Sure, you can buy insurance from your iPhone carrier of choice in the U.S. or deal with Apple Geniuses directly through AppleCare or AppleCare Plus, but another option to prevent accidental damage to your phone will be by utilizing a case, which should adequately help with the occasional bump or drop. However one case, Cellhelmet, is taking its protection a step further by offering a guarantee that its case will protect your phone from damage due to drops–not from water or liquid damage.

Should your iPhone break or the screen gets cracked while encased in a Cellhelmet case, the company claims it will repair or replace your phone. The protection extends to jailbroken iPhones and even unlocked models sold by Apple and not subsidized through a carrier. The company will offer unlimited repair as long as your phone is in the Cellhelmet case, but will only offer 1 replacement for the policy for the case.

According to Gizmodo, the case retails for $45 and there is a $50 claim fee for repairs and replacements. Repairs will be done utilizing genuine Apple OEM parts and replacements will be shipped within 3 business days via UPS. In order to continue protection if you get a replacement unit (rather than a repair), you must purchase a new Cellhelmet case.

The case offers protection for the side and the rear glass on the iPhone and will be compatible with Apple’s iPhone 4 and 4S models. There is no recurring subscription or monthly charge for using the case, unlike the standard insurance policy, and you have 30 days to register your iPhone once you get the case. However, be aware that unlike with insurance, the Cellhelmet case does not cover against theft, loss, or water or liquid damage.

The case initially started through a Kickstarter project. It’s now available to the masses.

Cellhelmet iPhone Case Offers Accidental Damage Protection is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Building a better iPhone cable isn’t easy, but Jon Fawcett and [Fuse]Chicken have invented a better iPhone cable — the Une Bobine.

Une Bobine, French for coil, is a flexible gooseneck iPhone cable that keeps the iPhone in an endless number of positions at home, at the office and in the car.

One of my favorite parts about this cable is that it works plugged in or as a stand wherever it’s needed.

The Une Bobine cable is capable of twisting and holding shape to suite a variety of needs including;

• Facetime calls
• Tripod for iPhone
• Easy monitor level iPhone stand
• in-car iPhone GPS holder
• Wrapped around anything at hand

Check out the Kickstarter video below to see the many applications of the Une Bobine iPhone cable, which has just surpassed 200% funding with 36 days to go.

Une Bobine charges and syncs the iPhone when connected to a computer, and can charge from any USB port. The cable is sturdy enough to support landscape mode, which is a nice touch for photographers and anyone who wants to use this in their car.

I’m backing this project because it looks like a perfect way to charge my iPhone in the car while keeping it within reach for pausing and playing music. You can see an example of the Une Bobine in use in a car below.

If you’re a fan of Une Bobine, but aren’t ready to fund it on Kickstarter, why not vote for Une Bobine in the William McShane Fund, a contest that provides startup funding and a retail launch in Brookstone stores.

Kickstarter funding for Une Bobine starts at $25 for one Une Bobine cable, and funding runs to June 15th.

Une Bobine: Incredibly Versatile & Flexible iPhone Cable is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.

If you’re the owner or potential owner of the HTC One S smartphone, which is available on U.S. carrier T-Mobile USA, and are jealous of the HTC EVO 4G LTE on Sprint due to that device including a kickstand in its hardware design, then you can grab an official HTC case for the device that will allow you to prop up your phone comfortably. When the original HTC EVO 4G (WiMax edition) was launched almost two years ago on Sprint’s 4G WiMax network, the device attracted a lot of attention due to the inclusion of a simple hardware kickstand.

There have been a number of after-market cases for a number of different smartphones since then that brings a kickstand to devices that lack them, and those cases have been popular for users who want to leave their phones on their desk to show off photos, view videos, or just have their phones propped up to quickly glance at notifications, alerts, and other information.

HTC’s official case comes in two versions. Both editions are made from hard plastic and come with a soft touch coating and are minimalist in design affording protection to the rear of the HTC One S, but with little protection to the sides and no screen protection unless users get a screen protector.

