday season. It's a fun way to dress up your iPad (or other eReader or tablet device) and keep those around you guessing.It's incredibly simple to put the iPad into the case. The molded plastic was designed by an MIT Engineer and he did a great job — it fit my device perfectly.  It snaps into place and so far has not given me any problems. There are spaces cut into the sides of the moulding to accomodate the volume controls/mute switch, power switch, charging port and headphone jack. A hole is cut into the upper left corner of the back of the cover to accomodate the camera lens (see top photo above). There is even space carved out underneath the speaker to prevent the sound from muffling. The edges of the plastic moulding have grooves cut into the sides to give the appearance of page edges.  Clever design.
This case will truly make your eReader or iPad look like a book. You could sit this down next to you and no one would know the difference! It could be sitting in the passenger seat of your car and someone wouldn't think to break in and steal your device.Despite the fantastic attention to detail in the design, and the "fun" factor in this product overall, there are some features that could use improvement or are missing. Some of these features are unique to the iPad and may not be a factor with the other models for which Out of Print will make these covers. If you're considering these cases for eReader purposes only, then you might find this list superfluous.

Lawyer in prostitution case: protection order 'draconian'

The lawyer for a Thomaston man charged in connection with a Kennebunk prostitution investigation is opposing the state's motion for a protection order, calling the proposed order "draconian," "overly protective," and "unwarranted and unprecedented."The state's motion for a protective order would effectively seal indefinitely all records in the case against Strong, which includes an alleged list of more than 100 clients.Daniel Lilley, representing Mark Strong Sr., 57, of Thomaston, filed his opposition to the state's motion for a protective order in York County Superior Court on Sept. 27. The motion was entered into the court file Monday.
"In its proposed protective order, the State is requesting, in essence, an absolute and unconditional gag order in this case," Lilley states in a letter addressing his opposition. "The State has provided absolutely no compelling reason why such a draconian order is warranted in this single-count misdemeanor case."Strong was charged in July with promoting prostitution. His charge followed a police investigation and search of the Pura Vida Studio on Route 1 and a nearby office space in Kennebunk, as well as the Wells home of Alexis Wright, who operated the businesses.Zaggsparq Charger Batteries For iPhone, iPad, iAnything.Wright has not been charged.
The York County Coast Star and the Portland Press Herald on Friday jointly filed an objection to the state's proposed protection order, objecting to both the scope of the proposed order as well as the reasons given for it."The State has not explained why the alternatives to closure, including jury selection, jury instructions, sequestration, and (if necessary) change of venue are inadequate to ensure a fair trial. In addition, the defendant opposes confidentiality," said attorney Sigmund Schutz of the Portland firm Preti Flaherty, who filed a letter objecting to the state's motion on the newspapers' behalf. "The State has not explained what particular information raises privacy concerns or how such concerns outweigh the public interest in open criminal proceedings.""As journalists we take very seriously our role in championing the public's right to have access to legal proceedings and court documents," said Coast Star Editor Laura Dolce. "This case has generated huge interest in the region, yet much of the investigation and nearly all of the materials related to it have been kept under a cloak of secrecy for months now. We felt it was time to make our objections known."

