Snugg as a Bug – Review

We invest a good amount into our smart phones, so we should properly protect them. Snugg sells cases and pouches for smart phones, plus iPads and other tablets, the Kindle, the iPod Touch, MacBook Air, and they have Nano accessories. I was recently sent a case of my choice to test out.

Snugg offers their cases in many colors and materials, i.e. PC, leather, suede, silicone and bamboo. There are the most choices for the iPhone 5. I choose the bamboo wood case for my Samsung Galaxy S3 because I like the feel of a natural material, and how it looked surrounding the white front. This case is made of sustainable wood, and the cut-outs are precisely placed around the power button, volume rocker, USB port, camera lens, etc. The interior is lined with black velvet to prevent scratching. This is definitely a quality product.

It’s easy to slide into place, putting the top portion on first. The bottom section slides on and locks into place. It indeed fits snugly and will not separate no matter how hard you try to pull it apart. It feels secure in the hand, even if it’s wet.

I intentionally dropped my phone from three and five feet to test how it lands. These are about the distances where you would have it in your hand with your arm down or up near your ear when the phone might slip and fall. The case stayed intact, prevented chipping from the sides and scratches from the back, and prevented the glass from cracking.

Removing the case was puzzling at first. Since I had it on for a few days before removing it, I had forgotten how it snapped into place. There are no instructions, so I contacted customer service via the chat option. The rep was friendly, and told me to push down on the bottom, while pulling out. That didn’t work, but then I remembered how it connected, and inserted a credit card in the slit where it connects and pushed down on it while sliding the bottom away. Voilà!

Overall, this Snugg case offers good protection in a slim-fitting, attractive shell. I love the bamboo wood case, and don’t plan on taking it off any time soon. If you like a simpler, streamline look, and a non-slip case that doesn’t add bulk or much weight, this brand might be right for you.

Great Gadget and Accessory for Travel

I went to the CEA Line Shows recently, and received two items as gifts that I really like for travel. In today’s world of smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices, it nice to have some accessories to enhance your experience, and these two item fit the bill.

Courtesy of HMDX Audio

I was in the market for a portable Bluetooth speaker when the new HMDX Jam Wireless Speakers fell into my lap. It’s the size of an orange, with substantial weight for its size, so it won’t easily get knocked over, but it’s light enough to carry without weighing you down.

The speaker is packaged in a container that looks like a jam jar, and comes in the flavors Apple, Apricot, Blackberry, Blueberry, Grape, and Strawberry (shown in Apricot). It pairs quickly, and can be used up to 30 feet away from Bluetooth-enabled devices. The rechargeable, lithium-ion battery is good for up to four hours of wireless play, but you can also connect it through the auxiliary line-in audio jack for up to 12 hours of use.

The sound is pretty good for the size and price range. I played some reggae and pop to test the bass. It’ll give you more volume and bass than your device’s speakers, but you won’t get super deep bass. The mid-range is a bit hallow, but at $39.99 it’s VERY affordable. An equalizer app can help the speakers reach their full potential. My daughter loves this Jam speaker, so I haven’t seen it since I’ve tested it.

You can buy it at Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Kohl’s.

 

The myCharge Portable Power Bank 3000 is a rechargeable battery pack with built-in Apple, micro and mini USB connectors. Multiple items can be charged at a time, for 12 hours added talk time, 17 hours of wi-fi, 17 hours of video, or 60 hours of music. This is a fantastic travel mate for tablets, e-readers, cell phones, MP3 players, and other mobile devices.

Bring it along on long flights, roads trips, or use when there’s a power outage. There’s a power indicator with LED lights to let you know how much power is left, and when to re-charge. It’s also great for Bluetooth headphones, keyboards, speakers, etc., and it’s lightweight. The only thing I’d like to see improved is making the Apple connector cord longer.

Double the times listed above by getting the myCharge Portable Power Bank 6000, which can nearly fully charge an iPad, and also top off e-readers.

Great Ways to Protect Your Tech Gear

The CEA Line Shows in NY had many vendors with great tech items. There were actually three items that captured my attention that were created for protecting gear. Full disclosure – two items I received at no charge, but this never effects reviews.

I absolutely love LOKSAK reusable bags. I stopped by their booth to check out what I read about them, and was offered samples in three sizes. They are bags made from a patented Polyethylene that are leakproof and airtight. They hermetically seal when closed in the same fashion of a plastic zipper bag, and provide 100% protection from water, humidity, sand, and snow. Tech gear can be safeguarded from all-weather.

What I love most, is you can use a touchscreen device while it’s sealed in the bag. This is great for using e-readers on the beach. A tablet or mobile phone can be placed in one of these LOKSAK bags, and actually be taken snorkeling to capture video or still photos! I placed an old cell phone in one of the bags and soaked it for 30 minutes, and the seal kept the device dry as promised.

There’s also the OPSAK that does the same as the LOKSAK, but doesn’t allow odors to permeate. This is perfect for camping to keep away bears and other animals, smelly diapers, or anything with an odor that you want to keep others from smelling.