The version without a kickstand will sell for $25 and the version with a metal kickstand will retail for $40. The kickstand mechanism appears solid and more well constructed than the after-market cases that use a plastic kickstand mechanism.

The cases were shown to Engadget, and HTC says the cases are coming soon.

The downside is that using the case, you won’t have access to the micro USB port for charging.

HTC Ports Kickstand to One S Smartphone Through Official Case is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

After a number of recent successive leaks surrounding Verizon’s and HTC’s yet unannounced Droid Incredible successor in the form of the HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE, it appears that one third-party retailer is already hawking an extended battery and extended battery back battery cover for the phone. Though you still can’t get the phone just yet through Verizon Wireless, HTCPedia is now selling a 2150 mAh extended battery for $35 and the rear extended batter door for $20.

The device itself is said to ship with a 1700 mAh battery, so the 2150 mAh battery will give a little bit of extra juice. With accessories already beginning to appear online, hopefully it will be just a matter of time before Verizon takes the wraps off of the Droid Incredible 4G LTE.

News of the battery door’s availability comes by way of Phandroid.

The back battery door does seem to retain rear textured ridges that’s found on the HTC Rezound, which was released on Verizon’s network with 4G LTE network support and is one of the earliest devices to arrive with a 720p HD display and Beats Audio support. The extended battery door does have a protrusion to accommodate a larger, and thus thicker, battery, and the raised contoured protrusion in the door fits the design aesthetics behind Verizon’s and HTC’s Incredible lineup, which includes the original Droid Incredible and the Droid Incredible 2.

HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE Extended Battery Now On Sale is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

This latest one-of-a-kind Apple iPad case shows the perfect marriage of old world craftsmanship with new world technology. It appears that the case is crafted with old leather bookmaking techniques and can securely hold an iPad 2 or iPad 3. What really sets this case apart from other finely made cases is that it’s handcrafted and its leather is etched with a design that was created by Apple’s third co-founder Ronald Wayne.

This case was commissioned by Reddit user 44oz using a design that highlights Sir Isaac Newtorn sitting under an apple tree. Apple Computer Co. is also etched onto the leather. The case was featured on 9to5 Mac. 

The leather is said to be black kangaroo leather and the case was handmade in Australia by Attila Acs.

If you want to re-create this masterpiece, you can go to High on Glue to learn the handicraft process of working with leather.

As this case is a one-of-a-kind creation, there is no price on this piece. It’s unclear if anyone will commercialize this project in the future so those who aren’t crafty can get a custom case like this one.

The end result is beautiful and reminds me of old Italian leather-bound books and journals.

Old World Bookmaking Leather Meets New World iPad in Latest One of a Kind Case is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

While we’re still counting down to the May 3rd unveil of the Samsung Galaxy S III third-generation Samsung flagship smartphone in London, it appears that accessory-makers have jumped the gun and have released a few new accessories for the smartphone. These accessories–form-fitted gel skin cases and screen protectors–have begun to show up on Amazon UK’s web store and show off a device with a near edge-to-edge display; the screen is edge-to-edge from the left to right side when holding the phone in portrait mode and the top and bottom edges have a little bit of bezel for the earpiece speakers and branding.

The device render for the Galaxy S III matches what we’ve seen in some recent leaks earlier, and it’s unclear if accessory-maker Kolay has some inside intelligence into the phone’s final design or if it’s just jumping the gun piecing together bits of rumors that have been floating on the Internet. Another possibility is that these images that are appearing with the Amazon listing could merely be placeholders ahead of the announcement.

What’s curious is that these accessories appear, according to Droid-life, when you search Amazon UK for the model number Samsung GT-i9500. In a very recent benchmark leak of a device that’s widely believed to be the Galaxy S III, the model number on that handset is the Samsung GT-i9300. It’s unclear which model number is correct and which one will be the final release. For reference, the GSM version of the Galaxy S II sold overseas bears the model number Samsung GT-i9100 whereas the original Galaxy S had the GT-i9000 model number.

