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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Additionally, there are two HD dock accessories. There’s a standard HD Dock and an HD Dstation that also has several USB ports on the back so you can connect additional accessories, like a USB-enabled keyboard or mouse to use with the Webtop OS.

A vehicle dock will also be forthcoming as is a wireless keyboard with trackpad, which would be a great companion accessory to your HD Dock or HD Station to use your phone on an HDTV.

The Droid 4 is essentially a Droid RAZR with a full sliding 5-row keyboard in landscape orientation.

Via: Droid-life

Verizon Motorola Droid 4 Accessories Leak Ahead of Launch is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

While that information may sound like just a trivial fact, gadget fans will be happy as real estate could be very limited on a power strip with a plethora of gadgets occupying a number of power ports for charging. From smartphones to tablets, e-readers to netbooks, notebooks to Bluetooth headsets, my power strip is already overwhelmed by the number of, and variety of, devices that it must accommodate and juice up. With Motorola’s space-saving dual USB charger that’s compact, I am happy that I could save a charging port for another tablet.

The hard part now is what I will do with that freed up space. Of course, for that task, I can always turn my attention to one of GottaBeMobile’s gift guides for the holiday season for a new tech addiction. Oh, the woes of being a gadget junkie.

My Favorite Part About the Droid RAZR: Its Charger is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

The PlugBug is a small adapter that attaches to your Apple notebook power adapter and adds a USB charger capable of charging your iPhone or iPad.

The add-on couples to your Apple charger, in place of the extension cord or plug adapter, allowing you to leave one of your chargers at home.

Check out the promotional video from TwelveSouth, which highlights the all in one charging solution. The PlugBugconnects to your MacBook, MacBook Air or Macbook Pro power adapter.

Sure, you can charge your iPhone or iPad over the USB ports in the Mac, but this is isn’t as fast as charging with a 10w USB port. If you are on the go, and need to top off your iPad and your MacBook Air during a short layover, this will get it done faster — with a single outlet. While it is aimed at the iPhone and iPad owner, it will also charge up your Android smartphones and tablets.

Charge Your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro and an iPad at the Same Time

If you leave the MacBook at home, you can take the PlugBug on its own as a charger for the iPad or iPhone. Unfortunately, the PlugBug only has one outlet, so you will need to choose which device you will charge over USB.

We’ve seen similar chargers from Lenovo and other manufacturers for some time. The Lenovo Power Hub even includes 3 USB ports that act as a hub to connect to your computer.

I really like the look of this charger, and the fact that it cuts the clutter in your gear bag. The $34.95 price isn’t too bad considering an extra iPad charger will cost $30 from Apple.

It would be nice to see two USB chargers built into the devices so that travelers with a trio of devices could top them all off at one go, but it’s still an interesting accessory, especially for travelers.

PlugBug Charges Your MacBook, iPad and iPhone With A Single Plug is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.

The laptop dock was a unique and attractive accessory for the original Transformer, which brought about a novel idea of utilizing the Honeycomb tablet’s display to convert the dock accessory into a laptop form factor. The dock itself comes with a keyboard and a trackpad to control the tablet, alongside some ports for memory card and more USB ports. Additionally, when docked, the tablet also gets charged and battery life is extended.

At this point, the leaked images have since been pulled from the original source. It’s still unclear if the Laptop dock for the Transformer Prime will be constructed from aluminum or if it is plastic made to look like metal.

Via: Phandroid

MacBook-esque Laptop Dock for Transformer Prime Spotted is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Rather than a custom mount for the phone on the back like Lapdocks of yore, the new Lapdock 100 makes due with a more generic slot that any new Webtop-enabled smartphone can fit into.

The phone is held snugly in place thanks to a rubberized material that lines the slot, and a cable comes out the back with jacks for the micro USB and HDMI ports that can be plugged into the phone.

Additionally, speakers and two USB ports as well as a charging port adorn the laptop-like accessory.

The biggest improvement, in my opnion, is the greater screen tilting angle of the new Lapdock 100 compared to older Lapdocks. That means that the screen can tilt back further, allowing for more comfort when placing the device on one’s lap and using it as a ‘lap-top.’ On the older model, the screen didn’t tilt back far enough, and you’re constantly straining to see the screen when the Lapdock is placed on your lap.

Maximum tilting angle an improvement over older Lapdock models

Another welcomed improvement that was missing from the original Lapdock is that two-finger scrolling is now supported! You can see that in action in our hands-on video below.

Another change from the original Lapdock to the Lapdock 100 is that the new Lapdock 100 makes use of older style keyboard keys rather than the newer, consumer-friendly, and modern looking chicklet keys for the keyboard. It’s not really a big deal, but with the curved bump, the device looks more like an old IBM typewriter than a modern complement to your smartphone. Usability isn’t really impacted, and the keys feel solid. Additionally, certain symbol and punctation keys are smaller than the regular keys, so you’ll have to adjust your typing a little.

