Five products stand out in the tech world that would make suitable Father’s Day gifts, if you’re the type who plans in advance. They involve a simple plastic device that makes your iPad truly mobile, a way to boost the strength of your wireless signal at home or work, a pocket device that would make the most germaphobic of us smile, and a way to pop open a cold one with your iPhone.
iTab Grip
This is one of those products that seems like a gimmick at first but really does make using your iPad a lot easier when on the go. There seems a constant need for three hands to use an iPad while standing or walking about or even riding public transportation, unless you were gifted with freakishly large hands.
The question posed by itabgrip.com staff to the many tablet users who tried out the iTab_Grip: “Without an iTab_Grip, is your iPad tablet really a mobile device?” My answer would have to be, no based on the many iPad users I have observed. (Keep waiting for my editor to give me one as a token of appreciation, which is why this column is being written on a six-year old eMac.)
The curved face of the iTab_Grip fits comfortably into the palm of either the left- or right-handed user and is integrated into the back of the iTab_Grip clear polymer case, designed specifically to protect the iPad case while providing access to all peripherals and a secure connection point for the provided ring grips and stand.
The iTab_Grip comes with small, medium and large ring grips to suit all hand sizes. The ring grip is inserted in to the central rotating hub, allowing the user to rotate the tablet from portrait view to landscape view by simply pulling the edge of tablet around in either direction.
The iTab_Grip for iPad 1 is available right now and the iTab_Grip for Apple iPad 2 can be pre-ordered from the itabgrip.com web store for delivery on release in a few weeks time.
The company is based in Sydney, Australia, but it claims on its website that it will express ship the iTab_Grip anywhere in the world for $9.95. The grip retails for $49.95.
Amped Wireless
Whether you’re online at home or work, it never seems your wireless signal is strong enough or fast enough. That’s especially important in warehouse settings — and the backyard — with large spaces and a need for connectivity.
Amped Wireless has unveiled the first of its line of professional series high power wireless solutions for indoor and outdoor applications for use in boats, recreational vehicles, buildings and beyond.
The UA600EX High Power Wireless-N 600mW Professional Series USB Adapter allows PCs and Macs to connect to 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n WiFi networks from extreme distances indoors or outdoors. It features a weatherproof indoor/outdoor enclosure, a metal stand for indoor use as well as a pole and wall mounting kit for outdoor installations.
The WiFi adapter is designed for use in boats, recreational vehicles, building to building applications as well as in larger homes. A heavy duty, weatherproof, 26.5-foot dual connector USB 2.0 cable is included for connecting to a Mac or PC. Two USB connectors are used to achieve maximum performance while only one USB connection is required for operation.
Standard WiFi adapters feature a wireless output power of 50 milliwatts, while the UA600EX boasts 600 milliwatts of output power. The boosted performance is then optimally tuned with a high gain directional panel antenna for maximum range output and performance. (Typical WiFi devices do not utilize wireless amplifiers and are equipped with antennas that have zero antenna gain.)
This has the best application for businesses with warehouses attached to their main buildings or multi-building businesses that don’t want to install multiple routers and Internet connections. Heck, it would probably make a great Father’s Day gift if Dad likes to tinker in the garage but still wants an Internet connection.
The UA600EX will have a MSRP of $119.99 and an estimated street price of $99.99. The product is available from select walk-in retailers, online retailers or direct from the Amped Wireless Online Store now at http://shop.ampedwireless.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1.
The Pocket Purifier
Desktops have almost 21,000 germs per square inch and phones more than 25,000 per square inch, compared to only 49 per square inch on toilet seats (a fact you will find yourself repeating to somebody right after finishing this sentence).
At least that’s what the makers of Pocket Purifier claim.
The purifier has a built-in four-watt germicidal UV-C light bulb that deactivates the DNA of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, destroying their ability to multiply. I’m not sure how one destroys the DNA of bacteria but there must be scientists out there who can verify the claim.
According to Purely Products, the device:
• Incorporates ultraviolet light and nanotechnology to eliminate 99.9 percent of germs that cause colds, and flu, plus e-coli, salmonella, mold, fungus and MRSA staph;
• Is suitable for purifying masks, kitchen counters, sinks and utensils, bathroom surfaces, computer keyboards, remote controls, cell phones, nail clippers, shoes, clothing, bags, scissors, baby toys, pacifiers, diaper pails, cribs, strollers — most everyday items. UV light will not harm function of surfaces or items disinfected.
• Is powered by four AA batteries and the UV-C bulb is effective for 9,000 hours. That means you could disinfect non-stop, 24 hours a day, for more than a year if you so desired.
One question comes to mind, though. How do you purify the Pocket Purifier? After all, it appears to be in some funky environments.
The price is $19.95 for one or $17.95 each for two. It is available at http://www.purelyproducts.com/pocket-purifier/.
An iPhone Case for Picnics
The minds of inventors must be interesting places. Take the case of the inventor of the “Be a HeadCase Bottle Can Opener” for the iPhone 3G/3GS. It’s really an iPhone case that features a built-in stainless steel bottle and can tab opener made of hard shell plastic. The case, including the protrusion of the back side opener, is in itself less than an inch thick.
That’s right. Somewhere there is an inventor who thought, “I wish I could use my iPhone to open my beer,” then was savvy enough to bring the product to market.
Just to make the iPhone bottle opener more appealing, as if that was possible, it includes a free app that plays your favorite song or sound and displays a photo when you open a bottle or can. Cue Alan Jackson’s “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere.”
The best part is you can save the price of a premium six-pack if you order before June 30 for the discounted price of $12.99 to $14.99, depending on iPhone model. The regular retail price is $24. It is available in black and pink at: http://eshop.macsales.com/search/headcase.
Protect personal data
By 2014, digital content in an average U.S. home could total almost 12 terabytes, according to a prediction by the Consumer Electronics Storage Report. However, creating an online account that can store that much data would be prohibitively expensive for the average consumer.
One option is the ioSafe Rugged Portable plus Data Recovery Service. The Rugged Portable is the latest addition to the ioSafe product line and provides physical security for mobile data backed by ioSafe’s data recovery service that provides up to $5,000 towards the cost of third-party forensic data recovery services.
Among some of its attributes, the Rugged Portable: is crush resistant up to 5,000 lbs.; can be dropped up to 20 feet onto concrete; is submersible for up to three days in fresh or saltwater up to 10 feet; can be immersed in diesel fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, and aircraft fuels up to 12 feet; and, can also take on more mundane challenges like blowing sand, rain, salt and fog — all to military standards.
Prices start at $149.99 for the 250 GB aluminum HDD version. For information, visit www.iosafe.com.
