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Hot Qmadix accessories for your summer fun
We started yesterday with a giveaway of three Just Mobile products; now the summer holiday fun continues with a review and giveaway of some great new products from Qmadix. Qmadix iharmonix Q-i-sound Stereo Bluetooth Speakers I'll start my review of these portable Bluetooth speakers with a negative comment -- could Qmadix have come up with a shorter name? I'm just going to call these Q-i-sound speakers (US$149.95) for the rest of the review. As seasoned TUAW readers know, we've reviewed a number of Bluetooth speakers from a variety of vendors lately. Many companies are going rectangular speakers make of a variety of materials and usually dropped into one case. The Q-i-sound Stereo Bluetooth Speakers have a totally unique design: the speakers are not only separate for optimum stereo sound, but there's no cable connecting the two. That means you can put the speakers anywhere up to 15 feet apart to get the best possible sound. The two speakers have a weak magnetic latch that holds them together into an egg shape. That "egg" fits into an included zippered case. Charging is done from an included folding AC adapter or by connecting to a USB port, with an included USB to two-ended DC connector cable. Qmadix says full charging takes about takes about 4.5 hours; that charge is good for about 8 hours of continuous play time. As you would expect from most contemporary Bluetooth speakers, the Q-i-sound speakers include a full-duplex microphone (in the left speaker) for conference calling and dialing with Siri. The speakers are lightweight -- only 4 ounces each -- and the compact size makes for a perfect traveling companion. How was the sound quality? Like most Bluetooth speakers I've used, the Q-i-sound speakers lacked a good bass sound. However, the sound reproduction on the high end wasn't all that good either. Conference call sound quality was poor -- yes, you could have a conference call, but the folks on the other end will most likely complain that the call sounds "tinny" or "clipped". At the price, I'd honestly expect much better sound quality. For the same $149.95, you can get the BRAVEN 600 speakers and at least be able to enjoy your music. The Logitech Mini Boombox ($99.99) even sounded better. Still, if you want totally wireless Bluetooth speakers with great separation, the Q-i-sound speakers are about your best bet. Qmadix iharmonix Qi-7 Mobile Earphones The next product from Qmadix is a pair of their iharmonix Qi-7 mobile earphones ($79.99), which come with a noise canceling microphone with a control button. Designed as a replacement for the ubiquitous white headset you get with your iPhone, the Qi-7s take things up a notch with a gold plated audio jack, a leather storage case and pouch, one pair of double flanged silicone ear gels and three pairs of standard silicone ear gels in small, medium, and large sizes. How do they sound? Well, when it comes to earphones, we don't test 'em if we're going to give them away (for sanitary reasons). I'll leave the testing to the winner of the earphones in our giveaway. Qmadix Smudge-Free Device Cleaning Kit Here's a Qmadix product that I use and love! The Smudge-Free Device Cleaning Kit ($14.99) provides a 3 ounce (perfect for travel) can of cleaning foam along with two anti-microbial microfiber cloths treated with Duraban. I've cleaned everything from my iMac screen to the tiny screen of an iPod nano with the kit, and it works really well. The foam tends to reduce the streakiness that you'll find with some liquid sprays, and the two 10" x 10" cleaning cloths (one high density for polishing, one regular density for cleaning) can be washed up to 50 times and still retain their antimicrobial properties. You can also order replacement cans of the cleaning foam for $9.99. Does it do a better job of cleaning screens than the tried and true iKlear solution? In my personal opinion, it does, and it's also less expensive than the iKlear kit. Qmadix Tempered Tech-Armor This is another product that I'm not going to test, as I'd prefer to give away the Tempered Tech-Armor kits ($39.99) for iPhone 4 / 4S to TUAW readers. That being said, I think that the concept is absolutely cool. These are not your run-of-the-mill cheap plastic screen protectors. Instead, they're made of .3 mm thick tempered glass that is completely shatter- and scratch-proof. The kit also includes a film overlay for the back of the iPhone, as well as home button stickers to protect the iPhone's navel. In case you need to remove the Tempered Tech-Armor at any point, don't worry -- you can remove it, wash it, and re-apply it up to 60 times. Giveaway As part of this week of giveaways from TUAW, five readers will win one of the products listed above. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before July 5, 2012 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Five winners will be selected and will receive one of the following items: Qmadix iharmonix Q-i-sound Stereo Bluetooth Speakers valued at $149.99, Qmadix Tempered Tech-Armor for iPhone 4/4S (black or white) valued at $39.99, Qmadix iharmonix Qi-7 Extreme-Performance Mobile Earphones with Noise Canceling Microphone valued at $79.99, or a Qmadix Smudge-Free Device Cleaning Kit valued at $14.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Qmadix presents a trio of new iPhone 4/4S covers
