Tech Armor has you covered!

Because I am a "gadget geek", and purchase new tech as soon as it is released, I am always very careful with my current devices so I can sell them when new models come out. I am never without screen protection for any device, and, when Tech Armor asked me to review the screen protection products they offered for the devices I currently owned, I jumped at the chance!

Tech Armor has been selling screen protectors, cases, and various accessories since June of 2012. Their co-founder, Joseph Jaconi, talks about wanting to bring big-brand value to the consumer at a much-better cost, which they have done. However, Tech Armor's commitment to customer service and support (including a lifetime product replacement warranty) is what makes them stand out from the competitors!

All of the protectors I received were made from ballistic glass, which excels at protecting the devices from scratches, has the best clarity, touchscreen accuracy, and leaves minimal smudging and fingerprints on the screen!

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TECH ARMOR GLASS SCREEN PROTECTORS FOR IPAD PROS

I have both the iPad Pro 9.7" and the 12.9" and was very impressed with Tech Armor's solution to help apply screen protectors to these larger devices. The inclusion of two small suction cups to support the installation process is a great idea and made the screen protector very easy to install! This ballistic glass screen protector is available for $19.95 for either the 9.7" or 12.9" iPad Pro.

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TECH ARMOR SCREEN PROTECTOR FOR APPLE WATCH

I have the 38mm stainless steel Apple Watch with the more scratch-proof glass, but I still worry about scratching the face of the watch.

The Tech Armor Ballistic Glass Screen protector ($9.95+) comes with one or two protectors, great instructions, dust removing strips, a cleaning cloth, and a squeegee for removing any bubbles. In addition, there is an online tutorial for those that want to watch the process before applying the protector.

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TECH ARMOR IPHONE 6+/6S+ 3D CURVED GLASS PROTECTOR

The 3D curved glass iPhone screen protector ($24.95) provides protection for the phone from edge-to-edge and even curves, oh-so-slightly, over the edges of the phone. The kit includes all the instructions and materials to apply the full-face protector, and comes in black or white.

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TECH ARMOR IPHONE 6+/6S+ GLASS SCREEN PROTECTOR

This clear ballistic glass screen protector for the iPhone 6+/6s+ ($8.95) provides complete, clear, coverage for the phone with scratch protection, impact resistance, and minimal fingerprints! This screen protector does not cover the curved edges of the phone, and makes it easy to add a back case for protection, too.

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TECH ARMOR ACTIVE SERIES CASE FOR IPHONE 6+/6S+

This iPhone case ($19.95) is a flexible case that adds minimal bulk to the phone, and provides both drop protection and screen protection when your phone is face-down because of the raised edges.

The ports are all easily accessible and the headphone jack port even accommodates a headphone with a bit larger plug size than the Apple headphones.

I have not used this case for too long, but I was concerned that dirt might make its way in through the cut-out square on the back. I have had no problem with this yet, though.

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Tech Armor offers protection and cases for many technology products, as you can see below! If you want a low-cost, high-quality product to protect your mobile technology, give them a try!

File Magic review

Okay...this is pretty cool. Using Splash Data's File Magic desktop and iPhone app, I am typing this blog post in the email component of the File Magic desktop app. Once I am done, since I have no data connection from my laptop, I simply hit "send" and the email moves over to the open File Magic app on the iPhone, and then I can simply use the iPhone's cellular data connection to send this post! (Now, I know I could have typed this message directly on the iPhone, but it is quite long, and it is easier to use the full-size keyboard for this purpose!)

However, that email component is secondary to the main strengths of File Magic. This app allows you to easily move files, with both the iPhone/Touch app and the desktop app (Mac/Windows) open, from your desktop to your iPhone, or just via the iPhone app from iPhone to iPhone. These both work as long as both devices are on the same wireless network or accessing a WAP on the same network. You could just use the File Magic app on the iPhone/Touch as a data transfer-and-storage app if you wanted to.

But, the File Magic app on the iPhone/Touch also allows you view several different file types, some of which are not native to the iPhone or iPod Touch. If you move a Word doc, a MS Powerpoint presentation, an Excel spreadsheet, or an Adobe PDF file to the iPhone/Touch, you can view it through the File Magic app on the device. Pretty sweet!

You can find out more about the $4.99 app here if you are interested:
http://www.splashdata.com/filemagic/ or in the App Store in iTunes.

My two favorite things-- shopping and the iPhone

I just download a new application from the iPhone app store called Coupon Sherpa which defines itself as an "in-store coupon application for the iPhone."

