Tag Archives: iPod

Review: Powerbag by ful is a device-charging backpack that looks too good for a geek

Over the past month, I’ve been carrying around a Powerbag backpack from ful. The idea is pretty straight-forward. They put a 3000 mA battery inside a backpack complete with adapters for just about any device you’d ever want to charge. On heavy usage days, I have a mobile charge with me at all times. Instead of taking out all of my devices when I get home, I just plug in the bag.

Read on for the full review…

Sure you could just buy a $42 5000mA USB Battery and pop it in your regular backpack and you’d get some of the same functionality (guilty!) as the Powerbag. But in this Powerbag, it is all integrated. Nothing to lose and everything is organized.

The battery sits in the front pocket and can be removed and charged externally, though I’m not sure why you’d want to (it is light enough not to notice when carrying around). Then, adapters run into a side pocket where you can fit small stuff like an iPhone or camera. In the main compartment, there is a 2.1A USB port for quick charging tablets or bigger devices like an iPad or Kindle.

“Powerbag sources the highest quality cells and parts for the batteries,” a ful spokesman told us “Our batteries are all rigorously and thoroughly tested, enduring the most abusive of treatment, still upholding Powerbag’s high standard of safety.”

The backpack comes with a 3000 mAh battery, with additional batteries (6000 mAh, 9000 mAh) available for purchase separately. I found the standard battery was able to charge up an iPhone 4 about twice or adds 5 hours of use to an iPad (about half a charge). It also has a powerful 2.1A internal USB adapter for quick charging the iPad vs. the slow charge you get from most USB batteries. What’s probably the best part of this bag is that you can just leave your devices (up to 4) in your bag when you get home and just plug in the bag. That saves some hassles.

Click to view slideshow.

Also, it can charge up to 4 devices at a time. So, you can charge an iPhone and an iPad at the same time and still have two ports for a camera, bluetooth headphones, an iPod, a Bluetooth keyboard or anything else that can charge via USB.

It isn’t just a power plant, either. The Powerbag is also a well built, incredibly well designed backpack with lots of internal pockets (more external would have been helpful) which rides on your back very comfortably. The bottom is ruggedized, there is a front external pocket on the strap and there is lots of cargo space to go around. The material is strong, the sticking is industrial and the zippers are high quality.

This thing is great all around but there are some things that could be added/improved upon. Here’are some suggestions for v 2.0:

Solar! Obviously you aren’t going to fill up a 3000mA battery in a day but it would be nice while camping (or in a pinch) to have an extra source of energy. Bonus for a crank charger.
It doesn’t exist yet, but a version that could charge a MacBook Air would be awesome. The 9000mA battery could certainly help – otherwise check out hypershop.
The system isn’t as user friendly as I’d like. It would be nice to get auto-charging without having to hold down the button for 2 seconds on the front. There have been a few times that I forgot to push the button and my devices lost charge. It hasn’t happened yet but I could see the button being pushed by mistake and draining the battery as well/
Car/Plane lighter type adapter would be nice in the base package.

But these are just wishes. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with this bag which retails for $129. For the deluxe model which includes more pockets and a 6000mA battery, you are talking $169.

They also come in a variety of shapes and styles including $129 messenger bag, suitcase, and more.

Ful has provided us with a 15% off discount code POWERBAG95 good on their site: http://www.mypowerbag.com/

Review: A laptop bag that can charge gadgets (cnn.com)
Powerbag Backpack Review (gadgetreview.com)
Gear Bag Review: PowerBag Messenger (geardiary.com)
PowerBags to the Rescue (geardiary.com)
Win a PowerBag Backpack from GadgetReview (contest) (gadgetreview.com)

iTunes Match Won’t Be Very Profitable For Apple But That’s Okay [Analyst]

Leave a reply

When it comes to Apple’s iTunes Match, profit motive goes out the window — indeed it’s “immaterial.” Although Apple is most known for iTunes and the App Store, the Cupertino, Calif. company remains a hardware company — and very profitable at that. The real value of the iTunes Match service is as the latest member of Apple’s vast iTunes ecosystem, acting as a honeytrap for hardware purchases.

Much of the $25 annual fee for iTunes Match is likely eaten up by music royalties and storage fees, believes Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Munster expects the service will earn $33.8 million annually if one percent of U.S. users sign up for iTunes Match. The figure could reach $169 million per year, if 5 percent of U.S. fans pay the $25 annual fee.