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 Battery Life confrontation

Two of the hottest smartphones right now are undoubtedly the just-released Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3 (S III), launched earlier in the year. We've given comparisons of these two smartphones before but today we want to concentrate on battery power. With more and more of us increasingly using our smartphones for everyday activities, battery life is growing in importance so today we're looking at the iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S3 in a battery life confrontation.We've already posted many articles about the iPhone 5 and also the Galaxy S3 and so if you want more details on other specs and features, insights and more, then hit the above links. One of the concerns that some had about previous iPhone iterations was battery life being not up to scratch so this time around many were looking for Apple to improve in that department. The iPhone 5 has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery while the Galaxy S3 has a 2100mAh battery so let's see how they stack up.
Firstly the Galaxy S3 has been the subject of many reviews and the battery life seems to have gathered a lot of praise. This TechRadar review speaks about the "excellent battery life" of the Galaxy S3 after tests on the battery life as shown in a video. Although the screen is said to draw a lot of juice the Galaxy S3 still fared extremely well in tests (that didn't involve the iPhone 5) and of all the devices that TechRadar has tested it had the second highest battery performance.At the conclusion of their tests the HTC One X still had 60% power, the iPhone 4S had 74% and the Galaxy S3 still had a whopping 80% left, an impressive result. The test involved heavy use with both video and photography being used and still the Galaxy S3 held out for around 8 hours. All pretty good news then for Galaxy S3 owners.
Now on to the battery performance of the iPhone 5 and Apple has already touted this as having a better battery life than any previous iPhones. NBC reports on some Laptop Magazine tests included in an iPhone 5 review. The tests were extremely comprehensive and included one that involved continuous Web browsing over WiFi. It seems that Apple's claims weren't over the top as in this test the iPhone 5 on Verizon lasted 7 hours and 13 minutes before the battery was drained while its predecessor, the iPhone 4S on Sprint, lasted for 5 hours and 54 minutes. The Galaxy S3 on Verizon was also tested, among other phones, and lasted 6 hours and 55 minutes.

Zaggsparq Charger Batteries For iPhone, iPad, iAnything

It used to be that we carried spare batteries for our devices. Then Apple sealed its products' cases shut and some of us complained. Loudly. Then we realized that carrying an external battery pack meant we didn't have to power-down to swap out batteries, and that we could now pick and choose the perfect third-party option, and we all shut the hell up.Which is my long-winded way of introducing the new Zaggsparq packs, a range of three battery packs tailored perfectly to your iCharging needs. As long as you don't own an iPad 3, that is.
The current (ahem) Zaggsparq is being replaced by three different packs: the 1220, the 3100 and the 6000. These numbers give you the capacity, which is a guide to the number of charges it'll supply.For instance, if you have an iPhone you can expect one, two or four full charges depending on which you buy. iPad 2 users can buy the top end 6000 and get a 60% charge, or opt for the 3100 and enjoy a mere 30%.iPad 3 owners can suck it. Find a power outlet and take a nap.Other niceties are LED indicator lights, built-in power prongs and the ability to act as a regular wall-wart charger, doubling up on utility.All three Zaggsparqs launch today, at noon MDT (whatever MDT means. Apologies to everyone if I accidentally broke any embargoes).iPhone 5 in front of smartphone pack.Prices range from $40 to $100.
The iPhone's iOS operating system now lets you sign in directly to your Facebook and Twitter accounts from a central location. That means you can share content from your phone to either social media service using the Share button you see on several core iPhone apps. You only have to log in to each service once to enable this function, and once you do, you can share your photos, videos, and interesting websites with a couple of taps. To log in to either, open the Settings app and scroll down until you see the Twitter and Facebook island and then enter your account information. Both Twitter and Facebook will update the contacts in your address book with phone number and email information from friends on those services. You can disable that feature (which can, in fairness, clog up your address book if you have thousands of friends) by switching the Contacts slider in the Facebook pane to "Off.""Find My iPhone" can be a godsend of an app if you lose your phone, and it's the first app you should download as soon as you get your iPhone.The New York Times' David Pogue recently used Find My iPhone to track his apparently stolen phone to a neighborhood in Maryland. I recently used the app to track my lost iPhone to the magazine rack next to my toilet. It's a life-saver, folks.

