Going Mobile — Page 10

Time to dump your old iPhone?

September 9, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

EDMONTON, AB, Sep 9, 2014/ Troy Media/ – The closer we move to the introduction of the iPhone 6, and its many expected variations, you are probably asking yourself if it is time to dump your current iPhone.

In fact, there are a growing number of iPhones on offer on the resale market. According to eBay Canada there was a significant jump in the number of listings offering the iPhone 5 leading up to last year’s announcement of the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S models, compared to the same period a month prior. Read full article at TROY MEDIA

Filed Under: Apple, Business, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, In the news, Signs of the Times, Troy Media · Tagged With: Apple, eBay, iPhone

Champ Bodyguard AR for Her & ZipStick 3-in-1 Power Banks

September 3, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

Every once in a while you come across two cool products that are functionally identical but marketed under different brands. Such is the case with the Champ Bodyguard Battery Rechargeable Power Bank and theAR for Her PowerBank with LED flashlight and Panic Alarm, a.k.a the ZipStick. And while these product names seem to be quite a mouthful, they both accomplish the same job appeal to two unique demographics.

They are slim-line battery packs designed to power and charge up 5V USB devices. They have a built-in LED flashlight and a panic alarm that emits a very loud and annoying sound designed to either attract attention or to scare off something or someone. READ FULL REVIEW at G4TV Canada.

Filed Under: accessories, G4 TechTV Canada, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, Hands On, New Product, Product review, Review · Tagged With: accessories, battery charger

iRig Mic HD handheld mic goes digital

August 23, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

After having recently reviewed the iRig Voice, IK Multimedia’s basic voice recording microphone which pairs nicely with karaoke apps and their own EZ Voice, I was pleasantly surprised when they skipped over to the other end of the spectrum and unveiled iRig Mic HD, a high-def digital handheld condenser mic.

This changes their microphone game in that, unlike their other two handheld analog offerings, this one is totally digital – meaning audio goes right to your device in digital format. As you speak or sing into its electret condenser capsule, it’s built-in pre-amp and the built-in 24-bit audiophile grade analog to digital (A/D) converter gives you good crisp clean audio sound eliminating any added noise or sound degradation of analog mics and doing away with the need for a separate A/D box.

Check out the full review at Canoe Tech Blog Read more…

Filed Under: accessories, Audio, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, Hands On, New Product, Review, sound ·

8 gadgets and techie tools for your summer trip

August 10, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: accessories, Apple, Audio, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile · Tagged With: Gadgets, holiday, travel

Square mobile payment system gets invoicing

July 19, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

Strolling through Old Strathcona last Saturday during Edmonton’s Whyte Avenue Art Walk 2014 I noticed something different this year. More vendors were accepting payment by credit card – VISA, MasterCard, American Express – many through the magic of this micro-payment system called Square. It’s changed the way small businesses do their transactions. And now here in Canada, they’ve taken it one step farther with the introduction of invoices allowing complete secure payment transactions when not dealing face-to-face.

Invoicing is certainly a logical extension to the Square payment system with many potential benefits. In fact, people like Kat Doell, an emerging artist and illustrator finds Square payments handy, particularly for high ticket items welcome its extended functionality.

“I haven’t used the invoices yet, but all the new options look perfect for small business,” says Doell.

Read more…At CANOE TECH BLOG

Filed Under: Business, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, In the news, Taking care of business · Tagged With: credit cards, micro payments, small business

USB powered air purifier and fan cleans and cools

July 16, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

I do keep my office reasonably clean, but truthfully my office is usually covered wall to wall with gadgets, cables, books, magazines, manuals, boxes and more. I’ve never really thought about all the dust bunnies and other allergens that might be lurking in the dark crevices behind and beneath all my gadgetry. Enter the 2-in-1 Satechi USB Portable Air Purifier & Fan. It can eradicate the bunnies, remove those nasty allergens and provide for a little breeze or air circulation.

It looks like a small desktop speaker, measuring 11 x 11 x 9 cm, small enough to be portable and weighs a mere 350g so you can use it in the home, in the office, on the road and even in your car.

No drivers to install; it’s plug and play and runs off 5V USB, so you can power it from a USB compatible wall charger or even your computer.

It has two modes – compressed and expanded. When compressed it takes on the role as a purifier, designed to grab those ultra-fine particles like dander, dust and pollen from the air; when expanded by pulling out the front, it runs like a personal fan.

Nokia Lumia 625 4G on a Tight Budget

July 8, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

EDMONTON, AB, Jul 8, 2014/ Troy Media/ – If you’re in the market for a budget 4G Windows smartphone without being tied down in a two-year contract, you’ll be surprised to find out that the Nokia Lumia 625 might just fit the bill. And the price is right; for only $200, you can have one with no strings attached.

It’s a recent model that’s only been available in Canada for a few months. The polycarbonate shell measures 133.2 x 72.2 x 9.2 mm and weighs 159 grams. It houses a 4.7” LCD display with a resolution of 480 x 800 at 201 ppi (pixels per inch), is powered by a respectable 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and comes with 8GB of internal memory, expandable to 64GB with a micro SD card. It houses two cameras: a 5MP megapixel rear camera with LED flash and delivers hi-def 1080p video at 30fps (frames per second) and a second camera that offers basic VGA resolution. It has 802.11n Wi-Fi and comes with a hefty non-removable 2000mAH battery that’s rated at 14 to 15 hours of talk time and 23 days standby.

The Lumia 625 feels solidly built, albeit a little on the heavy side. But even with a 4.7″ screen, it’s easy to hold in one hand. If you favour your left hand, you might find yourself accidentally hitting the power button located half way up the right edge. Powering it up, you get the Windows 8 tile-like interface that tells you right away that it’s not an Android or iOS handset. It also has three soft-touch buttons (back, Windows and search) on the lower portion of the screen, which offers super-sensitive touch. The same also holds true for navigating from screen to screen and operating the large key on-screen keyboard – they’re fast.

READ FULL ARTICLE AT TROY MEDIA

Filed Under: GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, Hands On, Product review, smartphone, Troy Media · Tagged With: Review, smartphone

Survival Sidekick might just save your life

July 2, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

Today, in a suburb just outside Minneapolis, Bob Renning, a Good Samaritan, somehow found the strength to pry open the door of Michael Johannes’ burning Chevrolet TrailBlazer and saved him from certain death. Now after seeing the footage at Canoe cNews, it made me rethink the usefulness of features on today’s emergency gadgets that we think we’ll never use, but in actual fact could one day save our life.

One such feature is the glass breaker found on the new Champ Survival Sidekick 8-in-1 (Emergency Preparedness) Multitool by Voxx Accessories. Johannes had mentioned that he was unable to get out of his vehicle as the electrical system was disabled and he couldn’t unlock the door. And without his good fortune that someone like Renning just happened to be around, he may not be alive right now to tell about it.

The Survival Sidekick 8-in-1 actually looks like a very large flashlight, and a flashlight it is. It features three LEDs that can keep shining brightly for up to five consecutive hours. Read more…AT CANOE TECH BLOG

Filed Under: accessories, Canoe Technology, GadgetGreg, Going Mobile, Hands On, New Product, Product review · Tagged With: emergency, safety, travel

iPod touch prices down as Apple refreshes 16GB model

June 27, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

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.

Review: iRig Voice & EZ Voice unleash your inner singer

June 19, 2014 by Greg Gazin · Leave a Comment

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