This isn’t the first time Apple dismissed profit for larger sales. Despite the iTunes Store and App Store costing the Cupertino, Calif. company an estimated $1.3 billion a year, Apple continues the services which is admits are break-even, at best. It’s obvious why there’s such little concern: the music downloaded from iTunes and the apps downloaded from the App Store have to be stored somewhere, and Apple would prefer it be an iPod, an iPad or a Mac.

But iTunes Match could kill the goose that lays Apple’s golden eggs, Munster fears. The iTunes Match service , which works by providing access to music not bought at the iTunes store, may reduce the need for consumers to purchase very profitable high-storage devices. Just 19 percent of early iPhone users bought the 64GB iPhone 4S versus 32 percent who chose the 32GB version.

There is some solace in the fact that the survey was of early adopters. The analyst said cloud-based storage appears not to be hampering hardware purchases.

“We still see benefits of higher capacity devices given the speed and convenience of local content, and limited access to the internet for some users (air travelers, for instance),” Munster writes.

In other words, Apple should push the iCloud, but not too hard.

Similar Posts:

MacMall opening up more retail stores in Huntington Beach on Saturday and Chicago in February

Leave a reply

Conventional wisdom once was that as Apple expanded its retail footprint, Apple resellers would fall by the wayside. And that has happened to a certain extent, plus stores like CompUSA and Circuit City have folded.

Fortunately, other retailers have been able to succeed alongside Apple by offering differentiated services.

One of our favorite Apple resellers, MacMall, is expanding their retail stores to Huntington Beach, California this Saturday and Chicago, Illinois in the coming months. Currently, the retailer has a booming online store coupled with two retail stores in Santa Monica and Torrance that are also seeing success, the company said in a press release sent out today. The Huntington Beach store opens this Saturday, December 10th with some pretty killer deals (seen after the break). MacMall’s Chicago store, located 321 West Grand Avenue, will be seeing a later January/February opening.

We hear that MacMall is even shopping for some space in Manhattan, alongside one of our other favorite resellers, Tekserve.

MacMall, naturally can offer more to customers than Apple Stores with their unscheduled technical support, broader range of accessories (even a few PCs and Android tablets), and most importantly “online prices in a retail store”. We often tip you guys on MacMall’s awesome deals, so we’re certainly familiar with some of the deals they carry. As you can see below, they offer so many more accessories than an Apple Store (iPhone Alarm Clocks, standalone GPS, Photoframes, Cameras, etc, etc).

MacMall says Apple has encouraged them to keep expanding to more stores and with over $100 million in Apple product sales this year, that isn’t hard to believe.

At the Huntington Beach store’s grand-opening on Saturday, the first 300 people to visit the store will be entered to win free Apple TVs, MacBook Airs, iPod touchs, and iPod Nanos. Early shoppers will have a 1 in 22 chance of taking home some free holiday gifts.

Press release and circular follow:

MacMall Announces Grand Opening of New Retail Store In Huntington Beach

Grand Opening features $3,500 giveaway including MacBook Air, iPod Touch and more

El Segundo, Calif., Dec. 6, 2011 —MacMall, a leading authorized reseller of Apple products and a brand of a PC Mall, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ: MALL), today announced that the grand opening event for its new retail store located at 16929 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, Calif. will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011. The event will feature a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting with local Chamber of Commerce officials, including outgoing Huntington Beach mayor Joe Carchio, incoming Huntington Beach mayor Don Hansen, and council member Connie Boardman. The first 300 people to visit the store will be entered into a drawing to win one of several hot technology products valued at over $3,500 in total, including a MacBook Air, three iPod touch players, five iPod nanos, and five Apple TVs. The store will open at 9 a.m. and the MacBook Air drawing will be held at 10 a.m., immediately after the ribbon cutting. Throughout the day there will be additional drawings for iPad and Mac accessories, product demos, and special discounts. The first 100 people who purchase will also receive a free gift bag.

The new store will be MacMall’s third in the Southern California market, and follows the successful launch of a new flagship store in Torrance in February 2010. The company also has a store in Santa Monica and plans to open a store in Chicago in early 2012. Each MacMall store offers a deep selection of Mac- and PC-based products, high end consumer electronics including the Apple iPad and iPod, in-house technical experts that provide Apple Authorized Service, free seminars, and on-site repair service.

“We are delighted to officially welcome customers to our new Huntington Beach location, in time for them to take advantage of our expertise and great deals this holiday season” said Dan DeVries, president of MacMall. “We are pleased to expand our presence in Southern California. Our new location will help us to better meet consumers’ demands for leading edge technology and consumer electronics products and on-site repair services.”

