Gosh darn it, this is one seriously good-looking accessory – and it’s packing tech features too!

Firebox have emailed me to let me (and now you too) about the MiLi iPhone Power pack charger, that not only provides a case, but in-built battery too:

The MiLi is a rechargeable (via USB) external battery concealed inside a svelte protective hard-shell case, and it offers twice, yes twice, the battery life of the iPhone alone – up to 390 hours standby time. Waddya think of them apples!

Crafted in über tough plastic, the snug fitting MiLi has all the trimmings you’d expect to find in a top end charger/case and even some extra gravy in the form of several ingenious features. For starters, clever design means you can sync your iPhone with iTunes and charge it via USB while it’s still snuggled up inside the MiLi. Think of it as a power ‘suit’ for your favourite gizmo.

Talking of gravy, you’d have to be a right pud not to appreciate the value of this gorgeously designed accessory as it’s also capable of charging other USB-friendly devices. Simply plug your gadgets iinto the MiLi’s ‘out’ socket and let its 2000mAh lithium polymer battery do the rest. Flash Harry Bigbuttons can even charge two iPhones at the same time.

The MiLi continues to cut the edge in other areas: an integrated LED displays charge status, while smart jiggery-pokery instructs the iPhone to always drain the MiLi’s battery first, so if you do remove your iPhone its battery won’t be sapped. What’s more, once you plug your MiLi-clad iPhone into a USB socket both gizmos will be charged simultaneously. iSay, iSay, iSay!

It’s a hot bit of kit isn’t it! I am trying to source one now for review, but I’d be interested to hear from anyone that does have one already?

Anyway, you can buy one from Firebox here, for the princely sum of £49.95 – bargain!

[Via: Firebox.com]

Plantronics has announced the new Plantronics Discovery 975 Bluetooth earpiece. It’s the latest-gen headset one of the expert companies in the field, and delivers an improved audio experience with advanced AudioIQ2 and WindSmart® technologies, which deliver natural sounding voice in harsh noise environments, coupled with Plantronics’ inbound audio quality, comfort, and durability.

“Consumers expect great outbound noise cancellation in a premium headset, but they are tired of sacrificing usability, comfort, and quality,” said Stuart Bradshaw, EMEA Marketing Manager for the Plantronics Mobile Division “At Plantronics we have spent nearly five decades perfecting all aspects of headset design from inbound audio quality to fit. For customers seeking the perfect blend of innovative design and advanced audio technologies, the Discovery 975 is the ingeniously simple solution.”

The Discovery 975 features AudioIQ2, the next generation of Plantronics’ AudioIQ digital signal processing (DSP) technology, and two microphones to precisely capture the user’s voice and simultaneously cancel background noise. Users don’t have to worry about pressing special buttons or having sensors touch their face to activate the noise-canceling capabilities — AudioIQ2 works automatically wherever the user is having a conversation.

Plantronics Discovery 975 addresses wind noise with three layers of WindSmart® technology. It features grooved vents on the boom and acoustic fabrics that surround the microphones to block wind. In addition, electronic filters within AudioIQ2 remove wind noise during conversations and help deliver your clear, natural voice to the listener.

The Plantronics Discovery 975 also provides the great inbound audio quality for which Plantronics is known. The earpiece includes an adaptive 20-band equalizer that delivers rich, full voice and works with AudioIQ2 to automatically adjust incoming calls to comfortable listening levels based on the noise level around you.

The Discovery 975 also comes with an improved rechargeable carrying case (see pic) that can triple talk time from 5 hours to up to 15 hours while protecting and storing the earpiece. The new case includes an LCD screen that displays the battery and earpiece charge levels, as well as Bluetooth connectivity. With the rechargeable case, users don’t have to worry about constantly finding a wall outlet and can finally see the charge level in their headset, so they won’t run out of battery life in the middle of a call.

In the UK, the Discovery 975 is going for £79.99 and is available here. For more information about the Plantronics Discovery 975, click here.

Fairly short and sweet this one – if you want to see how a PSP Go is put together (albeit in reverse order), then you could worse than take a look at the latest iFixit expedition inside a gadget!

As you can see from the pic above, they had this bad boy completely to pieces, and noted the interesting hardware components along the way – nice.

More from the guys at iFixit as they get their hands on new kit

To see the full teardown, click here.

[Via: iFixit]

Vuzix Corporation is launching its new line of sunglass-style Wrap video eyewear products in time for this year’s festive season. Bringing an all new form factor together with what they claim is the most advanced performance available, the new Wrap line delivers some great style and versatility for users.

