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Engadget's back to school guide 2011: accessories
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we've got a slew of accessories -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Fall's slowly, but surely creeping back in, and we bet you've already started to gather up the necessary gear for your return to the residence hall. Sure, you've got the basics covered, with a computer, smartphone, MP3 player and even a tablet at the ready. But wouldn't it be nice to start the school year off in style with some handy accoutrements to trick out those digital crutches? Let's face it, you're going to need a lapdesk buffer zone between you and your laptop's scorching heat for those countless hours spent churning out term papers. Or, an external hard drive, so you can store those full seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and bring the late night funny to your stressed-out friends. However you manage to make it through the year and snag that 4.0 GPA, we've got a selection of accessorized aids to match your collegiate budget. Oh, and don't forget, we're giving away $3,000 worth of essential back to school gear to 15 readers, and you can be among the chosen few simply by dropping a comment below! Click on past the break to start browsing.
Scosche BoomCan ups your mobile device's sound for $25, annoys anyone near you
Sure, you could use the built-in speaker on your tablet or cellphone to crank your tunes on the bus or at the office, but Scosche's BoomCan may be the ticket for those looking to pump out a bit more volume. It's not wireless like some other options, but twenty-five smackers gets you a 2 x 2.5-inch aluminum Can loaded with a 40mm driver, an audio / USB charging cable and a pouch for scratch-free traveling. You'll have seven hours to rock on its internal battery, and although any chance of stereo separation looks pretty slim, you'll be able to daisy chain a few of them together for a mini rig. The BoomCan is up for order now at Scosche's website in red, blue, black or silver if you haven't heard of the breakthrough in portable sound technology known as headphones. Full PR past the break.
Scosche myTrek sends workout vitals to your iPhone, starts shipping now for $130 (video)
With a variety of portable power accessories, most Scosche products are designed to keep gadgets up and running, not to get our own blood flowing. The company's new Bluetooth myTrek pulse monitor pairs with an iPhone or iPod touch to motivate you to keep going and going, however, pumping "inspiring" audio alerts through your headphones during a workout, while also tracking pulse, distance, speed, pace, and calories burned. The arm-strap uses a pair of LEDs, along with a photo sensor and accelerometer to capture vitals as it rests strapped to your forearm, providing five hours of continuous feedback before needing its own boost using the included USB cable. You'll need to have your iOS device within 33 feet of the device to record your workout, so the myTrek may be better suited for trips to the gym than, say, a run through the park in the rain. It's also rather pricey, at $130, but if you're already dropping a grand or two for your gym membership each year, a gadget that lets you elegantly track your progress may be within reach.
TUAW TV "Not So Live": Unboxing fest 2011
Welcome back to another episode of TUAW TV "Not So Live." Yes, I'm still out of town, but I was able to put together a festival of unboxing for your viewing pleasure. On today's show, you'll see the beautiful and unique Blackbox Case from Golden, Colorado, the Scosche switchBACK surge g4 (the caps and italics are from the manufacturer) battery case for iPhone 4, the Samson Meteor Mic and a feast of goodies from accessory manufacturer Moshi. You won't need to jump over to Ustream to watch today's show. Instead, just click the read more link at the bottom of this post to see the video in all of its HD glory, or visit YouTube for more viewing options. If you need a chat with the rest of the TUAW TV Live regulars to make it through the week, why not scoot on over to the TUAW TV Live Facebook page and see what's going on. You can also subscribe to the video podcast to watch this and other episodes at your leisure. Many thanks to Uri Kelman for creating the temporary logo for the show!