Powerbags are briefcases, messenger bags, and briefcases that hold all of your tech gear in separate compartments, PLUS they each have a portable rechargeable battery with various connectors in a separate section. Laptops, tablets, e-readers, cell phones, and MP3 players all have dedicated spots to keep them protected during transport, and they can charge up on the way. Theoretically, a standard bag and separate battery pack could be used, but I find these bags more practical since they have nice compartments to keep tech gear in place. Additionally, the FlyFlat design allows them to lay flat with your laptop inside for convenient airport security screening.

I received a Kaboo Bag in the mail. I chose The Tina. Each bag has a Kaboo Tech Pouch inside to cradle a tablet or e-reader. My iPad fit perfectly inside. My netbook fit in the main compartment with plenty of space for other items. There are also three pockets for my mobile phone, iPod Touch, and a compact camera, plus two slots on one of those pockets for parking tokens or coins. Next to those pockets are two sections for pens or tablet styli. There’s also a zippered section. The interior has a bright herringbone pattern, making it easy to find smaller items inside, and giving it a bit of panache. This bag is fantastic to carry lots of gear. I can even place my Canon 7D DSLR camera in it. My only gripe is the exterior is made of Polyurethane. I wish they would’ve used fabric or leather instead.

Holiday Wish List 2009

The holiday season is upon us, and you might have already started compiling your wish list. I have one ready to go. Actually, it’s quite extensive, but in order not to look too materialistic, I have shortened it to 10 items. It’s just a list, which means I won’t get everything from it, and I might not get anything. Someone told me it reminds her of Oprah’s Favorite Things list, so let’s pretend I’m on Oprah’s show, and she’s giving away gifts. Knowing what type of goodies she gives away, this is what I would hope would be on the list:

1. 3-D DLP liquid crystal shutter glasses (4) with IR emitter & software. We are about to order a 3-D ready HDTV for my husband for his birthday. In order to watch movies in 3-D, you need wear these shutter glasses, and play back the DVD on a PC running the software included with them. The glasses are synced up to the monitor via the emitter, so when a left eye view is presented, the left eye can see the image, while the right eye can’t. The result is an amazing 3-D experience, as seen in the theaters.

2. LG BD390 Blu-Ray disc player has an integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi, and streams Netflix, YouTube, and CinemaNow. It also plays music, videos, and pictures off a connected USB drive or streaming video from your networked connected PC. The player has audio outputs for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio for playback on almost any HDMI-capable AV receiver. It also has decoding for  legacy DTS formats, i.e. DTS 96/24, ES, ES Matrix, and Neo:6. This is LG’s flagship Blu-Ray disc player, jam packed with features, blazing fast load times, and outstanding video quality. A must!

3. Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Squadra Lady Duetto in 18K pink gold with a total of 73 diamonds (front and back bezels, plus stem). The front dial shows the date and a day/night dial. The reverse shows a stunning face contrasting in black with white numerals. The Reverso is an Art-Deco classic that was created for British officers stationed in India to use in polo matches. The swivel system allowed the face to be reversed to a solid metal finish. The Duetto adds another face to the reverse side, giving you two faces per watch. Jaeger-LeCoultre are one of the few manufacturers that continue to make movements for themselves, as well as for others, including Patek Phillipe, Cartier, and Audemars Piguet.

4. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue for Women. I know it’s been around for years, but I still love it.

5. Canon EOS 7D. Their latest camera sets a new standard! It has 18MP, dual DIGIC 4 image processors, up to ISO 12800 and speeds of up to 8 fps. It also captures full HD video at 30p, 24p and 25p with an array of manual controls that would make filmmakers drool. This is an awesome camera, just waiting for me to use it. Come to mama!

6. EF 24-70/2.8L lens would compliment my current glass, in between my 11-16/2.8 mm & 17-40/4L mm wide angle lenses and my 70-200/2.8L mm telephoto, and will work well with my new 7D (hint, hint). This would make a perfect walk around lens, which is great in low lighting.

7. Dooney & Burke Commemorative All-Weather Leather Satchel – It’s nothing fancy, but I just love a classic look for an everyday bag. Plain and simple works well for me.

8. Frescobaldi Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil – A good bottle of olive oil is like a bottle of fine wine for me! I prefer Tuscan oils, and I’m not tied down to one brand, but it has to be excellent!

9. All Clad 4-Square Waffle Maker – The manufacturer says it all. This is a high quality machine built to make crisp Belgian waffles. This would make my ultimate batter, which I MIGHT share with you one day, transform into the best waffles ever! It has great features like an overflow trough to avoid countertop spillage, and a steam release system to insure crispiness on the outside while the inside remains soft.

10. An 18K rose gold chain link bracelet. It doesn’t matter if it’s from Cartier, Pomellato, Tiffany, Wempe…surprise me!

So Oprah, or anyone else who is extremely generous, if you’re reading this and feel compelled to send me an item from this list, leave a comment and I will contact you! Everyone else, list the top 5 items from your list in the comment box. I’d love to see what you’re interested in this year.