First Accessories for Samsung’s Anticipated Galaxy S III Appear on Amazon is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Greek goddess Aphrodite also known by the Romans as Venus had often embodied a more voluptuous figure that would make today’s fashion magazines cringe at the curves. Notably framed by Bottecelli, the goddess is shown being born on a shell and the Venus de Milo highlights a partially draped body that’s feminine but with curves. Now, notable London designer Scott Eaton has taken the Roman goddess of beauty to another level with pronounced curves in an artistic iPad tablet holder.

Eaton’s concept is perhaps an excellent embodiment of Steve Jobs’ ideal for Apple–the epicenter where technology and liberal arts meet. Here, high art and high tech are found in one place, and Eaton’s work is elegant, simple, and beautiful. It would definitely make a great addition to your desk or home.

But whereas thin is in in fashion and with many Apple products, Eaton’s sculpture is bulking the trend and taking a radically different approach. It’s unclear what Eaton’s vision is with the Venus of Cupertino, but perhaps it’s both an elegant and human reminder to technology while at the same time mocking the technologist in us leading sedentary office lives. Is this what Bottecelli’s Venus would look like if she was stuck in an engineering cubicle day in and day out designing products without much exercise? Perhaps, Venus staring at her reflection in the glass here is more akin to Narcissus, who fell in love with his reflection by the water’s edge.

Whatever your interpretation is and Eaton’s vision, the end product is beautiful and illustrates the human side behind technology and design.

Whatever the case is, the iPad docking station will be available this summer and will be shipping worldwide at an undisclosed price. In addition to gracefully holding your tablet, Venus herself will also be able to charge and sync your iPad. It is compatible with the original iPad, the iPad 2, and the new iPad.

To learn more about the Venus of Cupertino, you can visit Eaton’s site, where you can also sign up to be notified when the dock will be available.

Beautiful Venus of Cupertino iPad Dock Highlights Technology and Sedentary Life is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Chrysler is hoping to be first out of the gate with a consumer solution for in-vehicle wireless charging. The feature, which will cost $200 plus the cost of installation, will be available as an option on select year 2013 Dodge Dart automobiles. The aim of the optional add-on is to make it easier for users to charge their compatible mobile phone while taking trips without the need to plug in cables. According to BGR, essentially, an area of the center console will be outfitted with the wireless charging capabilities and consumers can throw their compatible consumer electronics devices into the area to begin wirelessly charging.

Though wireless charging began to make a big splash with the introduction of Verizon’s 4G LTE smartphones last year. Devices such as the HTC Thunderbolt, the LG Revolution, and Samsung Droid Charge had optional charging cases and back covers that would enable consumers to charge their devices when they placed the phones on compatible charging mats. However, in spite of Verizon’s push, the feature still has not taken off as expected and phones that come with the capability built-in are still difficult to find on the market and consumers for the most part have not purchased the optional add-ons to enable this feature.

One smartphone that is rumored to come out will have this feature built-in. That model will be the Samsung Galaxy S III if speculations hold true.

By integrating wireless charging capabilities into cars, will you be more willing to buy into the wireless charging ecosystem?

Press release:

Chrysler Group LLC Introduces Industry-first In-vehicle Wireless Charging

Charges iPhone, Blackberry, MP3 Players and Droid-based devices
New Mopar® Feature First Available on All-new 2013 Dodge Dart

April 9, 2012 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – Look mom, no wires.

After being the first to eliminate heavy, bulky owner manuals from its vehicles, Chrysler Group LLC, through its Mopar® division, will now be the first to eliminate unsightly dangling power cords in its vehicles by offering in-vehicle wireless charging.

The company will first make the technology available on the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart that arrives in dealerships in the second quarter of this year.

“At Mopar, we look for every single opportunity to make our customers’ lives easier,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Our industry-first in-vehicle wireless charging system is the perfect solution for those connected customers who are always on the go.”