The new European edition Vuzix Wrap 230, Wrap 280 Widescreen, and Wrap 920 are the most advanced wearable display technology available today, says Vuzix.  With a sunglasses-styled design, the Wrap line allow you to watch your favourite movies and video’s whenever and wherever it suits you – neat-o!

With ‘virtual’ screen sizes ranging from 46” to an amazing 67”*– equivalent to home cinema screens – and with the added capability to view much of the forthcoming 3D, movies shorts and games, these glasses could be the must have digital accessory!

(* virtual screen size is as seen from 10 feet , approximately 3m.)

Vuzix’ video eyewear can connect to a multitude of devices, including camcorders, portable DVD players, mobile phones, PC’s, game consoles, and of course the immensely popular Apple iPod family. In fact, with the recent announcement that the new iPod nano now has added video functionality, the Vuzix Wrap line is lining up to be the complimentary partner to Apple’s market leading devices.

Available from October via http://store.vuzix.co.uk/, major online retail outlets and on the High Street in Menkind stores, the new Wrap product line range from £129.99 to £249.99 inc VAT.

iFixit have been at it again, ripping apart all manner of portable devices for our viewing pleasure. This time it’s the Zune HD that gets the treatment, and iFixit have good things to say:

We glossed over one very important detail when we tore apart Microsoft’s new PMP last week. The Zune HD represents a first for Microsoft in more ways than are immediately apparent — it is the first mass-market gadget we’ve seen that has a machined aluminum case!

Microsoft is using the same milling technology to produce the Zune HD that Apple is using on their aluminum notebooks, and that Dell uses to make the Adamo. With the new Zune, Microsoft has beaten Apple at their own game and produced a multi-touch PMP that is smaller, lighter, and vastly easier to repair than the iPod touch.

So, there we have it – good hardware from Microsoft – which to be fair, always has been the case with their PC peripherals, so it’s nice to see it translating to their Mobile devices also.

You can see the full teardown on the Zune HD at iFixit here.

[Via: iFixit]

It seems like it was just yesterday when we reported on Jabra’s teaser for their upcoming bluetooth headset, the Jabra STONE.  Well, in fact, it was just yesterday.  Although the countdown for the release of the Jabra STONE just began, it didn’t stop them from sending out units to members of the press to check out.  Yours truly was one of the few selected to get a first look at this ground-breaking bluetooth headset that is said to “look, feel, and sound better than anything I’ve tried before.”

Read the full article »

Samsung has announced that it has started producing 515Mb Phase-Change Memory, aka PRAM! Interestingly, this is targeted for mobile devices, as it gives high-performance and low power consumption. Samsung says that a handset using PRAM can extend it’s lifetime by 20%.

Er… jolly good – as long as it gives us memory that’s quick and doesn’t thrash the battery, we’ll all be happy

The 512Mb PRAM can erase 64KWs (kilowords) in 80ms, said to be over 10 times faster than NOR Flash memory. In data segments of 5MBs, PRAM can erase and rewrite data approximately seven times faster than NOR Flash.

Er… jolly good - as long as it gives us memory that's quick and doesn't thrash the battery, we'll all be happy

[Via: mram-info.com via: TechOn]

Hopefully you’ve seen the post Simon put up, noting that for our UK readers, we are giving away a Novatel Portable Hostpot (also known as the MiFi 2352 in some countries). Well, what are you waiting for? Get involved, and enter by:

• Drop a comment the podcast post
• tweet using the #intomobile hashtag

This is a seriously good bit of kit, and so you’ve gotta be in it to win it – game on, and may the lucky UK reader enjoy their win!

Hopefully you’ve seen the post Simon put up, noting that for our UK readers, we are giving away a Novatel Portable Hostpot (also known as the MiFi 2352 in some countries). Well, what are you waiting for? Get involved, and enter by:

• Drop a comment the podcast post
• tweet using the #intomobile hashtag

This is a seriously good bit of kit, and so you’ve gotta be in it to win it – game on, and may the lucky UK reader win!

Hopefully you’ve seen the post Simon put up, noting that for our UK readers, we are giving away a Novatel Portable Hostpot (also known as the MiFi 2352 in some countries). Well, what are you waiting for? Get involved, and enter by:

• Drop a comment the podcast post
• tweet using the #intomobile hashtag

This is a seriously good bit of kit, and so you’ve gotta be in it to win it – game on, and may the lucky UK reader win!