iPhone 5 in front of smartphone pack

When Apple introduced the iPhone 4S last October, you could sense the initial disappointment. Many people were longing for an iPhone 5. The iPhone 4S that came instead may not have represented a dramatic upgrade, but it was a snappy handset with an excellent camera and a sometimes-obedient virtual digital assistant named Siri. It went on to become the best-selling iPhone to date.Nearly a year later the iPhone 5 is upon us. And what I detect this time is lust. The feelings are unlikely to diminish once buyers get their hands on the iPhone 5 Friday, or whenever their pre-ordered phones arrive.The iPhone 5 is a winner that should keep Apple at the front of the smartphone pack. But choosing iPhone 5 vs. a top-of-the line Android alternative isn't a cut-and-dried decision, especially if you're partial to a jumbo display, such as the one on the big, bold and beautiful Samsung Galaxy S III, an Android rival for which I've had high praise.
The new iPhones cost $199, $299 and $399, for models with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB respectively, on top of customary two-year wireless contracts.At the core of the new iPhone is iOS 6, the mobile operating system software upgrade that will also be made available free (as of today) on older iPhone models dating to the 3GS. Apple says there are more than 200 new features in iOS 6, but the ones you'll most likely notice include audible turn-by-turn navigation in Maps, a digital wallet called Passbook, Facebook integration, VIP status for your important mail senders, and a greater voice for Siri. Of course, the arrival of iOS 6 begs the question of why owners of older iPhones who get the upgrade gratis would choose to invest in the new hardware?
For starters, and not to be underestimated, iPhone 5 is the first iPhone to tap into speedy 4G LTE networks, from AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint in the U.S. Samsung and other rivals may have gotten to LTE first. But LTE (Long Term Evolution) placates iPhone devotees who grew tired of relying on creaky 3G wireless networks when a Wi-Fi network was unavailable. It was a pleasure browsing the Web on the iPhone 5's Safari browser in the cellular fast lane. What remains to be seen, though, is how LTE performs at peak times under the strain of all the new iPhones hitting the network. Also, be mindful of data consumption on LTE; faster speeds mean you may gobble up more data.

PowerSkin Case for Samsung Galaxy S III Adds Battery, Supports NFC

Samsung has been very successful with its new smartphone the Galaxy S III and it has sold tons of the device. If you happen to be the owner of one of these smartphones looking for a case to protect it and need some extra battery life, you might want to check out this case.The PowerSkin case adds an extra battery which has 1500 mAh of power, giving your phone up to 170 extra minutes of talk time or 97 extra hours on standby. Bright blue LEDs on the back to indicate how much power is left in the battery, and it also has smart technology inside to turn off when the smartphone is fully-charged to prevent wasted power.
The case also uses special technology to ensure that the Galaxy SIII's NFC wireless transmissions pass through the silicone material, allowing the smartphone to communicate with other devices placed close to it using magnetic field induction.Synapse makes case for iPad POS solution,Hubworks makes case for using it.The PowerSkin case is available right now for $79.99 (USD).  As an added bonus people to buy one before September 19th also get a free portable speaker.
Those few nit picks aside, the HardBack Case is one of the best options for travelers looking to safely carry their tablet to even the most remote and rugged places on Earth. Whether trekking through the Alps, sailing the Caribbean or simply trying to survive the perils of the modern airport, this is the case to have along on your next adventure. True, it does add a bit of weight to your pack, but if your travels frequently take you to demanding environments, the protection this case provides is worth the extra ounces. With a list price of $49.99 the HardBack won't break the bank either, and considering the level of protection it provides, that seems like a real bargain compared to lesser cases that are on the market.
Fabric Horse is my favorite maker of bike-related (and other-related) gear-carrying accessories. I still use a neat U-lock holster which lets me wear my Kryptonite Evolution Mini lock on my belt, and a utility belt which makes me look like a super-dorky superhero.This case looks every bit as well made, and also super-light (important when trying to heft the weighty iPad 3). Three colors, $65 each.It's quite refreshing to see a usable iPad keyboard case that doesn't break the $100 barrier. With a price tag of $79, it's a purchase you can justify. While it's definitely thick for an iPad case, you can always remove the keyboard and thin it out a bit. The built-in kickstand is a great feature, but the removable keyboard is really amazing. We're also a big fan of our tan sandstone model, but it's also available in red, black denim, light grey, and black.