For easy access, a seamlessly integrated power bin, measuring 8.27 inches by 9.5 inches by 3.25 inches, is installed just below the center stack and in front of the center console. The bin has a built-in charging grid that is activated when customers place in their battery-powered device. The unit begins to charge when the vehicle is started. A phone case, specifically designed for a variety of smartphones, is required and included with the feature.

Mopar in-vehicle wireless charging is available for $199.99, plus installation (part number 82213216).

Dodge Dart to Debut With Wireless Charging for Your Mobile is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

To appease users and early adopters of its quad-core Tegra 3-powered Transformer Prime tablet, Asus is offering a free GPS hardware dongle for owners of the slates. It was discovered after the Transformer Prime had hit the market that the device’s metal construction had resulted in diminished GPS reception from the location chipset that Asus had employed on the tablet, forcing the company to remove GPS features from its marketing. Now, it appears that Asus is trying to do the right thing with the free accessory.

According to an Asus product manager who had posted on a thread over at XDA-Developers, the company is readying a free dongle to remedy the GPS reception issue, which will be free to all owners of the Transformer Prime. The dongle is said to follow the same aesthetics as the tablet and will utilize the dock connector on the bottom of the tablet when held in landscape orientation, and another user of the forum says that he is in the process of testing the GPS dongle. The dongle will fit flush with the bottom edge of the tablet, according to the user.

According to The Verge, a TF201–the code number for the Transformer Prime tablet–GPS Extension Kit had recently appeared in the database for the National Radio Research Agency in Korea, which is the equivalent to the U.S.’s FCC.

Asus so far has not offered any comments nor has the company made any announcements surrounding the GPS Extension Kit. A timeline for release is not yet available.

It’s unclear if the GPS Extension Kit will completely block the dock connector so that users would have to choose to use the dongle or a dock connector accessory, like Asus’s laptop dock accessory, or if the GPS dongle would have a pass-through connector so that another dock connector accessory could be added on top of the GPS dongle.

Since the Transformer Prime was debuted, Asus had also debuted several new slates in its new Transformer Pad series. The company is also speculated to be building Google’s debut Nexus Tablet.

Asus Patches GPS Issue on Transformer Prime With Free Hardware Dongle is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

The Crux 360 keyboard case is among my favorite iPad accessory and now CruxCase has dropped the price on this versatile keyboard add on. The accessory features a hinged clamshell case design with a flip-around hinge that allows users to close the clamshell to protect the iPad, flip the clamshell all the way open to use in tablet mode, or use the accessory with its keyboard in laptop mode. Similar to the idea behind the Asus laptop dock for the Transformer series tablets, the Crux 360 offers the convenience of a physical keyboard for your iOS slate (available for the iPad, iPad 2 and the new iPad). And now, the price has dropped from $150 to just $99.

CruxCase is selling the case for the iPad and iPad 2 right now and the manufacturer says that the case for the iPad 3 is still in development at this time. The keyboard case connects to the iPad via Bluetooth and you can slide the tablet into the top portion allowing protection for your iPad.

Unlike the Transformer laptop dock, the Crux 360 does not include a trackpad and there’s no extended battery in the case to charge your iPad at the same time, but with lengthy 10-hour battery life on the iPad that should not be too big of a concern for many users.

You can also angle the iPad in the case and use the Crux 360 as a stand to watch movies and display pictures as well.

CruxCase is also working on a more expensive model of the keyboard case called the Crux Loaded. That case will be similar to the Crux 360 and will also include a trackpad for more convenient use.

Crux Drops Price on Crux 360 iPad Keyboard Case is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

The Satachi SCH-121 Cup Holder Mount promises to keep your smartphone or tablet in place while driving by holding it in your car’s cup holder.

It fits almost any smartphone or tablet thanks to two included brackets that adjust to fit your device.

But how stable will your device be while in the cupholder?