Scosche freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard: A hands-on test
A few days ago I highlighted a new flexible and water-resistant Bluetooth keyboard from the folks at Scosche. As many of the people commenting on that post noted, flexible "chiclet-type" keyboards of this type have a reputation for being difficult to type on. TUAW blogger Erica Sadun mentioned that when she's used chiclet keyboards, her fingers have actually started to hurt after a short amount of time due to the extra pressure required to depress the key switches. After hearing that from Erica, it was with a great deal of skepticism that I opened a box from Scosche the other day that contained one of the freeKEY Bluetooth keyboards. Is the US$59.99 ($49.99 through Amazon.com) freeKEY a good portable keyboard for iOS device owners who want to travel light, or does the design of a keyboard like this keep it from really being useful? In the following review (see next page), I'll provide a hands-on test of the freeKEY with an iPad 2 and let you know how it held up to my lightning-fast typing.
Scosche freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard: flexible and splashproof
Have you ever wanted to spill water onto your Bluetooth keyboard? Of course not. But that doesn't mean that some day you might not accidentally dump an icy glass of sweet tea onto the keyboard or have one of the kids decide to give Mr. Keyboard a bath in the toilet. Schosche's new freeKEY Bluetooth keyboard (US$59.99) doesn't mind spills, although a swim in the loo might prove too much. The chiclet-type keyboard rolls up like a frightened armadillo for compact travel and is made of a water-resistant silicone material. When it gets wet, simply shake it off. Chiclet keyboards have been known to be typing-unfriendly in the past, so you may want to try one out at a local retailer before buying. The freeKEY is available now, works with all of your Bluetooth-equipped devices, including the iPad 2, and comes with a retractable USB to micro-USB cable for recharging. There's video on the next page, showing the freeKEY in action as it gets splashed and rolled up into a snug cylinder. I'm hoping to try one out soon for a full TUAW review just to see how comfortable the keyboard is, and to see how the freeKEY works after spilling a Margarita on it.
iPad 2 accessories: The flood begins
No sooner had Steve Jobs bid farewell to the crowd at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco yesterday than the TUAW inbox began filling with news of iPad 2 accessories. While many of the accessories aren't as snazzy as the bath tub lid-inspired Smart Covers, I thought you might like to take a peek at what manufacturers have been working on under NDA. Booq is coming out with a nice looking folio case for the iPad 2 that includes a non-digital component -- a built-in and replaceable paper notepad. The Booqpad for iPad 2 (below) starts at US$49.95, with a "luxury option" available at $99.95. The notepad sheets are the same size as an iPad 2 screen and are perforated for easy removal. Knowing Dave Caolo's penchant for cool notebooks, I've been asked by his wife Mia to tell him to not buy one of these.
Scosche's goBAT II portable battery pack handles two USB devices at once, including your iPad
We'll just keep it real simple for you: the object you're looking at above is the Revive II charger, but slimmer, and with a rechargeable battery pack thrown in rather than a wall / cigarette adapter. Got it? Good. The goBAT II contains a 5000mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery, and it offers a pair of USB ports for charging. One's a 10-watt (2.1 Amp) port capable of handling high-maintenance devices like Apple's iPad, while the other is a more conventional 5-watt (1 Amp) socket. Scosche is also throwing in a USB adapter for the Galaxy Tab, theoretically letting those with divided households charge both an iOS and Android tablet at the same time. Brain melting, we know. It also works with the company's Revive charging app, which indicates how long a device will take to charge on any of Scosche's chargers and can also be configured to send an email notification once a device has been fully charged. She's all yours down at the source link for $89.99.
Case-Mate, Scosche announce Verizon iPhone cases will be available for debut
Would you buy a Verizon iPhone in February if not for the crippling fear of running it without a case? Apple moved the mute and volume buttons on the new iPhone just enough to render most existing cases useless, sending scratch-o-phobes into spasms of anxiety. Fear not, for Case-Mate and Scosche have you "covered." Each company has announced its intentions to have cases ready for the Verizon iPhone on launch day. Case-Mate will have a full line-up ready, and you can sign up to receive up-to-the-second, patience-be-damned notification of when they become available. Scosche will offer a black and white version of their kickBack series (shown above), which they promise to have ready "on or before" February 10. We suspect other manufacturers are developing their own solutions right now. One interesting question is what Apple will do to its own Bumper line. Surely it would be ridiculous to offer two lines, one for AT&T and one for Verizon. Perhaps the hole on the side will just be widened in order to accommodate either. We'll know soon enough.
