8 gadgets and techie tools for your summer trip

While there’s no shortage of gadgets and techie things we can take on a summer trip, there’s always a shortage of space – whether it’s room in one’s backpack, suitcase, trunk of the car or your smartphone’s memory.  Nevertheless, here’s an eclectic mix of eight things that may come in handy and you might want to consider taking along for the ride to ensure smooth sailing this summer.

They take up very little room, so take along an extra pair of earbuds or if you must, extra headphones.  There’s nothing worse than forgetting your earbuds somewhere, having them accidentally destroyed or developing a loose cable connection by having them get tangled and torn up by the armrest on the plane. Now if your tunes are a must, you could possibly buy another pair, but you might be overpaying or not really getting the ones you want.

If you’re traveling with a companion, another good thing to throw into your carry-on is a headphone splitter like the Wicked Audio Splitter, which we reviewed last December. This little accessory could come in handy when you want to share your audio with a friend or significant other, or in the event your onboard entertainment doesn’t work and the two of you want to enjoy a movie on your iPad.  READ FULL ARTICLE at CANOE  Tech Blog

Seidio Innocell Plus Combo makes your hip “hip” once again

SeidioInnocell Front Side BackEDMONTON, AB, Aug 8, 2014/ Troy Media/ – The bigger smartphones get, the less likely we are to see people opting to wear them on their hips. And the need of the latest and greatest for even more power and bigger and extra batteries is another reason to simply sock them into your pocket or purse.

But sometimes (think if you’re working out in the field or up on a telephone pole), a phone on your hip still makes perfect sense.

The Seidio Innocell Plus Combo is a nifty little accessory for your iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S that acts as a case with a battery plus holster in an all-in-one combination.

The case is a snap-together sleek slim protector for your phone. It features Seidio’s signature soft-touch coating, that feels nice to handle while keeping your phone free from scratches, and doesn’t add too much excessive real estate to your phone. It has a built-in 2000mAh battery which, in effect, doubles your iPhone’s battery’s capacity, with an extra 25 per cent more to boot.

Your Innocell Plus case clips right into the perfectly matched felt-lined Innocell Plus Holster, which you then simply need to clip it right onto your belt. It allows quick access to your phone and swivels in seven different directions to accommodate almost any type of hip. The belt clip also has a lip on it to make it less likely that the phone will fall off your belt.  READ FULL ARTICLE at TROY MEDIA

MacBook Pro gets processor boost and memory doubled

MacBookPro

Ahead of the Fall release of the latest Mac OS reincarnation, Mac OS X Yosemite, Apple has refreshed the MacBook Pro with Retina display models by upping the processing speed and doubling up on the memory on both of the entry-level 13-inch and 15-inch models.

“People love their MacBook Pro because of the thin and light, aluminum unibody design, beautiful Retina display, all day battery life and deep integration with OS X,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The MacBook Pro with Retina display gets even better with faster processors, more memory and a free upgrade to OS X Yosemite this fall.”

13-inch Model

The 13-inch model with Retina display will now start with 8GB of RAM upgradeable to 16GB along with a 2.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz, 128GB PCIe-based flash storage and Iris Intel Graphics for $1399 and with 256GB PCIe-based Flash storage $1599.

Read more…AT CANOE TECH BLOG

Review: FritzFrame for iPhone 5 and 5s

1 FritzSay it quickly and it sounds like you’re saying “freeze frame”, but it’s actually Fritz Frame. It’s a cleverly designed video stabilizer, stand and case that allows you to position your iPhone 5 or 5S virtually any which way, even hang it, so you can do Facetime, watch videos and even take those must-have selfies, totally hands-free.

Frank Mansfeld, Fritz Frame CEO and director, and hisdesigners have exploited almost every viewing angle. Fritz Frame is hinged at the bottom, pivots at the centre and can rotate a full 360 degrees in any direction. Movement is smooth and precise on both the hinge and pivot, each with a six-step stop position.