Video Review

Flawed Idea

First, lets deal with the concept of the design. Almost every car has a cup holder somewhere near the driver’s seat, so this should be a great idea, right?

I use my cup holder a cup of coffee on the way to work or a big gulp from the convenience store on a hot day. Do you really want to take up your cup mount to hold your phone or tablet when you can find other options?

I know I don’t.

Design

Satachi SCH-121 Review: Cup Holder Mount for Smartphones and Tablets is a post by Kevin Purcell from Gotta Be Mobile.

We’ve seen various hard cases for Apple’s iPhone that integrates a battery for extended use–like Mophie’s Juice Pack–and now a Kickstarter project is looking to take on the battery situation on phones with a slightly different approach. Like Mophie’s Juice Pack, the Juice Tank has a hard polycarbonate shell that should offer some protection to your iPhone in case you ding or drop it. However, rather than integrating a battery to extend your talk time on the phone, the Juice Tank has integrated wall charging prongs that pop out when you press a button that allows you to connect the phone instantly to any wall outlet to quickly charge your phone.

The case would be great for users who may find the battery time on their phones to be adequate for daily use, but don’t want to carry around a charger. This would be ideal for business travelers who may not want to remember to bring along Apple’s wall charging cube along with the USB to dock connector cable. With battery integrated cases, you do get the longer talk time, but you must also bring around charger to recharge. This solution allows you to ditch the charger.

Through the Kickstarter project, the makers of the Juice Tank hope to raise $125,000.

The case does increase the thickness of the iPhone and from initial photo renderings, it looks to be about the same size as Mophie’s JuicePack Air. If you like a slim phone, this may not be the case for you, but if you need to recharge on the go and don’t want to lug around extra accessories, this may be a great fit.

Via: Ubergizmo

Juice Tank for iPhone Integrates Wall Charger Into Hard Case is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Whether the timing of the news is coincidental or not to come just as Apple announced its third-generation flagship tablet, Research in Motion has also made an announcement for an accessory for its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The accessory comes in the form of a folio-style case that could hold the PlayBook tablet on one side and a keyboard with a trackpad on the other side to create an instant mobile work station.

Though the package is not as elegant as Android rival Asus’s Transformer Pad series laptop dock, the BlackBerry keyboard case serves a similar purpose. The case, however, unlike the Transformer, will not add additional USB or media ports, and will not extend the battery life of the tablet with its own built-in battery.

According to online Canadian retailer The Source, which will be the exclusive distributor in Canada for the keyboard case, “Unfold the case quickly and easily to create a workstation anywhere. The wireless connection is easy to set up and encrypted to protect every keystroke and swipe.” Though not listed as a Bluetooth accessory, the keyboard, along with the trackpad, will most likely connect with the PlayBook over a secure Bluetooth connection, much in the same way that the tablet connects and pairs with Blackberry smartphones over BlackBerry Bridge.

The case will debut at a specila pre-order price of $100 through April 11. After that, the case will retail for $120. The case is expected to ship by March 23, 2012 for all the corporate-minded BlackBerry PlayBook users.

As RIM has promoted its tablet as an enterprise-class tablet, this should help users be more productive on the road. However, the $99 price tag may appear a bit steep as the base 16 GB PlayBook tablet itself only costs $200 after heavy discounting by RIM. The price of the accessory, however, is on-par with what Zagg is charging for its Bluetooth iPhone keyboard case, though the Zagg accessory lacks a trackpad.

Via: Mobile Syrup

RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook Keyboard Folio Case Now Available for Pre-Order is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

According to iMore, Apple is ready to abandon the classic dock connector that debuted since the iPod on next-generation iOS devices. The new dock connector would be smaller and would therefore not be backward-compatible with the old dock connectors in use today, creating new opportunities for accessories-manufacturers as well as Apple to create products and accessories surrounding the new dock connector design. Unfortunately, though, it looks like the new dock connector doesn’t go as far as integrating the MagSafe concept.