Boostcase iPhone hybrid case with detachable battery sleeve

If you are one of the iOS faithful out there and not contemplating on upgrading to the iPhone 5, which is expected to be unveiled by Apple tomorrow, and in the market for a case for your current iPhone with the old dock connector, then you might consider the Boostcase iPhone hybrid case.The Boostcase iPhone hybrid case combines a great design and technology into a simple solution, as the Boostcase is a two-part hybrid system that offers a standalone snap-on case along with a detachable battery sleeve, which can either be used separately or combined to almost double the battery life of your iPhone.
The Boostcase shell is slim fitting and finished to a high standard, and available in numerous colours, and offers solid protection whilst delivering access to all the usual areas and ports, whilst the battery sleeve is tapered and boasts a 1900mAh battery, and features a standard iPhone docking plug, which means of course the Boostcase wouldn't be any good for the iPhone 5 if the new iPhone comes with that reported smaller dock connector.The Boostcase is for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S and features the ability to sync and charge simultaneously, along with external battery and audio levels indicators, with the snap on portion measuring roughly 6 x .2 x 11.5cms and weighing 0.14 grams, whilst the battery sleeve measures roughly 12.2 x 1.8 x 12.2cms (I'm sure that 12.2cms measurement is incorrect somewhere along the line otherwise it would be square), and weighs roughly 0.62 grams.
Anyway, if you aren't expecting to upgrade to the iPhone 5 when it becomes available, and you are looking for a new case for your iPhone, and feel the Boostcase could be what you are looking for, you can purchase the accessory at a cost of ￡59.99 with free delivery by heading on over to Firebox.Amazon also refreshed its line of stand-alone e-readers, offering the Paperwhite, with its own light source. Tablets such as the iPad and the Fire don't work as well in bright light because they are lit from the back. Amazon says the light on the Paperwhite is directed down at the display.Though it's a pioneer in the cellphone industry, Motorola hasn't had a hit since the Razr phone came out in 2004. Under new owner Google Inc., Motorola Mobility is trying to change that.Last week, Motorola announced three new smartphones bearing the Razr name. The $99 Droid Razr M will be in Verizon Wireless stores this Thursday, the day after Apple's announcement.

Synapse makes case for iPad POS solution,Hubworks makes case for using it

When Coeur d'Alene, Idaho-based HubWorks developed software enabling diners to place orders and pay bills via a table-mounted iPad, the company turned to Seattle-based Synapse to develop the HubWorks iPad Case, solving crucial payment and durability concerns.Rob Berger, CEO and co-founder of HubWorks, said the new approach to table service required an interface that would be user friendly and engaging. "By handing over the design of the case to Synapse, HubWorks was able to focus on our core competence, which was ensuring that we developed a breakthrough solution for efficient table service that restaurant patrons enjoyed using," Berger said.
The HubWorks digital payment device is the first to fully integrate Apple products with restaurant POS systems, facilitating an ordering process that is both intuitive and secure, the company said.Merchants have to date been reluctant to upgrade costly POS systems for near field communication technology because so few consumers have e-wallets.Clues About iPhone 5 on Alibaba?In a classic Catch-22, consumers have little incentive to upgrade to e-wallets when so few places accept them as payment.HubWorks offers a solution that addresses the concerns of both parties. Since the time of its launch, restaurants using HubWorks have seen up to 20 percent increases in daily average check sizes, the company said.
As I said before, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of an improved camera, although I don't see Apple taking it past 8-megapixels just yet. We're all expecting a faster processor, too, although it's unclear what Apple has in store for us. Maybe we'll see the Cortex A9 used again, or even the newer Cortex A15.We have just two days until Apple delivers on, exceeds or fails to meet our expectations. We're willing to bet it exceeds them, mainly because the company has had an entire year to develop its newest flagship smartphone. We'll be hitting you with consistent and breaking coverage all day long on Wednesday, Sept. 12, so keep your browsers pointed to TechnoBuffalo for as much iPhone 5 news as you can handle.Chinese Web site digi.163 recently posted photos of the back casing of what it claims is the upcoming iPad Mini. As with previous photos of the iPad Mini's case, the images show an aluminum design that comes with a new 9-pin connector. In addition, the casing appears to show two speakers at the bottom of the device, an Apple logo, and a place for a rear camera.

Clues About iPhone 5 on Alibaba?

