Cool products and accessories for your Smartphone - Android, iPhone, Blackberry

Now that we all have Smartphones on our hips, in our pockets or purses, there are a number of annoying issues that continue to rear their ugly heads, the most prominent being your battery going dead before you're done with your day.

Sure, there are ways to calibrate your battery for a longer life, and other methods such as turning off your 4G service to preserve power or downloading an app that allegedly doubles your battery life. And of course you can always try to carry a spare battery. But you had better have remembered to put the spare battery on the charger or you may be replacing an almost dead battery with a fully dead one.

Another issue that drives me nuts is, when in my car and needing to use GPS, I have to throw my phone on the seat and pick it up whenever I need to see what's going on, because all of the in-car mounting products suck the big one.

So, are there options? Yeah, and here are four that I like a lot.

1) Kensington Pocket Battery for SmartPhones - Black - This is essentially a small battery that you carry in your pocket, briefcase or purse which can be used to charge up your phone. It comes with connections to iOS, Android and Blackberry. This product is pretty highly reviewed, receiving an average of 4 stars on Amazon. Sure, you have to remember to keep the charging charger charged, but it's less of a hassle than charging a spare battery, removing the back, changing the battery, then swapping it out again later when you take out the second battery to put that on the charger. Whew! I'm tired. Just buy the damn thing. :)

2) Powerbag Business Class Laptop Backpack with Battery for Charging Smartphones, Tablets and eReaders (RFAP-0013P) - This is just too cool. Since you probably carry around a lot of stuff in a briefcase or backpack anyway, why not get the Business Class Laptop Backpack which is all set up to charge your Android, iPhone or Blackberry device, as well as your tablet, iPad or eReader. Look at the features on this outstanding product:

• Built-in charging system and removable 6000mAh battery to charge your favorite USB power devices
  
• Built-in Apple, Micro-USB, Mini-USB connectors and a USB port
  
• External one-touch battery level indication
  
• Included wall adapter charges Powerbag and any connected devices inside easily via the external waterproof charging port
  
• Quick-access charging pockets
  
• Checkpoint Friendly "FlyFlat" function for frequent flyers
  
• Padded compartment for up to 15-Inch laptop
  
• Protective tablet pocket   

That's a lot of features for a bag that hardly costs any more that backpacks without these features.

3) Gosmart Clip - Universal iPhone/Smartphone Holder - The Most Convenient, Compact and Versatile Holder/Mount/Clip (1 Black Clip) - Okay, considering that I have purchased universal holders in the past only to be disappointed and returning them, this is the bestest of the bestest when it comes to Universal Smartphone Holders. Are you tired of the crappy suction cup holders? Then this is the product for you. It gets an average of four stars, with the only repeated negative comment being that, for some phones, it covers up the charging port while it's attached to your steering wheel. I have had that problem, and it is a deal breaker, but fortunately for me, my Androide phone doesn't have this issue with the Gosmart universal smartphone universal holder. So, I got me one. And I love it. Makes GPSing much more convenient.


4) GOgroove FlexSMART X2 ADVANCED Wireless In-Car Bluetooth FM Transmitter with Charging, Music Control and Hands-Free Calling for ANDROID, iPhone, Blackberry and Windows Smartphones - Okay, you wanna talk about an incredibly incredible accessory for your Smartphone (Android device, iPhone iOS device or Blackberry device) this is it!

Just look at these features:

FREE 3 YEAR WARRANTY, SERVICE AND SUPPORT!!! Quality Guaranteed by Accessory Power

Equipped with On-Board Volume, Play Settings and Phone Controls. The compact design and flexible neck ensure a good fit in nearly any vehicle!

ENHANCED VOICE DETECTION Microphone makes hands-free calls easy while driving. Just sync your phone and plug-in, and you are ready to talk!

AUTO-TUNE feature makes finding the clearest FM Station simple! Just press down the control knob and the best station is automatically found for you! Then just match your car stereo station and your good to go.

Superior design combines important features in just one unit. Play music, make hands-free calls and charge your device. No need for factory installed bluetooth to get benefits of bluetooth high quality sound. Equipped with the MOST ADVANCED BLUETOOTH FM TRANSMITTER available today!

This product has had over 1,300 reviews on Amazon and still comes in at almost a five star. Not that's a good product.

Since you've invested so much in your Smartphone (time, money, brain power), you owe it to yourself to pick up one, or all, of these cool accessories for your Android, iOS or Blackberry device. You deserve more cool toys.




           

Lapse It - App review of time lapse Smartphone app for iOS and Android



I wish I could find the time to check out all of the app review requests that are sent to me. I sometimes get ten or more in a week, and I'm sure I've missed out on some really cool apps (although I do plan to go back and check them all out at some point). I know they don't send me their apps because they think I know what the hell I'm talking about, but rather because they're just looking for any little bit of promotion they can muster from schmoes like me, and readers like you.

However, once in a while an app review request grabs my attention and I find myself downloading and using the app. One such app which recently appeared in my email box was Lapse It. Lapse It is another camera app, but not just any camera app. This camera takes time lapse photography which, if nothing else is very cool.

There is a free and pro version (selling for just $1.99) and it's available for both iPhone and Android devices.


Video of downtown Detroit, made with the Android app Lapse It. This video was created setting the time lapse shots to six seconds and rendered at 30 frames per second. Time lapse photography. Android app reviews.


The basics are very simple. You set how frequently you want the camera to take a shot, and it creates a video which you can render in a variety of formats (MP4, MOV, FLV). In the pro version you can make videos up to 1920x1080. The free version has a lower resolution, but is still pretty impressive.

So, what might you want to record using time-lapse photography? The most common subjects are things like sunrises, sunsets and flowers blooming. But, if you take a look at the online Lapse It gallery of videos uploaded by users, you'll see a vast array of things like traffic on the road, downtown city activity, cloud movement, stars, and the list goes on.

Now, if you want to make time-lapse videos of scenes like sunrises, sunsets and flowers blooming, you'll want to make sure that your camera remains steady. Plus, who wants to sit and hold a camera for however long it takes for the sun to go down or the flower to open? So, you need a tri-pod.

As I'm sure you're aware, there isn't a hole on the bottom of your iPhone or Android device to screw into a standard tri-pod stand. Not to worry. You can purchase an iStabilizer Smartphone Mount for less than 15 bucks. Basically, it's a clamp to which you can attach your phone, and then screw into your tripod. I already ordered mine, and it should arrive this week.

This is a very cool concept in camera apps. And I have some very interesting ideas (and a couple of perverted ones), that I plan to experiment with.

Stay tuned.