Louis Senecal has been a mobile enthusiast since 2001 with the release of the HP Jornada Series Pocket PC. He reviews products for BostonPocketPC.com. He uses mobile tech to make his life more organized and entertaining. In addition to being a dad and a husband, Louis has a career in the Loss Prevention industry. He has been a volunteer firefighter for more than a decade and supports his community in various volunteer capacities.
This is the first mini review in this series of the new iPad 3 Speck Cases. If you are not familiar with my last post, Speck sent me several of their new cases for the iPad 3 (compatible with the iPad 2). I gave these away locally to other iPad users to see what they think about them. The first feedback I got was on the FitFolio. The below mini review is unedited. This user has an iPad 2.
“This was my first iPad cover. I was skeptical about the cover fitting the iPad along with fearing losing the ability to attach cords etc in the iPad outlets. I am a true believer! The cover attached easily and appears to be very secure.
With the launch of the new iPad (aka iPad 3), comes more cool cases and accessories. Speck (maker of my favorite Candyshell case) just came out with a full line of new iPad 3 (compatible with iPad 2) cases. Below are pictures of them with links to their product pages. Thanks to Speck, I got to send most of these cases into my local wild where other iPad users will be using them. In the coming weeks, I will share some of the mini reviews by these people that used these cases.
STM recently unveiled their new series of bags called the “Spirit Collection.” I have had the opportunity to use the Nomad messenger bag. The version I have is the S (small) that fits most laptops up to 13”. Included with the Spirit bag is a laptop sleeve that is removable and can be used with other bags or as a standalone accessory. Feel free to also use this sleeve to hold your tablet, or other accessories. The color of my bag is Mustard, but it also comes in Bondi Blue and Graphite.
The fine folks at Proporta sent me over a couple of cases to use with my tablets. I’m not using the latest and greatest tech by today’s standards. I’m still using the Original iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7. Don’t shy away from this review just because you may have a different tablet model. There’s a good chance Proporta will have a similar case/style for your exact device. If you are not familiar with Proporta, they have been making great cases since 1996.
USB Cell Drive came out with a couple new products, with one of them being the Cellink I. This neat little gadget is like a mini Swiss army knife that contains some useful tools/features. To start, this little device has a built in 600 mAH battery. Its function is to not fully recharge your device, but to provide you an emergency power source when you are getting low or critical. The version I am using works with iPhone, iPod and iPad.
Aviiq recently introduced a product they call Ready Clips. These are compact charging and sync replacement cables that eliminate those messy tangled up cords. They come in Micro and Mini USB, as well as the Apple connector sizes. They have a clip built in that can be secured in a pocket, or be placed in your tech bag as is. They are bendable and seem to be built well. They have a neat rubbery/plastic feel to them.
They are only 5.5 inches long and are designed for use within that range. Obviously, they would not work for any distances or use greater than that.
Fabrix sent me their Satchel 2.0 to test out. I have been using this the last few weeks. I have the 15” variant, which is part of their wool felt collection that includes other sizes as well. This accessory will hold a Macbook Pro 15” is you so choose. This is actually their second Satchel. I never used the first one, but from what I read, they took a lot of user feedback and incorporated it into the newer model. (Note: Pics at end of review)
You have probably read Tim Hillebrands’ review of the Griffin Helo TC remote control helicopter a few weeks ago. If you have not, I suggest you do and will place the link below. I also had the opportunity to play, I mean test, this new product out (pics at the end of review).
The kit comes with the Helicopter, a control pack, instructions, charging cable, missiles and some extra parts. The setup is pretty straightforward.
It’s important to note that this is designed for indoor use. I did try it outside and it did not function well.
For the last few weeks I have been using the iHealth Blood Pressure Dock. This is the first product of this type that I have actually used so I don’t have any comparison products to judge it against. But I can say its one of the easiest things to use right out of the box (My pics are at the end of the review)
The kit comes with the dock, instructions, power USB cable for dock, and your choice (out of two sizes) of arm cuff. The free app required needs a minimum of iOS 3.0 or greater (There was an app update this month). The dock itself contains a rechargeable battery that powers the blood pressure system / cuff.
The Mobile Grip Mini Fold-up Tripod from Arkon is a neat accessory to carry with you, especially if you use the camera function on your device a lot. This is a universal design so it should fit most smartphones, as well as an iPod Touch and similar devices that sport a camera. With the exception of the adjusting screws, the kit is all plastic which is one of the reasons it's so light. Check out the video from Arkon below for actual use of the stand.
The stand consists of three pieces. The tripod mount, mobile grip adaptor, and mobile grip holder.