While expectations are high for the new iPhone that Apple AAPL -0.70% plans to launch next Wednesday, some Chinese makers of iPhone cases are already moving ahead and selling what they say are the cases designed for the new model.A search on Alibaba.com , China's biggest business-to-business e-commerce site, shows postings by many iPhone case manufacturers selling protective cases for the "iPhone 5."Given that the site is a trading platform for small businesses in and outside China, potential buyers could be, for example, retail stores that want to be able to sell cases as soon as Apple launches the new iPhone.
The next iPhone is likely to come with a screen measuring around 4 inches diagonally, compared with the current iPhone's 3.5-inch screen, people familiar with the matter said in May.The new iPhone is also using new technology that makes its screen thinner, which allows Apple to either make the whole device thinner or increase the battery's capacity, according to other people with knowledge of the matter.The product descriptions for the "iPhone 5" cases sold on Alibaba.com don't include size details. Many of those iPhone case makers are based in Shenzhen, where Foxconn 2038.HK +2.90%'s factories assemble Apple products.This is not the first time that cases purportedly made for an upcoming Apple product were posted for sale on Alibaba.com – it also happened, for example, months before Apple launched its iPad 2 in March 2011.
Iowa delegates to the Democratic National Convention received "Barack Obama: The Official Inaugural Book," a coffee-table sized picture book. at breakfast this morning, which Iowa party staff said was courtesy of the Democratic National Committee. Fitting, perhaps, after Michelle Obama said in her convention speech Tuesday night that when she first met her husband, his prized possession was a coffee table salvaged from a garbage bin.
Earlier in the week, delegates also received a CD of music. That's on top of the goodie bags that delegates scored when they arrived in Charlotte.  The gift collection, sponsored by various businesses, featured an iPad case, a pound of light-brown sugar and a second container of sugar mixed with cinnamon. On the other hand, there was a pedometer provided by a health-insurance company and a mini-can of Diet Coke, just in case anyone was counting calories.

The iPhone 5-We Explore The New Mophie Outride Sports Camera Case

It is expected that the new iPhone 5 will be officially unveiled very soon. As we get closer to the launch of this model we can expect to see a range of accessories surface for this new model. One that we have already encountered is the superb Mophie Outride.Mophie are the company responsible for producing one of our favourite iPhone 4S accessories. The popular Juice Pack Air was a stylish protective case for the phone that had a trick up its sleeve in the form of its own battery. This meant that the 4S device would work even if its own battery was empty. Mophie have been hard at work again producing a case for the iPhone 5 but rather than boast a hidden battery this one transforms the device into an action sports camera.
This may not have been imaginable with the fragile glass body of the iPhone 4S but the new device is set to boast a more rugged metallic chassis more suited to this kind of use. The Outride is a case which is both water and impact resistant which will help it to protect the phone.Prada Spazzolato Case Wraps Your iPad in Flowers and Leather for $390.A wide angle lens is also fitted which is ideally suited to capturing moving images and sporting action. The package comes supplied with a clever mounting system which will help you t mount the phone onto various equipment to capture the best possible footage. An Outride app has also been developed so users can upload their film and also view footage sent by other users of the system.
The Mophie Outride is not the only new accessory to surface for the iPhone 5. Images have appeared on line of a new USB charging cable for the phone which may not sound exciting but actually reveals a major change on the new model. The connecting plug on the cable sports a nine pin connector rather that a 30 pin affair that has been used on previous iPhone devices. This illustrates the fact that Apple have been attempting to reduce internal component size on the new model and a change from 30 pins to 9 pins is certainly a big change for this area of the phone. This reduced internal space will enable the developers to make the model the slimmest on the market with many reports suggesting that it will measure just 7.6mm, making it the slimmest handset ever released. The iPhone 5 is expected to be revealed in the next two weeks so we can expect to see a wide range of additional accessories begin to appear. The Mophie Outride certainly looks like an impressive accessory for the new phone while the less eye catching USB cable does give us clues about the new models design.