Some accessories that would need to be replaced along with new iPhones, iPods, and iPads with the new connector may include audio docks, charge and sync cables and cradles, and other hardware that plug directly into the dock connector port.

Though the side-effect would be obsolescence of older accessories, Apple’s interest is not to force customers to upgrade accessories. Rather, the iOS-maker wants to conserve as much space as possible to accommodate for a slim device while retaining a large battery. As Apple joins its Android rival with the inclusion of 4G LTE support, the hardware manufacturer will not only be packing in more radios into the iPhone’s design, but also will need to accommodate a larger battery due to the heavy power consumption of LTE.

Still, Apple is relying less on the dock connector as it moves to wireless technology and the cloud to keep things synchronized. With iOS 5, Apple is trying to create a near-PC-free iOS ecosystem that relies more heavily on iCloud. Even synchronization with iTunes could be handled via WiFi, rather than the dock connector to USB cable.

Miniaturization of components is nothing new for Apple. The company recently switched from a traditional size SIM card to a micro SIM card to save space on the iPad and iPhone. The company had been known to be forward-thinking in terms of abandoning legacy technologies at the appropriate time in favor of supporting new technologies, such as switching to USB, letting go of the floppy drive, and now heralding Thunderbolt on its Mac lineup.

The new smaller dock connector may debut first on the next-generation iPhone 5 as we haven’t heard anything about the smaller connector for the iPad 3. This would make sense as space is a more precious commodity on the iPhone’s smaller volume than the iPad’s larger size. Even then, the iPad 3 is said to be marginally thicker than the iPad 2 to accommodate all the technologies Apple intends to pack into the next-generation tablet, such as a high resolution Retina Display, 4G LTE support, and a large enough battery life to deliver 10-hour computing in spite of power-hungry features.

The iPhone 5 is expected to debut in the Fall.

If the change does happen, people most likely to be upset by the move are those who have purchased expensive audio systems that integrate with the iPad and iPhone via the dock connector. Some of those Hi Fi systems can cost upwards of $1,000 and many decent quality ones start out in the hundreds of dollars.

Apple Ready to Shrink Dock Connector on Next iDevice is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Now that the Galaxy Note LTE has begun to become available on U.S. carrier AT&T, early adopters may be looking at ways to protect or accessorize their investment. Some accessories are cheaper on AT&T’s website while others are cheaper on Samsung’s website; Expansys pricing for official accessories seem to generally fall in between AT&T’s and Samsung’s pricing.

If you’re looking to buy accessories for your new Galaxy Note in the U.S., your best bet should be to shop around if you’re hoping to save some money. Official accessories for the Galaxy Note are not yet available through digital seller Amazon at this time, though Amazon has other after-market accessories that offers similar functionality.

The flip cover case is among my favorite accessory for the smartphone/tablet as it provides protection for the display when not in use to prevent the screen from getting scuffed up while in your pocket, bag, or purchase, yet adds very minimal to the device’s thickness. The flip cover cases are available in a variety of colors for the Galaxy Note. To accomplish the task of keeping the device’s profile as slim as possible with the flip cover, Samsung incorporated the rear battery cover into the flip cover’s rear side, rather than try to add another layer on top of the rear battery cover as many other flip covers do, and a soft leather cover wraps around to the front of the screen.

The flip cover retails for a steep $50, and is branded under Samsung’s “Anymode” brand on AT&T Mobility’s website. On Samsung’s website, the flip cover is available for $30. Best Buy lists the flip cover at a comparable price to Samsung’s which is $30, but doesn’t offer as many colorful options as Samsung or AT&T. The flip cover is available in either blue, brown or white on Best Buy‘s website. No additional accessories were found for the Galaxy Note through Best Buy at the time of this writing. Expansys offers the black or blue version of the flip cover for $24.01 and the white version at $33.21.

The one accessory that’s cheaper on AT&T’s website compared to Samsung’s is a spare battery for the tablet. The battery costs $40 on Samsung’s site and AT&T’s site offers the battery for $30.