Scosche Sneakpeek II adds component / composite video cables to your iPhone, iPod and iPad
For whatever reason, Apple hasn't made the process of getting video out of our iDevice a lesson in simplicity. We've already heard legions of iPad owners kvetching over the lackluster abilities of Cupertino's iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter, but Scosche is hoping to provide a pinch of relief with its latest accessory. The Sneakpeek II is described as a switchable video output solution for any iPad, iPhone and iPod that plays video, and the unquestionable best part is the plug-and-play nature. Simply plug one end into a 30-pin Dock Connector and the other end (composite and component cables are included) into a television, monitor or cyborg human with an LCD instead of a face; heck, there's even a microUSB cable to charge the device while it's pumping out the visuals. If this looks like just the solution to a problem that's been wrecking your social life, hit the source link to order yours for $59.99. %Gallery-104653%
Scosche MotorMouth II brings handsfree calling to any aux input-equipped vehicle
Nah, it's not the second coming of the Jupiter Jack. In fact, it's not a lackluster FM transmitter at all. Instead of pumping yet another one of those, Scosche has decided to take the high road here with the MotorMouth II, a Bluetooth streaming device that's designed for use in any vehicle with a 3.5mm auxiliary input. The idea here is to pair your Bluetooth handset with the adapter, then plug the adapter into your head unit; once you start a handsfree conversation on your mobile, the caller's voice can be heard loud and clear over your car's stereo. Of course, you may want to avoid this critter if you're planning on taking to your part-time lover while your full-time partner in life is riding shotgun, but for the faithful ones out there, it's available now for $79.99.
Scosche freedomMIC for Flip Video cameras is the wireless microphone add-on for Real Americans
Freedom. Justice. Microphones. We're pretty sure you can find all of those in the constitution, or inside the pure essence of eagle tears, or in Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" played backwards. Scosche understands, and that's why they're unveiling the freedomMIC add-on for Flip Video cameras. It's one of those new FlipPort-compatible accessories that we're sure we'll be seeing plenty of now that Cisco's new wave of cameras are out for public consumption. The mic itself offers a pretty neat solution to the perennial problem of sucky Flip audio: you plug the receiver base into the bottom of the Flip and hand the wireless lapel mic to your subject. Conveniently, you can start and stop recording with the microphone itself, and a 4 hour rechargeable battery should get you through the most trying of interviews or impassioned YouTube monologues. The mic will be out in "late December" for $100.
Empowering your iPhone with Scosche's passPORT
iPod car stereo integration is great. You can control your music library with your car stereo's controls. In some cases, you can see track info like artist, song and album information. Best of all, your iPhone's charging via a dock connector while all of this is happening -- that is, if you have a fairly recent integration kit. While many older car stereo integration kits can play and control music through their iPods and iPhones, they've lost the ability to charge newer models. The reason for this is that Apple re-engineered the dock connector for the iPhone 3G, second generation iPod touch and fourth generation iPod nano onward. However, you can empower yourself against this annoyance with Scosche's passPORT. The passPORT is a dongle that serves as an intermediary between your car's dock connector cable and your iPhone, charging it while you're enjoying your music. Scosche has a list on its site with car compatibility information. While my car's kit -- the original iPodYourBMW factory kit -- isn't on the list, it worked flawlessly with the passPORT. The Scosche passPORT is available at the Apple online store, and at some Apple retail stores for US$19.95.
Scosche intros Revive II charger with iPad-optimized USB power port
Still weeping over the fact that your iPad won't charge on that 2002 Latitude your company refuses to replace? Take heart, young buck. Scosche understands your frustrations, and it's out to make coping somewhat easier with the Revive II dual-USB chargers. With one for the car and one for the home, you'll most likely never, ever be in a location where your iPad can't be juiced. In case you haven't guessed, one of the USB ports on each charger is of the high-power variety, while the other will happily charge your iPhone, iPod or nearly any other USB-infused gadget that's smaller than a 9.7-inch tablet PC. Both of 'em are up for pre-order now through the company's website, though the $24.99 (car) and $29.99 (home) price tags do feel a touch steep.