Accessory manufacturer Qmadix has hit the market with a set of three new iPhone 4/4S covers that vary in price and design but should appeal to a wide variety of iPhone owners. In this post, I'll take a quick look at the Qmadix Bezel Slide-On Cover (US$59.99), the Metalix Snap-On Cover ($29.99), and the Vibe Flex-Gel Cover ($24.99). Bezel Slide-On Cover As you might expect from the premium price on the Bezel Slide-On Cover, this lightweight and minimalist case is machined from aircraft-grade aluminum. It's similar in size and shape to Apple's original iPhone 4 bumper, protecting only the aluminum rim of the iPhone from scratches. Since the aluminum isn't flexible or stretchable, Qmadix had to figure out another way to install the Bezel. The top of the case simply slides on after the iPhone has been inserted into it, and locks to securely hold the phone in place. The Bezel comes in black, gold, gray, purple and red. The review unit, in black, added a nice touch to a black iPhone 4S. There are strategically placed pads on the inside of the cover to make sure that it fits snugly, and I found the Bezel to be one of the more solid "bumper" type covers I've tested. %Gallery-147949% In case you're wondering if an aluminum cover would affect 3G and Wi-Fi signal strength on your iPhone, don't worry -- Qmadix provided small slits that line up with the black antenna "lines" that are on the perimeter of the iPhone 4 and 4S. I saw no difference in signal strength for either 3G or Wi-Fi with the cover installed and removed. While the price of the Qmadix Bezel Slide-On Cover might be a bit high, it's much better constructed than the plastic and rubber Apple bumper. There is a slight lip around the rim of the iPhone glass when the Bezel is installed, and it seems that for a number of situations that may protect the iPhone screen and back from breaking as it provides a slight amount of clearance. Compared to some other aluminum "bumpers" that I've tested, the Bezel is easy to install and remove, requires no tools, and feels solid while not adding a lot of weight or thickness. Metalix Snap-On Cover I couldn't look at the name of this iPhone cover without thinking of Metallica. That being said, the Metalix cover is far from heavy metal -- it's a lightweight polycarbonate shell that snaps onto your iPhone 4 or 4S, with an attractive aluminum alloy back that adds a colorful accent. That aluminum alloy back comes in a variety of colors. The review model sported a brushed red aluminum back, with polished aluminum around the edges that reflect light. It's actually a quite attractive look. The aluminum also comes in black, blue, gray, and purple. %Gallery-147947% The Metalix protects the back glass on the iPhone 4 and 4S well, and as with the Bezel, there's just enough of a raised lip around the display to protect it from many face-down drops. Of the three Qmadix covers in this review, I liked the Metalix the most and at just $30, it's a bargain. Vibe Flex-Gel Cover I'm not a real fan of gel-type cases, so the Vibe Flex-Gel was probably my least favorite of the three covers. And despite the fact that I'm a Denver Broncos fan, the bright orange color of the review cover didn't help matters at all. Fortunately, the Vibe also comes in black, blue and white. %Gallery-147950% Once nice feature of the Vibe that many other gel-type cases are missing is the clear rear window that lets you display the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone in all of its glory. The back of the iPhone will be protected from scratches, but at least it's still partially visible even when clothed in the Vibe. The cover has some nice ridging around the outside to give it a better grip in your hand, although I still found the material to be rather slippery. Despite my dislike of this genre of case, Qmadix still makes a high-quality product and if you're looking for a gel cover at a bargain price ($25), the Vibe should keep you happy. Conclusion I was pleased with all three of the Qmadix iPhone 4/4S covers. It appears that Qmadix has decided to make quality construction a differentiating feature with their phone covers, as these were definitely had a better build quality than many of the cases that come through the TUAW Labs.