Additional OEM-made accessories include an S Pen and Holder Kit ($60), Galaxy Note Desktop Dock & Wall Charger ($40), and Galaxy Note Vehicle Navigation Mount & Car Charger ($50); pricing for these accessories are through Samsung’s own website. The vehicle dock is $40 through Expansys and a clunkier version of the desktop is available for $46.00 through the online importer.

If you want accessories for the Galaxy Note, you can begin your search on Expansys-USA, Samsung, and AT&T. Let us know if you find better pricing elsewhere.

Want Official Galaxy Note Accessories? Samsung, AT&T, Expansys Offer Mixed Pricing for Accessories is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Audio seems to be the next big thing to differentiate smartphones and tablets. Manufacturers have partnered with SRS Audio, Dolby Labs, Monster (via Nokia accessories), and even Beats Audio (through HTC smartphones) to deliver better tunes ‘just as the artist intended’ on mobile devices. Now, Samsung is taking it a step further with its own companion accessory designed specifically for the Galaxy S–and presumably Galaxy S II–smartphone. The Samsung-specific accessory not only will be a treat for audiophiles, but brings back a touch of retro in its design and functionality to produce warm sounding notes.

The tabletop speaker dock uses vacuum tube amplifiers to bring analog audio tech in the preamp. That model will be the flagship speaker dock and will bear the model number DA-E750.

In addition to the love spread for audiophiles, those who are more budget-conscious or aren’t sound snobs can opt for a more pedestrian speaker dock sans vacuum tube. That speaker dock will have the model number of DA-E670, which will be priced less than its cousin with the vacuum tube.

At this time, there’s no word on pricing or availability, and we’re anticipating that Samsung will make an announcement and showcase these docks in a week at Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show.

With numerous speaker docks and accessories for Apple’s iOS-powered iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad tablets, it’s great to see Samsung jumping into the game to provide a first-party solution for its Android phones for those who like to create an ecosystem around their products. Given the high volume that Samsung is moving its Galaxy S series smartphones, perhaps we’ll see more speaker docks designed for the company’s flagship phones in the future from third-party manufacturers.

Via: Android Community

Samsung Readies High-End Galaxy Smartphone Speaker Dock With Analog Audio is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Similar to Motorola’s Lapdock accessory that converts any of the company’s Webtop-enabled Android smartphone into a lightweight protable netbook with an 11-inch screen, the LightPad concept gives users the transforming experience and even greater flexibility. Plug in a compatible smartphone, and LightPad will offer users a physical keyboard and a rear-projected 11-inch display in netbook format, like Motorola’s Lapdock accessory. However, where LightPad shines is that users can switch the rear-projected pico projector around and shine the projection onto a wall or screen to have a larger 60-inch image.

When compared to Motorola’s commercialized Lapdock, the LightPad offering does have several noteworthy drawbacks at this time.

First, the LightPad concept doesn’t offer users a trackpad. Though a nearly full-sized or full sized keyboard is part of the package, users may need to tap on their phones to control certain elements and resort to the keyboard for typing, presenting the total package as an incomplete netbook or laptop replacement.

Second, there’s no secondary OS like Webtop to take advantage of the extra screen real estate. LightPad merely just mirrors the display on the user’s phone.

And third, as the device uses a pico projector, brightness of the display may be an issue. When the rear-projected 11-inch laptop concept is being used, brightness will be less of an issue as the smaller screen can display brighter images. However, when projected to a larger screen–like a 50- or 60-inch display, brightness will be a bigger issue as a near-dark or completely darkened room will be needed to have a visible and clear projected image. Pico projectors lack the brightness that larger, bulkier projectors can afford because the total package comes in a smaller footprint and is often battery powered.

Also, it’s unclear if the LightPad concept will be able to simultaneously charge a user’s phone.

The LightPad concept is expected to be unveiled at CES 2012.