Scosche solBAT II collects solar power, distributes it to USB devices
Solar-charged batteries aren't exactly wow factors these days, unless they're dirt cheap like this Scosche solBAT II. With 1,500mAh of juice, this dongle can carry slightly more power than your average smartphone, and can also take any device with a USB cable. However, before you fork out $29.99 to Scosche, you should know that the solBAT takes between four to five days (!) to charge up fully under sunlight -- not ideal for most power-hungry smartphones nowadays. There's always the $93.23 Energizer SP2000 (2,000mAh) for your consideration -- it's bulkier, but with three solar panels it only needs six hours of solar-charge time. Guess we'll just take the faster one, thanks.
Engadget's recession antidote: win a Scosche reviveLITE!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got a Scosche reviveLITE on offer, perfect for keeping your iPhone charged and the Boogie Monster at bay. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff!Big thanks to Scosche for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Scosche reviveLITE. Approximate retail value is $39.99. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Thursday, July 16th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Engadget's recession antidote: win a Scosche passPORT Home Dock!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a Scosche passPORT Home Dock ready to give your old iPod docking device the ability to play nice with newer iPods and iPhones. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Oh, and for those who miss out, coupon code 'engadget' will net you 20 percent through Google Checkout at Radius' site. Special thanks to Scosche for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Scosche passPORT Home Dock. Approximate retail value is $39.99. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Friday, June 12th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
Scosche tapSTICK adds hard buttons, purpose to new iPod shuffle
We appreciate Apple's efforts to make the iPod shuffle into something that no one's ever done before, but seriously, the no-buttons approach is sort of, um, annoying. Thankfully, the good guys and gals over at Scosche are totally in agreement, and thus, they've taken the time to develop the remarkable tapSTICK. Put simply, this 3rd-gen iPod shuffle case protects one's player from the elements while adding hard buttons that simulate the commands on Apple's own VoiceOver-friendly earbuds. The result? An MP3 player that's not partial to lackluster white 'buds, not to mention one that you can actually control with relative ease. Too bad it'll cost you $29.99, but we suppose that's the going rate these days to extinguish frustration. Full release is after the break.
Scosche unveils solar-powered solCHAT Bluetooth speakerphone
If you happened to snag one of those Iqua Sun solar-powered Bluetooth headsets a few years back, you'll probably have no need whatsoever for this. For everyone else, listen up. The Scosche solCHAT Bluetooth speakerphone boasts an integrated solar panel and rechargeable Li-ion, and when installed within one's vehicle, it simply pairs up with BT-enabled handsets when in range in order to give drivers the ability to talk handsfree. The simply styled unit has just three visible buttons -- volume up, volume down and the all-important answer / hang-up key -- and it can be yours right now for $99.99. Oh, and just in case you live in some shadowy place like Seattle, a USB charging cable is also throw in -- just don't tell Mother Earth, alright?
Here come the new iPod shuffle accessories
Now that everyone is getting used to the new iPod shuffle, the accessory makers are already pumping out the third-party additions (or at least announcing them). Some of the more interesting ones I've seen so far are: the Dexim Shu-Lip (right) that basically offers a streamlined 1/8" plug to USB dongle that turns the new shuffle into a thumb drive ($10). Headphones with included button controller as well as an adapter for existing headphones that just adds just the button controller from Scosche ($49.95 - $99.99 coming in "the Spring"). Headphones with controller from Klipsch ($99.99 "this summer"). Headphones with controller from Etymotic (pdf link) (availability not announced). In any case, if you're interested in dressing up the newest tiny iPod, it looks like the third-party makers have got your back (or at least they will by this summer).[via Gizmodo, Macworld, iLounge]