Qmadix Portfolio brings removable Bluetooth keyboard to an iPad 2 case (Updated)
I haven't been a real fan of most keyboard cases for iPad for three main reasons -- the keyboards are usually tiny, they use "chiclet" keys, and they're stuck in one place and can't be moved around. Accessory manufacturer Qmadix has just introduced the Qmadix Portfolio with Removable Bluetooth Keyboard for iPad 2 ($149.99) that promises to change all of that. How does it live up to the promise? Read on for my complete look at this new contender. Update: Note that the color of the leather is actually black, not brown as shown in the photo at the top of the page. I apologize for the bad color balance on the photo. Design Compared to most of the portfolio cases that we've tested over the years, the Qmadix Portfolio has a feel of quality around it. The leather exterior is smooth and beautiful, and the stitching is close and tight. As for the keyboard, the keys are closer together than on the $69 Apple Bluetooth Keyboard, but it's a real keyboard with a good feel to it. It's also made with Apple fans in mind -- unlike most of the iPad keyboard cases we see that are repackaged Windows BT keyboards, complete with a Windows button to bring up the Start Menu. Not with this keyboard, which actually has the Apple command key properly marked and in the correct place. The keyboard comes encased in a leather holder that attaches to the main case with magnets. The keyboard is inset a bit, so the leather acts as a nice wrist pad that is actually quite comfortable while typing.The case also has a magnetic latch to keep the cover closed for travel. There's a four-foot micro-USB to USB charging cable to keep the keyboard battery juiced up. According to Qmadix, the battery takes anywhere from four to six hours to fully charge, but will last for up to 30 days depending on usage. %Gallery-129539% Using the Portfolio Keyboard The keyboard is uniquely suited for use with the iPad. The function keys we're used to on the top row of our keyboards have been replaced with iPad-specific function keys. Here's what they do: • Take you back to the iPad Home Screen • Enable the Search function of the iPad • Copy • Paste • Take you to the photo slideshow • Display or hide the virtual keyboard • Take a screenshot • Go to the previous song or track • Play / Pause • Go to the next song or track • Mute the iPad • Raise the volume • Lower the volume • Turn off the iPad (lock screen) • Switch the font on the virtual keyboard I was able to get all of the function keys to work except one. I couldn't figure out what apps the last button was meant to work with. Remember, you'll still need to tap on your iPad screen for certain commands, but the function keys can keep you from having to do too much tapping. There is at least one other keyboard with these same function keys -- the Logitech Keyboard Case for iPad 2 by Zagg. How's the feel of the keyboard? I liked the tactile feedback of the keys, but found that they were a little too close together for my style of typing. That's a common issue with most portfolio keyboard cases, since they're trying to keep the size of the portfolio down to the size of the iPad. I'd frankly rather see someone make a nice case that would hold a keyboard the same size as the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard -- heck, just make a nice portfolio that would hold an iPad and an Appel Bluetooth Keyboard. That being said, I was able to get used to the Qmadix keyboard very quickly. The Bottom Line So who is the Portfolio for? With the price tag, it's most likely going to appeal to executives or those who are willing to pay a bit more for the quality and convenience. Those who are looking for a cheaper alternative can find many other Bluetooth keyboards, not the least of which would be the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard. The Kensington Folio Keyboard ($100), ClamCase ($149), the CaseGoods TypeCase ($149), and Logitech Keyboard by Zagg ($100) all use a similar design, but with fixed keyboards. Heck, if you have the Apple Camera Kit, you could probably pick up a flexible Monoprice USB keyboard for $7 and use it, but I don't think you'd be happy with the chiclet keyboard. The Qmadix Portfolio feels great to type on and the iPad-specific function buttons are well-implemented. The case itself is quite stylish and looks like it would stand up to a lot of use, and it's nice to know that the keyboard can be moved to a comfortable spot for any typist. Of all the portfolio keyboard cases on the market right now, the Qmadix Portfolio is the best of the bunch.