You simply browse for a store or restaurant by category or check the alphabetical list for your favorites. Most coupons show up with barcodes that can be scanned in at the register when checking out. (Others lead you to the offer on the vendor's Web site.) As of this posting, there are 178 coupons in 111 stores in Coupon Sherpa, including many major retailers.

The app is only $1.99, but, in celebration of Earth Day, and to highlight one of Coupon Sherpa's goals "to reduce the amount of paper that is wasted by printing coupons", the application is free until this Friday, April 29. (But well-worth the cost of the app anytime!)

I cannot wait to try it out later today when I go shopping. It will be interesting to see how handing the iPhone to the cashier will go over, but I think they had better get used to it!

Amazon Kindle 2 Thoughts

Having been an avid Kindle user since it came out, I immediately upgraded to the Kindle 2 when it became available. It arrived today.

There are plenty of unboxing videos and reviews already on the Web, so I am not going to do an in-depth review. I am just going to share some thoughts.

- The new five way control button. It is slower than the previous scroll wheel for moving up and down within menus and books, but definitely useful for moving sideways in the browser, in some of the pop-up boxes, and for use with the updated highlighting feature which actually works like true highlighting!

- The expanded support for conversion of personal document types including Microsoft Word, PDF, HTML, TXT, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, PRC and MOBI documents is a welcome addition.

- The text-to-speech option which is "interesting" to listen to. I found the female voice, slowed down one notch, was the most pleasant to listen to. I can see using this function while hooked into the aux jack in the car or on the deck after sunset in the summer.

- The new experimental Web browser is great! It is more like a real browser in how it functions, and the 16 shades of gray make the images much, much clearer. Using the mobile versions of Facebook and Twitter, I was able to read and post, so my PLN is available to me while I am reading on the Kindle, too!

- The note-taking feature is easier to get to and the new keyboard works just fine, although I liked the tilted keys on the thumb board of the previous version a bit better. There is also no @ key on the keyboard, and it takes an extra step to get to it on the symbol button.

- Audible books can be loaded in the top two qualities (4 and enhanced) only, which means they take up more of the internal storage space than the lesser quality spoken word files. (This info is from Amazon's site. Audible seems to allow one to download formats 2, 3, 4 and enhanced, but I have not tried it.)

- Being able to load MP3 files directly into the internal storage is much easier than having to put them on an SD card and re-insert it each time in the back of the previous version. (Update: You can also move from MP3 file to MP3 file on the Kindle 2, whereas on the first version you had to just play them all without any control other than on and off.)

- The 3G network connection is speedy. And the page turns seem speedier.

- The smaller buttons make it easier to hold without turning pages, especially since I do not use the leather cover and hold the coverless Kindle while reading, opting for a zippered Belkin case to keep the Kindle clean and protected.

- There is still a "flash to black" as the electronic ink refreshes between pages. That's how electronic ink works, but after reading about 10 pages on a Kindle, you'll never notice that again.

- Oh, by the way, the Kindle 2, as with the previous version, does a super job of letting you carry lots of books with you and easily reading them! The electronic ink is never tiring to my eyes and the ability to use the Kindle in bright sunlight and other natural light is great!

Update March 3, 2009

Amazon releases the Kindle Reader for the iPhone and Touch!

The free Kindle app for the iPhone/Touch works great! With adjustable type sizes and some navigation options, it allows non-Kindle users to purchase books (via their computer or the browser on the device) from the Kindle bookstore and download them to their iPhone/Touch. This works both over 3G and the 802.11x connections.

For Kindle owners, it also does another cool thing-- it syncs your place in the book so, when you open the book on either device, it asks you if you want to move ahead to the place where you left off reading on the other device.

There is no widescreen support for the Kindle app (yet!), magazines and newspapers are not supported, you can add bookmarks, and you are able to read the notes you entered via your Kindle, but you cannot add new notes via the Kindle app.

I have read ebooks for years on small devices via Palm's Reader and with Windows CE/Mobile devices. The clarity of the iPhone/Touch screen makes the experience much more pleasant, but I do have to turn down the backlight so the reading is easier on my eyes. (At least this might extend the rather poor battery life of the iPhone!)

I would rather read an entire novel on the Kindle 2, but having the same books with me all the time for reference or relaxation is great!

Added: 4/19/09

One commenter asked about the number of Audible recordings the Kindle 2 would hold if he had no books on the device. (The original Kindle had an SSD card slot, so you were only limited by the size of the SD card.) The answer to that question needs some explanation as to how Audible works. Audible offers its audiobook recordings in different quality formats. The Kindle 2 can play formats 2, 3, or 4, with format-4 being the best quality.