MacMall has operated an online Apple Superstore since 1995 at www.macmall.com.

About Mac Mall:

MacMall, a brand of a PC Mall, Inc. subsidiary, is a leading direct marketing reseller of Apple computers. MacMall works closely with Apple and hundreds of other manufacturers to bring customers low prices on a large selection of Apple computers, Mac software, Mac accessories, iPods, iPod accessories, iPhone accessories, consumer electronics and more. MacMall offers 24/7 pre and post sales telephone support and can take orders up until 10 pm Eastern time for delivery the next day. In addition, MacMall offers custom configurations, including the installation of Microsoft Windows on Apple computers, free iPod

engraving and cash back rebates on Apple computers. MacMall offers products and services through www.macmall.com, through 1-800-MACMALL and via retail stores located in Torrance, Santa Monica, and Huntington Beach, California.

About PC Mall, Inc.:

PC Mall, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is a leading value added direct marketer of technology products, services and solutions to small and medium sized businesses, mid-market and enterprise customers, government and educational institutions and individual consumers. PC Mall brands include: PC Mall, PC Mall Gov, Sarcom, MacMall, Abreon, NSPI, eCost and OnSale. In the twelve months ended September 30, 2011, we generated approximately $1.5 billion in revenue and now have over 3,000 employees, over 64% of which are in sales or service positions. For more information please visit pcmall.com/investor or call (310) 354-5600.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, hopes or intentions regarding the future; including, but not limited to expectations or statements relating to expanded business models and opportunities and benefits of our investments in these business models and markets, or expectations or goals for sales growth of operating leverage, including without limitations related to our retail stores. Forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in any such statement. Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Item 1A, Part II of our Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2011, on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in our other reports filed from time to time with the SEC. All forward-looking statements in this document are made as of the date hereof, based on information available to us as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contact: Tila Pacheco Tila PR 714.256.8452 (office) 714.742.2698 (cell) tila@tilapr.com

Behringer iNuke 8-foot iPhone dock levels the earth with 10,000 Watts of power

Leave a reply

That iPhone dock up above is no joke (notice the scale of the iPhone in it). It was built as a one-off for CES 2012 by Behringer, the award-winning innovator of affordable professional audio and music equipment. Known appropriately as iNuke, this $30,000 8ftx4ft, 700 pound dock pumps out a handy 10,000 Watts of power. All in a package the size of a refrigerator. How about a giveaway, Behringer?

We’ll be on hand at CES this year to check it out. PR below:

iNuke Boom and all EUROSOUND products will be unveiled at CES 2012 –
Central Hall, Booth 15348

Bothell, WA – December 7, 2011 – BEHRINGER, award-winning innovator of affordable professional audio and music equipment, is excited to announce the launch of the EUROSOUND consumer electronics brand — concert quality sound at an amazing value. To celebrate the launch of 50 new consumer audio products, BEHRINGER will unveil the iNuke Boom, the loudest iPad®, iPod® and iPhone® dock you’ve ever heard at CES 2012. The $29,999.99 (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) monster speaker system measures a whopping 8 feet wide by 4 feet tall, weighs over 700 pounds and pumps out over 10,000 Watts of power.

The EUROSOUND line fully embraces a modern, European design while remaining true to BEHRINGER’s roots in professional audio engineering. Four distinct product lines will be marketed under the EUROSOUND name. The Home line brings a professional, live concert sound from the stage into the comfort of your home. EUROSOUND Live products amplify your sound. EUROSOUND Portable products deliver a mobile audio experience anytime, anywhere, while the Creation line proves you don’t have to be a professional musician to make great music.

The underlying quality in all EUROSOUND products is a commitment to delivering high performance audio at an incredible value, something BEHRINGER has been providing to musicians and audio professionals since the company’s inception more than twenty years ago. The BEHRINGER mantra “Double the Features at Half the Price” will also translate to the EUROSOUND products.

“When I started BEHRINGER 22 years ago my goal was to provide musicians with high quality equipment at an affordable price,” said Uli Behringer, founder and CEO of Music Group LLC. “With the launch of EUROSOUND we are challenging ourselves to share the incredible sound and quality we have worked to so hard to craft over the last two decades with all music and audio enthusiasts.”

Kickstarter finds: iPod shuffle headgear and hiding Bluetooth speakers

Leave a reply

I remember when finding projects on Kickstarter related to Apple products were relatively hard to find — especially good ones. Those days are over, and we’ve got another crop of interesting, cleverly designed and above all potentially useful Kickstarter projects to prove it.

