Accessories

What's smart (and dumb) about the latest smartwatches

Why wear a smartwatch? You might have said the same thing about carrying a smartphone before those got smart enough to be truly useful. Smartwatches are a sort of mini tech trend of the moment, but here's the brutal truth: we wouldn't recommend that our friends buy any of these, unless they're early-adopter watch fetishists. The smartwatches of today have a muddy mix of good, bad, and flat-out ugly features. At best, they're quirky and stylish. At worst, they're hobbled with short battery life or don't work at all.

None of the smartwatches we'… Read more

Samsung takes smartphone battle to the storefront

DALLAS -- Samsung has opened a new front in its battle for smartphone supremacy: the storefront.

The Korean electronics giant plans to set up mini Samsung stores inside all U.S. Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile venues within the next couple of months -- just in time for the Galaxy S4 launch. The "Samsung Experience Shops," which start rolling out Monday, will be in 500 big-box Best Buy stores and all 410 Best Buy Mobile locations by early May. Best Buy's remaining 550 large-format Best Buy stores will feature the shops by early June.

A larger … Read more

Jawbone offers 2.0 software update for Big Jambox

In the past, Jawbone has provided firmware updates for its Jambox mini portable Bluetooth speaker to improve performance and add new features. Now its larger wireless speaker, the Big Jambox, gets its own 2.0 software update today.

The 2.0 update is a free download that's available on Jawbone's MyTalk platform (you have to register and install software on your computer to receive the update). According to Jawbone, here's an overview of the new features:

Better audio experience: New AAC support for iOS 6.1 delivers improved audio streaming with fewer dropouts and interruptions at greater … Read more

Save 20 percent on a ChargeCard sync cable

Remember the ChargeCard? It debuted at this year's CES and made my list of the three things I saw at CES I'd actually buy.

As I noted then, it's a mostly rubber card that's thin enough to fit in your wallet, but able to charge and sync your smartphone, e-reader, digital camera, Bluetooth headset, and the like.

The ChargeCard comes in three versions: iPhone 4/4S (meaning Apple 30-pin connector), iPhone 5 (Apple Lightning connector), and Micro-USB. All three have the same rubber arm that folds out to plug into a USB port, but a different … Read more

Hands-on with the Une Bobine charging stand for iPhone

When the Une Bobine made its Kickstarter debut about a year ago, I had the same reaction as a lot of people: What the heck does "Une Bobine" mean?

One look at the product and I definitely wanted to find out. Alas, I've forgotten too much of my high-school French (sorry, Mrs. Herman), but Google knows all: Bobine means "coil," and that's exactly what this thing is: a coiled, goose-neck sync/charge cable for the iPhone. (There's also a microUSB version for Android and other phones.)

What does a coil get you that … Read more

ManiGlove literally puts iPhone control at your fingers

While we're waiting for Google Glass to reach the masses, there are plenty of other wearable technology options to keep us busy. One newcomer is the ManiGlove, an iPod and iPhone control glove raising funds on Kickstarter.

The Version 1 ManiGlove looks a lot like a golfing glove, but it contains a rechargeable battery and Bluetooth for hooking up to your iPhone or iPod. Touch your thumb and different fingers together to change the volume, navigate songs, activate Siri, or control a PowerPoint presentation. Conductive pressure points trigger the commands.… Read more

Koala iPad mount lets you stick it to your bathroom

I confess. I sometimes set my iPad on the bathroom counter and watch "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episodes with closed captions turned on while I take a shower. No, it's not an elegant solution. There's a danger of shower splashing, or knocking it over while toweling off. I should probably be looking into acquiring a Koala Mount instead.

The $20 Koala Mount from Dockem is advertised as "damage-free," meaning you could potentially stick them all over your apartment and still have a good shot at recovering your security deposit when you move out. The Koala works with all iPad generations, even the iPad Mini, as well as several popular Android tablets.… Read more

Hands-on with the ClamCase Pro iPad keyboard

It's the age-old question, age being relative in this case: Can a tablet take the place of a laptop?

Maybe yes, maybe no. But without an honest-to-goodness keyboard, the answer is a definite no.

The new ClamCase Pro joins the ranks of iPad keyboard/case combos like the Belkin YourType Folio + Keyboard, CruxCase Crux360, and Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover.

In case the name didn't make it abundantly clear, the ClamCase Pro provides a clamshell-style case for your iPad. Open it up and you'll find a decidedly MacBook Air-style keyboard, albeit one that's necessarily a bit narrower. … Read more

Get an iOttie Sprinkle iPhone 5 case for $14.99 shipped

The iPhone 5: thing of beauty, right? It's slim and pocket-friendly and just a marvel of engineering, yes?

Gravity: 24-7, right? Strikes without warning, yes? That's why you'll never catch me carrying a phone without a case, even if it means hiding some of its beauty and lessening its pocket-friendliness.

The question is, which case? You've got a million options, with prices ranging from around five bucks all the way up to 50 -- sometimes even higher.

If you want robust, colorful, popular protection for your phone, there's a deal to be had: For a … Read more