I chose a title, Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country", to use for determining the answer to this question. Bryson's print book is 352 pages in length. Audible's format-2 of his book is 46mb in file size, format-3 is 86mb, and format 4 is 172mb. That seems to indicate that, on the Kindle's 2GB storage drive, you could have forty-five format-2 Audible recordings, twenty-four format-3 recordings, or twelve format-4 recordings. (And of course, various numbers of the combination of the formats.)

According to these figures, each page of this print book takes up .13mb for format-2, .24mb for format-3, and .5mb for format-4. Does this hold true for all Audible recordings? I am not sure, but at least this gives the commenter some broad idea of how many Audible recordings would fit on the Kindle 2.

iPhone apps that sync

When the App Store opened for the iPod Touch and the iPhone, I first found myself drawn to the applications that took advantage of the great graphics, the well-crafted touchscreen, and the built-in accelerometer which enhances the use of some very cool apps!

However, as time progressed, I began to look at applications that would increase my productivity and also have a desktop component. I like a desktop component for both the ease of lots of data entry and for peace of mind, since the data is backed up on both the handheld and desktop devices.

One piece of software that I received as a demo, SplashShopper, created by SplashData, I have found easy-to-use and very useful!

SplashShopper is just what it sounds like-- it is a shopping list application, and comes with pre-populated shopping lists for all types of things, including books, gifts, groceries, movies, etc. However, it is very easy to re-create these lists to meet your specific needs and even create your own list.

The lists, especially the grocery list, can get very detailed. However, I did not care about some of the fields, so I just entered the item, the broad category, and the aisle fields when entering my grocery store's items. I used the desktop component for entering all 174 items.

I love having my grocery list with me all of the time, arranged by store aisle, and only seeing the items I need! The iPhone makes use of this application so easy, since the touch screen is so responsive one can push the cart and use the electronic shopping list at the same time! (And, if you still like the paper list, you can email a text version of the shopping list to yourself before you go to the store!)

Kathy

Living with the iPhone

Well, after living with the Apple iPhone for four months today, I have to say that I still love it! I can do most of what I need to do on a daily basis and the interface cannot be beat!

It was not until the App Store launched, and I installed the OS upgrade on my iPod touch to try the App Store, that I realized the power of having a well-engineered, converged device. I have been a smartphone user for years (both Palm and Windows Mobile) and there is truly no comparison. I have been following the other new devices, like the Android and Storm, and do not feel a bit of techno-lust!

The only downside is the poor battery life. I know I can shut off some functionality to prolong the battery life, but that is an inconvenience. (However, I guess it is MORE of an inconvenience to have no battery life left!) I have just purchased a small battery life extender (Kensington Mini Battery Extender) and that should solve my problem.

There are all types of apps for the iPhone, and many of the ones that I have installed have been free and low-cost. Some of my favorite add-ons include:

• Twitterfon: for keeping up with my tweeting colleagues
• MobileFiles: read-only access to my iDisk files
  
• Google: text search and the great new voice search functionality
• MightyDocs: read-only access to all my Google docs
• YouNote: write, draw, or record a to-do for yourself
• Pandora Radio and AOL Radio: two different types of streaming radio
• GPS Tracker: open it up and family members can follow your whereabouts
• iWant: based on your current location, find local essential services
• Ruler, Compass, and Dual Level: handy tools to have with you at all times
• AirMe: send your photos taken with the phone right to the Web
• Panolab: create a panoramic photo with the iPhone
• fring: access to Skype
• Google Earth: it is amazing how well it can be used on the iPhone
• HanDBase: the great database program now for use on the iPhone
• iTalk: an easy-to-use voice recorder that can sync with your computer
• Say Who: voice-dialing program
• SportsTap: easy access to sport scores of all types
• i.TV: based on your location, get the TV show lineup
• SnapTell: take a photo of a book, CD, or DVD cover in the store and get pricing
• Facebook and AIM: I could not be without them
• SearchMe: a search engine that returns "coverflow-like" results
  
• Games that take advantage of the touchscreen and the accelerometer like iBowl, TapTap Revenge, magic8Ball

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch and want to share your favorite apps and a short description, please do!

Update 12/6/08:
I have purchased Tweetie for using Twitter on the iPhone. It is a full-featured Twitter client that is very easy to use and parses well on the device.

The Kensington Mini Battery Extender arrived it and works very well! First it charges up the device, and then, when you use the iPhone, it supplies the power until it runs out of power and then you start using the iPhone battery again.

Here is a list of 50 iPhone apps for education that came out right after this post.