Your music, packaged as simply as possible

The ODDIO1 is a smart-looking set of headphones that can caddy your iPod shuffle, making it possible to have your music with you in a simple, svelte package. It doesn’t hurt that these have a bold, colorful (or not, if you opt for the black version) design, too.

The headphone cord is only exactly as long as it needs to be, and plugs into the shuffle once it’s in its cradle on the right earphone (you just slide the iPod in). Buttons on your device remain accessible thanks to a cut-out for the circular control panel, and the headband is made of plastic while the inside is lined with silicone for comfort. ODDIO1′s creators, Jeremy Saxton and Jacob Hall, tout it as the perfect package for those with active lifestyles who don’t want to be encumbered by cables or devices out-of-reach in pockets when snowboarding, using the gym or running, for instance.

ODDIO1 is available for backers beginning at the $35 pledge level, which comes with a choice between three color combos. For $200, you get the special Cupertino color scheme, and an iPod shuffle in a color you pick to boot. ODDIO1 is just getting underway, but it’s making decent progress toward its funding goal of $45,000.

A speaker in disguise

Portable speakers tend to be noticeable things. They can be good-looking or garish, but you’re not likely to miss one in a room. The Hidden Radio & Bluetooth Speaker is comparatively innocuous. It has a twist-and-lift design that lets you control how much volume you hear, and its creators advertise “room filling sound” from your Bluetooth-compatible device. Plus, boasting 30 or more hours of battery life, it won’t quit when you need it most.

The tiny, clean design and alternative connection options (it does have a 3.5 mm stereo jack, too) and more than 80dB of output make this an amazingly appealing device, for sound from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch wherever you happen to need it. Plus, at $119 for a pre-order of one metallic silver unit, or $229 for a pre-order of two in either silver or black, it’s a deal compared to a lot of currently available comparable tech. The Hidden Radio is also already funded; it currently has $229,717 in funding, far above its goal of $125,000, with 42 days remaining.

Got an exciting Kickstarter project? Send it to us for consideration in our regular roundup of promising accessories.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

Check Out This Gorgeous Radial Infographic “10 Years Of iPod”, Then Hang It On Your Office Wall

Leave a reply

Did you love that gorgeous “Here’s To The Crazy Ones” letter press poster we showed you earlier today, only to balk at the $200 asking price?

Here’s a poster that might float your boat, especially if you’re an App Developer: this beautiful radial infographic shows off the last ten years of the iPod and iTunes. And if you’re willing to print it yourself, it could cost you as little as $99!

Here’s the official description:

Experience the amazing story of how Apple created the iPod, iTunes, and other related products. Ten years of iPod and iTunes history in a magnificent looking radial chart, down to the last detail: Take a closer look at the major turning points in history and product releases. The iPod plus iTunes Timeline« is plotting all important events, sales records, and press announcements, and is the most comprehensive mapping of of the world’s most popular music player ever.

If you don’t feel like printing it out yourself, you can preorder one of a 100 print limited edition which will be signed, numbered and shipped at the end of January.

Lovely.

[via iClarified]

Similar Posts:

Apple TV Will Cost Twice as Much as Comparable TV Sets [Rumor]

Leave a reply

The latest iTV rumor is hitting the web today as Gene Munster told the crowd at IGNITION: Future of Media that the new Apple Television Set has been in the works for sometime now but should be released next year.

Munster is so certain that the new device is coming that he told everyone to wait before buying a new TV because Apple’s is going to be awesome.

Unlike the current Apple TV, Munster believes the new device will be a full fledged TV set that has Apple’s software integrated into the experience. It was also claimed that the new TV set will come in a number of different sizes. Most Apple products come in only a few different sizes to accommodate the difference between consumers and professionals, so it will be interesting to see how many different sizes Apple produces.

The startling claim made by Gene Munster is that the new TVs will likely be priced twice as much as comparable tv sets. For example, a 40inch TV may currently sell for an average of $700 but a 40inch Apple TV will cost as much as $1400. It’s hard to judge whether this claim will hold true, but Apple has a history of being able to charge a premium for their products by providing higher value than competing products by focusing on functionality, design and ease of use. The Apple TV will likely follow this same type of model.

Rather than controlling the television with multiple remotes, the entire experience will be controlled via an iOS app on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Siri integration is also a strong possibility that many believe will revolutionize the TV experience.

