Category Archives: Accessory

Mencom’s AUX-Bluetooth Receiver Looks Like a Lipstick

Accessory

Mencom was founded in 2006. They are a professional manufacturer focusing on Bluetooth products including Bluetooth speakers, receivers and transmitters, headsets, and accessories.

Mencom has a Lipstick AUX-Bluetooth receiver. It looks like a closed lipstick, and it comes in three colors. (The receiver does not work as an actual lipstick.) There is a MFB Button on the side of the Lipstick AUX-Bluetooth receiver. The charging port is behind the cover.

Use the Lipstick Receiver:

  • As a Bluetooth output in your car
  • To convert a wired earphone to Bluetooth
  • To convert a wired headphone to Bluetooth
  • To convert a wired speaker to Bluetooth

    • Key specifications:

    • Product size: 12x50mm
    • Materials:PC +aluminum
    • Bluetooth 4.1 which have Wi-Fi sound quality
    • Aluminum housing
    • Up to 15 meters effective range
    • Connect to two cell phones at a time
    • High sensitivity Mic for handsfree calling
    • Noise cancellation integrated
    • Low power consumption which ensure it can last up to 5 hours
    • Convert car to Bluetooth instantly

    Todoist is Doing an AirPods Giveaway

    Accessory

    Todoist wants you to get the most out of Todoist for iOS 11 with a new pair of AirPods. They point out that the headphone jack not likely to return to iPhones anytime soon. Todoist is giving away a new pair of AirPods so you can enjoy all of the wireless productivity with Todoist and Siri.

    To enter the Todoist contest, you need to do three things:

    1. Tweet the one task you’d like Siri to complete for you to make your life easier.

    2. Attach an image that best reflects your task to your tweet.

    3. Use the hastag #TodoistHandsFree

    Doing that, and you will automatically be entered to win one of three pairs of Apple AirPods. This contest closes on Tuesday, October 3, 2017. Three different winners will be randomly chosen out of all proper entries and will be announced on Twitter within five business days of the contest closing.

    For the purpose of the contest, you can tweet a task that you want Siri to complete for you that would be entirely impossible for Siri to actually do. The example given by Todoist is “Hey Siri… organize my closet.”

    My best guess is that the purpose of this contest is to make people aware that you can use your AirPods to quickly ask Siri to add something to Todoist for you. The blog post about it says “Just double tap either AirPod, ask Siri to add a task to your Todoist, and continue on your merry way.”

    Wireless Charging

    Accessory, audio, automotive, charging, wireless, , , , , , ,

    I‘ve always been a bit on the fence when it comes to wireless charging. The wireless charger itself still needs to be plugged in with a wire.

    Back in October I ended up buying a Samsung wireless charger when I upgraded phones. I ended up using it a bit, but generally found that it was more desirable to physically plug my phone in at home in order to take advantage of the super fast wired Samsung charging. The wireless charging process was not as fast and therefore not as convenient when needing to give the phone a quick 10 or 15 minute juice-up.

    So, the wireless charger mostly sat unused.

    Recently I bought a new car, a 2017 Toyota Yaris iA. The new car has a space in front of the gear shift in the mid center stack perfect for a large phone that includes USB and a 12-volt power socket. I found myself wondering if I plugged the Samsung wireless charger into a 2.1 amp-12 volt power source, would the wireless charger work properly or not.

    I experimented and found that the wireless charger works perfectly well with a 2.1 amp 12-volt power source. The next steps were easy. I used a quantity of the rubber grip mat stuff to make the forward slanted phone area flat, and plugged in the Samsung wireless charger. Since the 12-volt socket only has power when the car’s ignition is turned on, I can simply leave the 12-volt charger plugged in all the time just as if it were in my house connected to an AC power source without fear of it running down the car’s battery.

    When I get in the car, I simply lay the phone on the Samsung wireless charger and as soon as the ignition comes on while I’m driving the phone is charging without me having to futz around with plugging wires in. Also, the phone connects to the car’s audio system via stereo Bluetooth, making for a 100% seamless experience.

    My conclusion is that wireless charging is most useful in an automotive environment, provided that there’s a flat, convenient area for the wireless charger to rest and the power socket is tied to the car’s ignition.

    Avido WiBa is a Contactless Power Charger at CES

    Accessory, ces, , ,

    Avido has created something that many people have been wanting.  The Avido WiBa is a contactless power charger that you can take with you when you travel.  Todd spoke with Kevin about this amazing new charger.The Avido WiBa is a CES 2017 Innovation Award Honoree.  It is the first of its kind.

    The Avido WiBa wireless charging power bank does not require cables.  It is very simple to use.  First, put the Avido WiBa portable power bank onto the charging dock.  In just a few seconds, the power bank begins to charge wirelessly.  Put your phone on top of it, and it instantly begins to charge.  The portable power bank and the phone charge at the same time.