Shopping for a Beautiful iPad Case

Apple Company has pioneered the market of ipads and iphones today. Since the market of ipads has been around the upsurge, companies manufacturing cases also have increased and you can get compatible ipad cases with keyboard that makes typing easier. These cases have given customers the advantage of using ipads with small keyboards since typing is simple. Lots of people have wide fingers. When typing they get the keyboard too much squeezed to suit the wide fingers not mentioning the top sensitivity from the touch. The new ipad keyboard has made typing for customers easier. Additionally, if the typing speed is slow, with all the intact keyboard is an issue and is also quite irritating because you will discover typing boring with the slippery touchscreen. The cases with keyboards come in handy and therefore are very reliable to such users.
An additional with the cases is that you could use them commercially different purposes. First, they enable fast typing through providing an extra ipad keyboard to match the needs of slow typing and accuracy. Secondly, the cases also protect the ipad from scratches, which results from contact with hard surfaces. Imaginable utilizing your expensive ipad and it falls in the table. This can be a very bad experience and it will make you happy miserable. ipad cases with keyboard therefore serve a dual purpose and the've met the requirements of many ipad users.
When you're finding the optimum case for your ipad, you have to require a great deal of time searching in order to avoid landing on the poor case. You could possibly get your case from many sources. For instance, online stores offer a wide array of ipad cases, which makes shopping easier. With the increase of online businesses selling ipad cases price is competitive ad you won't search for your product for very long. Alternatively, it is possible to shop from your local retail center and get equally good ipad keyboard in a case. While searching for the cases you might be supposed to ensure that the source you will get from is trusted since some sources will give your counterfeit products, that will need replacing within small amount of time. You need to do a thorough search and read the reviews of the source from which you are receiving your case. If you are comparing the ipad cases with keyboard prices, you ought not ignore quality because this is it is essential, as you want to keep your ipad safe. It is advisable that you avoid companies, which sell low quality at cheap prices. In terms of choice of your ipad, ensure that the material you might be buying is durable enough to make your ipad look better.

Prada Spazzolato Case Wraps Your iPad in Flowers and Leather for $390

If you have a little (or a lot) of extra spending cash this month, you can start toting your iPad around in luxury courtesy of Prada.The Prada Spazzolato iPad Sleeve is made of high-quality leather, along with a grandma's couch cover-worthy floral print. The sleeves only come in the blue and brown pictured above.Also, they're Prada, and that means you can probably replace the letters in Prada with five dollar signs. The Prada Spazzolato iPad Sleeve costs $390, which is more than a healthy chunk of change. If you can justify grabbing a sleeve that costs almost as much as the iPad itself, looks like your iPad is about to come up roses (or whatever kind of flowers those are supposed to be). The thin profile and comfortable cloth give this case a nice, solid feel, especially when holding it with one hand.The HTC One V has a great digital camera and Beats Audio.The Origami even covers the home button, and clearly has no regard for the aesthetic design, but it offers additional protection to the case by covering everything but the actual display. The entire glass bezel is covered, which helps keep it clean and makes the iPad more comfortable to hold from both the front and back. So what it lacks in looks, the Origami makes up for in practicality.
Of the tested cases, the WanderFolio Luxe is the most diabolically expensive. At $130, it's more than triple the cost of some of the less expensive cases, but it's also the most fully-featured standard case. Not only is the Luxe leather-bound and thick for great feel and protection, it comes complete with a six hideaway pockets right in the cover for carrying whatever you need, from paperwork to money to credit cards. I personally wouldn't trust keeping secure documents in an iPad case, but in this day and age of carrying all of your belongings in just pockets sans bag, why not.The WanderFolio's thick frame feels very solid in the hand, both open and closed. The leather has excellent grip and is quiet and almost elegant, while the inside of the cover is felt for easier grip. It all snaps shut with a small magnetic latch. And instead of relying on the cover to stand the iPad upright, the WanderFolio has a piece of the case which disconnects from the tablet and acts as a support. This keeps the iPad standing at anything up to a 40 degree angle, but any higher up and the case slips.The Luxe is expensive, so Speck offers a lower-priced yet nearly identical model named the MagFolio Luxe for $100, with the same great leather but no pocket. There's also the $60 MagFolio and $70 WanderFolio which use thinner, lower-quality leather, which are otherwise identical models.