Munster doesn’t believe the Apple TV will completely replace the need for a cable subscription and cable box, but with the full integration of apps like Netflix, Crackle, Hulu, and the iTunes video library, we think that Apple’s TV will definitely threaten cable’s business model.

The Apple TV will be launched in time for the holidays next year if Munster is to be believed.

[Business Insider via 9to5Mac]

Similar Posts:

iPod: What A Difference A Decade Makes [Image Cache]

Leave a reply

Sometimes an image just speaks for itself.

[via Flickr]

Similar Posts:

Apple Black Friday Price Guide – Get the lowest prices, updated live

Leave a reply

It’s Black Friday and we’ve got the best deals from around the web on Apple products and accessories. Although most of the Apple Store prices (which we stumbled upon a few days ago) are moderate discounts, some are actually the lowest we could find, especially in iPads and accessories. We’re updating all day long so come back early and often…and don’t forget to check 9to5toys.com.


s:	Model	Retail	Apple BF	MacMall	Amazon	BestBuy	Misc.
MB Airs	11″ Air 2GB/64GBcBook Air	$999	$898	$938.99	$954	$849.99
	11″ Air 1.6GHz 128GBok Air	$1,199	$1,098	$1,139.99	$1,098	$1139.99
	13″ Air 1.7GHz 128GBok Air	$1,299	$1,198	$1,197.99	$1,230	$1230.00
	13″ Air 1.7GHz 256GBok Air	$1,599	$1,498	$1,497.99	$1,550	$1550
MB Pros	13″ 2.4GHz MB Pro	$1,199	$1,098	$1,097.99	$1,054.09	$1050	2.3GHz $999
	13″ 2.8GHz MB Pro	$1,499	$1,398	$1,397.99	$1424.99	$1429.99
	15″ 2.2GHz MB Pro	$1,799	$1,698	$1,697.99	$1709.99	$1709.99
	15″ 2.4Ghz MB Pro	$2,199	$2,098	$2,058.99	$2059.99	$2059.99
	17″ 2.4GHz MB Pro	$2,499	$2,398	$2,348.94	$2299.99 $2299
Desktops:
	2.3GHz Mac Mini	$599	$599	$564.99	$594	$568.95
	2.5GHz Mac Mini	$799	$799	$759.99	$769	$769
	2.0GHz Mac Mini Server	$999	$999	$959.99	$972
	21″ 2.5GHz iMac	$1,199	$1,098	$1,097.99	$1156 $1049
	21″ 2.7GHz iMac	$1,499	$1,398	$1,397.99	$1398	$1419
	27″ 2.7GHz iMac	$1,699	$1,598	$1,597.99	$1598	$1607
	27″ 3.1GHz iMac	$1,999	$1,898	$1,894.95	$1895	$1895
iPods
	8GB iPod Touch	$199	$178	$189.98	$190	$145*	$184 MC
	32GB iPod Touch	$299	$268	$274.95	$275	$275	$260 MC
	64GB iPod Touch	$399	$358	$364.95	$364	$365	+$40GC
	Nano 8GB	$129	$118	$121.99	$122	$125
	Nano 16GB	$149	$138	$139.99	$141	$145
	Classic	$249	$249	$228.00	$229	$245
iPads
	16GB Wifi	$499	$458			$454.99	$75 GC
	32GB Wifi	$599	$548			$544.99
	64GB Wifi	$699	$638			$654.99
	SmartCover Poly	$39	$28			$39
	Smartcover Leather	$69	$58			$69
Misc:	Apple Digital AV adapter	$39	$39		$29
	Apple Thunderbolt Display	$999	$999		$959		$929 MC
	Apple TV	$99	$99	$94.99	$89.99	$89.99	$89.9 MC
	iTunes Gift Cards ($100)	$100	$90		varies	$80
	Wireless Keyboard	$69	$58		$69
	Magic Mouse	$69	$58		$69
	Magic Trackpad	$69	$58		$69

Apple Store Refurbished items come with Apple’s one year warranty and are as good as new. AT&T has 64GB iPad 3G for $479. DailySteals has a 16GB iPad for $280 (refurb). iPhone4 16GB Refurb is $49 with activation, Frys has $25 off of current iPhones

Software:

Microsoft Office for Mac is $70 at Amazon or $100 for the Family Pack
Parallels is $35 PLUS you get $40 off Windows when you buy Parallels, VMWare Fusion is $28
Adobe Photoshop Elements $48 at Amazon, Premiere Elements: $50, Lightroom Student Teacher :$89 Full Version $100 CS5: $289
Quickbooks 2012 is $125
Toast 11 Pro $80