    The Avido WiBa is priced at $79.95.  It comes with everything you need to get started, including the power plate and the Avivo WiBa itself.

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    Flavr Festive Phone Cases

    Accessory, smartphone, ,

    flavr logoWith the departure of Hallowe’en, it’s socially acceptable to discuss Christmas in the UK, though I suspect the USA has to get past Thanksgiving before giving in to the seasonal traditions. Recent years have the seen the rising popularity of Christmas jumpers (sweaters) revelling in fun knitted patterns. Jumping on this kitsch clothing are Flavr with a range of festive phone cases, riffing on the jumper styling.

    Flavr Festive Fone Cases

    Available for iPhones and Galaxy S7s, these Christmas crackers cost GB£18 (inc postage) from Flavr’s Xmas Shop or only £9.99 from Carphone Warehouse stores.

    Flavr Festive Phone Cases

    So bad, they’re good!

     

    Topop USB C to 3x USB A and LAN Adapter Review

    Accessory, Network, review, USB, , ,

    The physical USB type A interface connector seems to have been around forever and to be fair, it’s had an impressive lifespan starting with USB 1.0 back in 1996. Since then, the communication standard has been updated several times and the connector is still very relevant with USB 3.1 which now sports transfer speeds of up to 10 Gb/s.

    USB type C is the latest connector design providing high speed data comms in a neat reversible design. So neat that a couple of manufacturers have ultraportables with a single USB C port. No USB A, no ethernet, no video. Looks great but a pain in the port if there’s a pile of cables to plug in. Accessory makers have stepped in to address the problem and here we have the Topop USB C to three USB A 3.1 ports and RJ45 Gigabit LAN adapter.

    As the unboxing video shows, the adapter arrives in plain packaging and it’s a fairly functional device: this isn’t brushed metal milled from a single block of aluminium to complement the MacBook. It’s a sturdy matte black plastic . In terms of ports, there are three USB 3.1 type A ports on the top and a Gigabit network port on the far end. A short cable terminates in a USB C plug.

    Topop USB C Adapter Topop USB C Adapter

    Having three USB A ports and a network port is very useful on these minimalist devices. Who has a USB C memory stick? And there are always wireless dead-spots. The Topop adapter gets out of these predicaments.

    However, I discovered quite quickly that the presence of a USB C socket on a device does not guarantee functionality, so check compatibility on the website and assume that the adapter only works with phones, tablets and laptops mentioned. Believe me, it doesn’t work with the OnePlus 2, 3 or Google Pixel C, but find a device that is compatible (Apple Macbook, Google Pixel Chromebook) and the adapter will work fine.

    Topop USB C Adapter Topop USB C Adapter

    Priced just under GB£20, the adapter’s in the right price bracket for the features that it offers. There’s no doubt that the Topop is a handy gadget to throw in a bag for occasional use, though if I was looking for a dock-lite on my desk, I think I would pay more for a better match to my laptop. Of course, your aesthetic requirements may differ.

    Thanks to GoldenSwing for providing the Topop USB C to USB A 3.1 and Gigabit LAN adapter.

    LampChamp Turns A Lamp into a Charging Station

    Accessory,

    lampchampÖlens Technology was founded by Ron Meritt and Paul McCloskey III. Their mission is to invent products that help people live better lives. They have created LampChamp, a simple tool that will make it much easier for people to charge their devices.

    There are a lot of people who use a smartphone and who will eventually need to charge it. Trying to keep everything charged can be difficult for families where everyone in the house is using more than one device. LampChamp can turn any lamp into a USB charging station, providing you with another place to charge smartphones and other devices.

    First, remove the bulb from whatever lamp you want to turn into a charger. Next, screw in LampChamp. The base of LampChamp can screw into any lamp. Replace the bulb by screwing it into LampChamp. You can now plug your device into LampChamp’s 2 AMP USB charging port.

    There is an on/off switch on LampChamp that controls your lamp. You can use the switch to turn on, or turn off, the lamp. Either way, LampChamp will continue to charge your device. LampChamp works with all cell phones, smartphones, tablets, and e-Readers that require a 2 AMP or less charger.

    LampChamp might be useful for people who need to do a lot of traveling. It isn’t always easy to figure out where the hotel room’s outlets are located. They might be behind furniture or in inconvenient locations.  It might be easier to use LampChamp to convert a hotel room lamp into a charging station.

    Technical Specifications:

    • Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60 Hz
    • Output: 5V DC, 2A
    • Base Interface: E27
    • LED Bulb Wattage: <60W
    • Price: $29.99 for one LampChamp (when not on sale)