Video below: review of a different pico projector

Via: Engadget

LightPad Accessory Piggybacks on Lapdock Concept, But With 60-Inch Display is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

The Verizon Wireless edition of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus official car dock accessory lacks the 3-pin connectors that are found on the international GSM official car dock accessory. While the omission may not be a big deal for some users, it does present itself as a convenience issues for many others as the 3-pin connectors are used for charging.

Verizon official Galaxy Nexus car dock lacks 3-pin connectors

On the international car dock, the car charging cable is fed to the base mount of the car dock. Charging is passed through the dock and up through the 3-pin connector and the charge is transmitted to the phone without having to plug or unplug the charging cable every time a user inserts or removes the phone. On the Verizon LTE version of the car dock, as the 3-pin connectors are not present, users will have to manually plug and unplug the charging cable, which will need to make direct contact with the phone, every time the phone is docked or undocked from the car dock. Also, as the micro USB charging cable doesn’t get inserted into the base of the dock on the Verizon accessory, the base where the suction cup is located is more slim and less bulky than the GSM counterpart.

GSM official car dock with 3-pin connector and bulkier base

On the upside, the international car dock retails for about the equivalent of $50 while Verizon is selling its more basic car dock at $40, or a $10 savings.

Via: Phandroid

Verizon Galaxy Nexus Car Dock Lacks 3-Pin Connector for No Hassle In-Car Charging is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Are you constantly running out of power on your smartphones, tablets and eReaders?

If you have a 4G LTE smartphone you definitely answered yes. Even if you have an older device, if you are a heavy user, you probably run out of power more often than you’d like.

While you could get a special case or power brick style adapter to throw in your backpack, you could just get a PowerBag and enjoy integrated charging.

The PowerBag backpacks, messenger bags and slings include a battery pack and charging ports to power up to four gadgets at a time.

Charge your gadgets in your backpack.

The PowerBag bags start at $140, and go up to $250 for mobile office style briefcases. The bags are nice looking and come in a variety of styles fit for students or executives.

All of these bags can fully charge most smartphones twice on a single backpack charge, but some models can juice up your smartphone four times. In addition to a number of wired up pockets and compartments, there are also dedicated laptop slots. Select models offer TSA compliant openings so that the bag can go right through security.

Unfortunately, none of the bags will juice up your laptop on the go, but as you can see in the video from VerizonAl below, you can charge speakers, phones and tablets. You can even charge Apple products with the right dock connector.

To charge up the bag, just plug-in the included power adapter and it will be ready for your next trip. The bag has an LED indicator so that you can see how much of a charge your PowerBag has.

If you need additional power, you can get an extra battery in 3000mAh, 6000mAh or 9000mAh capacities to give your bag more power. According to many users, the power tech does not add noticeable weight to the bag.

I’d like to see one of these batteries woven into a ScotteVest.

PowerBag Charges Your Phones and Tablets on the Go is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.

In advance of Verizon Wireless’ launch of the 4G LTE Google Galaxy Nexus by Samsung, the device’s accessories have begun to appear at the carrier’s store. It seems that Verizon has been sending cases and accessories to its storefront recently in advance of launches for some anticipated devices, and the Galaxy Nexus is no exception.

A Power and Protection package couples a hard case for the phone along with a belt holster and a ncar charger. That package retails for nearly $50.00.

There’s also a spare battery charging kit, which includes a spare 1850 mAh battery along with a charger for the battery. There’s also a dual USB charging cable allowing you to use the same cable to simultaneously charge the phone and the spare battery at the same time. That accessory retails for $40.

The Galaxy Nexus is anticipated to be launched on Verizon’s 4G LTE network come December 9, but the carrier still has not announced an official launch date. Recent speculation has it that the Droid 4, which was rumored previously to launch alongside the Galaxy Nexus, to be launched just before Christmas on December 22.

Via: Talk Android

More Galaxy Nexus Accessories Show Up At Verizon Stores Ahead of Launch is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.