The HTC One V has a great digital camera and Beats Audio

A smart buy for an older student is a prepaid, no-contract smartphone like the Virgin Mobile HTC One V. It's a powerful, top-quality Android smartphone that doesn't chain you to a two-year contract. That means you have a lot of control over exactly how much money you spend each month, and you can save money versus a two-year contract plan. The HTC One V has a great digital camera and Beats Audio and comes with a free Dropbox storage subscription. I also like the Samsung Galaxy Note for being able to scribble notes on this hybrid tablet/smartphone, as well as the Motorola Razr Maxx and the AT&T Motorola Atrix 4G.
There's a growing consensus that most kids today are ready for a cell phone somewhere between the ages of 11 and 13. But parents, I beg you, please don't hand over a smartphone to a child and walk away. That's like giving your car keys to an 8-year-old and wishing them luck on the freeway. Smartphones can connect you with your children, but they can also connect your children with strangers, inappropriate content, and even predators. If you've decided your student needs a smartphone, take the time to set up parental controls (do it before you leave the store), block inappropriate apps, and consider installing a safety feature like K-9 Web Protection.
Before you load your kids up with the latest technology, be sure to bring yourself up to speed. I know it's overwhelming, but spend 10 minutes a day brushing up on all things connected kids and digital parenting. Take gadgets such as smartphones, laptops, and gaming devices out of your child's bedroom, especially at night. Pay attention to their tech habits, and encourage a sense of balance and moderation. Remember, you're their most important teacher, so model good digital behavior. Technology is an amazing tool. But it still can't replace an inspiring teacher, the lessons learned from the world around us, or just plain good parenting.
But anything that has an associated RFID chip is potentially hackableand with such chips priced as low as $0.07 each, RFIDs are sure to show up in more and more things inthe future.Earlier this year at the ShmooCon hacker-centric security conference, security researcher Kirstin Paget demonstrated just how easy RFID-equipped credit cards are to hack. Using about $350 worth of equipment, Padget wirelessly copied her credit card's RFID data, cloned it onto a blank card, and then easily made a payment to herself using a Square card reader. Padget described the hack as "embarrassingly simple."The ability of a knowledgable person to clone RFID with ease should raise red flags for anyone using the technology for personal data, door locks, or any other form of security.

iPad accessory case recalled over fire, shock fears

An all-in-one iPad accessory kit has been recalled by the ACCC due to the possibility of electric shock and fire.The consumer watchdog last week issued a recall for the product, sold by daily deals website Door Buster, citing a lack of compliance with Australian safety standards.The kit, available in both black and white, includes an iPad case, stylus and screen protector, as well as a 3 in 1 charger pack. The charger pack is the only item being recalled. The kit was on sale nationally for a week from August 1 this year.The ACCC said anyone who has purchased the kit should stop using the charger immediately.Customers will be given a full refund once the charger is returned, but are able to keep the other items in the accessory pack.It is unknown how many kits have been sold. The ACCC said it understood there have been no customer injuries to date.
The iPhone offers a 1420 mAh battery. Two 1700 mAh batteries triples the battery life. In my experience that means anywhere from two to three days of use depending on how much power I need. I left the screen on most of the time and it lasted about 48 hours.Apple iPhone 5 Battery Tagged for Minor Improvement Over Predecessor.I charged both batteries to 100% and then drained the first one, replaced it and then drained the second before the internal battery began to drain.On the back of the case sits an LED that will blink as the battery charges and then turns solid when it's topped off. The five lights give you an idea of how much power the case's battery still holds, with each representing 20% battery life.Compared to other battery backup cases, the ibattz Mojo Armor Removable Battery Case costs about the same while giving the user a lot more functionality.
At only $89.99 direct from ibattz, the case offers great value. Most battery backup cases I've tested run from $70-$100. Rugged cases can cost almost that much. This case gives me both in one case for the price of just one of the competitors.If you plan to keep your iPhone for a while, need both a backup battery and some rugged protection for the iPhone 4 or 4S, then the ibattz Mojo Armor Removable Battery Case for iPhone 4 and 4S is a great option at a good price.Across the bottom edge of the case sit four LEDs and a button. Press the button to see the battery's current charge level. You can charge and sync your phone while it's in the case. In a significant improvement other Mophie's earlier models, the lights don't blink incessantly. They are, however, bright enough to be burdensome in a dark room if you charge your phone overnight. Now, they light up for the first few moments of charging and then shut off; you can press the button again to get the LEDs to light up again with the current charging status for a few seconds.