Fritz Frame is amazingly sturdy, yet light, CNC machined from aircraft grade aluminum. It has a fine finish and even where there are square corners you’ll find them smoothly finished. The attention to detail down to the locking pins and countersink screws, of course, is something you’d expect from German Engineering.  READ MORE at G4 TV CANADA

 

Smashing line-up for September iTunes Festival 2014

iTunes Festival 2014 signFor many, September means back-to-school, but for others, it’s iTunes Festival time and it’s back again for an 8th year, with 30 incredible nights of live performances from London’s historic Roundup stage. If you can’t be there, you can still experience the event by streaming it over iTunes or Apple TV. And best of all, it’s still free.

Apple announced today some of the biggest artists that will be headlining this year, including; Maroon 5, Pharrell Williams, Beck, Sam Smith, Blondie, Kylie, David Guetta, 5 Seconds of Summer, Calvin Harris, Chrissie Hynde & many others.

“The iTunes Festival in London is back with another stunning line-up of world class performers and tremendous new acts,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “These live shows capture the heart and soul of iTunes and we love bringing them to our customers in the Roundhouse, as well as to the millions of people watching all over the world for free.”

Read more… At CANOE TECH BLOG

iRig MIDI 2 1st portable Lightning /USB midi for iOS, Mac & PC

iRigMidi2 IK Multimedia has just released iRig MIDI 2, the first portable Lightning/USB MIDI interface for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch as well as Mac and PC.  iRig MIDI 2 adds a whole new level of portability and connectivity thanks to its detachable and interchangeable cable inputs, standard MIDI connectors and pocket-sized form factor. It’s the perfect mobile MIDI solution for the musician on the go.

iRig MIDI 2 is so flexible because all of its cables are fully detachable and interchangeable via its Mini-DIN connector: Users can swap out Lightning connector, 30-pin connector and USB cables on the fly, which allows for quick switching while on the move. All cables are bumper friendly, which means that iRig MIDI 2 can be plugged into mobile devices without having to remove any protective case. [Read more…]

Skype 5.2 for iPhone adds Voice Messaging Support

Skype 5 pic

It seems that since the release of Skype 5.0 for iPhone less than a month ago the good folks at Skype have been really listening and taking user feedback to heart.  According to their blog, Skype 5.1 for iPhone added some additional capabilities including the ability to edit a message, delete a conversation and add a contact filter that selects Skype contacts only. And now, the newly minted Skype 5.2 for iPhone adds a few more features and returns old ones that people have been asking for.

The first is voice message support, something that was lost with the revamped 5.0. When you get a new voice message it will automatically show up in the conversation. All you need to do to listen to it is press play.

Read more…AT CANOE TECH BLOG

iPod touch prices down as Apple refreshes 16GB model

iPod touch five colours

While all the Apple talk seems to be focused on the rumoured big screened iPhone 6, there was good news out today for many iPod touch fans as Apple introduced slight changes to the iPod touch lineup. This is a good thing, as the iPod touch in essence gives you a number of features of the iPhone, like the ability to use apps, but without the phone.

Read more…AT CANOE TECH BLOG

Review: iRig Voice & EZ Voice unleash your inner singer

5irigvoice_2devices

IK Multimedia, known for specializing in gear for musicians and artists released iRig Voice today. This affordable microphone designed for basic voice recording and ideal to pair with popular music apps, karaoke apps and in particular IK’s new EZ Voice – which allows you to sing along to your favourite tune and hear your own voice.

Read more… AT CANOE TECH BLOG

Apple rolls out new budget 21.5-inch iMac

iMac

21.5-inch iMac (left) 27-inch iMac (right)

Much to everyone’s surprise, there were no new hardware announcements at WWDC 2014 earlier this month, despite the rumour mill being flooded with them. Now today, two weeks later, although this one was probably already in the works, Apple unveils a new entry-level budget 21.5 inch iMac.

Read more…AT CANOE TECH BLOG