Engadget is now reporting that the device is expected to hit Sprint on October 21st–a date that we didn’t hear originally during the week at CTIA. Though pricing is not announced yet, Sprint told me that they are expecting the accessory to hit around $250 or less. Coupled with a $200 smartphone, you’ll have a lightweight, lite-powerted netbook for around $450-$500 with the Photon 4G and the Lapdock 100. Of course, performance will be more limited than a traditional Windows netbook, but you do have the more mobile aspect of just carrying your smartphone piece when you’re about. All of the Lapdock’s power–processor, modem for Internet connectivity, storage, memory, and RAM–comes from your Webtop-capable smartphone so the Lapdock itself is a ‘dumb’ accessory that requires a compatible phone to come alive.

When I had spoken to Motorola at the show, reps for the manufacturer said that the Lapdock 100 should be compatible with the Droid Bionic and Atrix 2 along with Sprint’s own Photon 4G. However, newer devices, like the Atrix 2, won’t be backward-compatible with older Lapdock accessories like those made for the Atrix 1 (Atrix 4G for AT&T).

*Note: All images in this post was captured on the Motorola Photon 4G’s 8-megapixel camera. The Motorola Photon 4G is currently available through Sprint and is WiMax phone for the carrier’s Now Network with a high resolution 4.3-inch qHD display, world phone capabilities, and 720p HD video capture. 

CTIA: Lapdock 100 Hands-On for Sprint Photon 4G, Coming 10/21 (Video) is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

First up is the Motorola Atrix 2, which has been leaked numerous time as the Atrix 2 and the Atrix HD. Surprisingly, in roughly a little over half a year since the original Motorola Atrix 4G, an HSPA+ smartphone, debuted, Motorola and AT&T are already announcing the launch of the device’s successor, which will also join the Webtop OS family and will come with its own Lapdock 100. Unfortunately, though, that means that those who have plunked down for the original Lapdock accessory for the Atrix 4G won’t see that $300 investment be forward compatible with the new handset.

The device will come with a dual-core 1 GHz processor, like its predecessor, though AT&T’s press release did no mention who makes the mobile CPU–the original Atrix utilized an NVIDIA Tegra 2 chip. Additionally, it will join its siblings on rival carriers with a larger 4.3-inch display, similar to the Sprint Photon and the Verizon Droid Bionic and Droid X2, with a qHD resolution, which is up from the roughly 4-inch display on the original Atrix 4G. Unfortunately, in an age where 720p HD resolutions are coming into play, the Atrix 2 will fall short when you think about the future-proof screen display resolution. It will come with 8 GB storage plus the ability to add additional storage through a micro SDHC card slot, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 1 GB RAM, an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, 1080p HD video recording with 30 frames per second, front-facing camera, and compatibility with AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ network for up to 21 Mbps–AT&T caps out now at a theoretical 14.4 Mbps, which is what’s found on the latest iPhone 4S. That also means one other thing–this handset will launch without LTE support.

The Samsung Captivate Glide is more akin to the original Galaxy S 1 smartphone, and it will find itself in the company of cousins the Epic 4G (Sprint) and the Stratosphere (Verizon). The Samsung-made device will utilize 4G on AT&T’s HSPA+ network, providing a theoretical maximum download speed of 21 Mbps like most new HSPA+ devices launched by AT&T, though you can expect less speeds as far as real-world performance. Unlike other Galaxy S1 derivatives, this one will pack in a dual-core CPU from NVIDIA and will come with 1080p HD video recording. It will have an 8-megapixel rear camera, 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB micro SD card pre-loaded with the ability to augment to 32 GB.

The Samsung Doubtletime is an interesting handset, and like its name suggests, double means dual-touchscreen displays. The device will utilize a clamshell form factor with a QWERTY keyboard when the clamshell is opened. Probably aimed at the mid-range text-centric market, the Doubletime features Android 2.2 Froyo, which is odd as wer’re already looking ahead to Android Ice Cream Sandwich and Android Gingerbread seems to be the norm these days, alongside two 3.2-inch touchscreens with HVGA resolution. The device will be powered by a 600 MHz Qualcomm CPU. The form factor of this device is akin to, but not quite the same, as an LG handset speculated for T-Mobile USA.

The Pantech Pocket is another interesting mid-range handset with a lot going for it. The device is a 4G HSPA+ device, and will feature a 4-inch SVGA display, meaning that it will have a high resolution 600 X 800-pixel touchscreen. Launching with Android Gingerbread, the Pantech Pocket will feature a slim profile, 5-megapixel camera and HD video recording.

AT&T will be launching the ZTE-made pre-paid AT&T Avail for its GoPhone lineup. The device will have a 3.5-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and 512 MB ROM/RAM.

The carrier has still yet to announce pricing and exact availability of these handsets, except to say that they’ll be released in 2011.

Press Release:

AT&T Exceeds 2011 Android Commitment, Announces Five Smartphones
Availability of Motorola ATRIX 2, Samsung DoubleTime, Samsung Captivate Glide, Pantech Pocket and prepaid AT&T Avail, bring total count of new Android devices this year to 19

Dallas, Texas, October 11, 2011

In January, AT&T* announced plans to introduce 12 Android devices in 2011 and today AT&T confirmed that goal has been met and will be exceeded during the fourth quarter.

AT&T announced today the upcoming availability of five new Android smartphones, the Motorola ATRIX™ 2, Samsung Captivate™ Glide, Samsung DoubleTime™, Pantech Pocket™ and the AT&T Avail™, a new smartphone option for prepaid customers. These smartphones will up AT&T’s 2011 Android lineup to 19, with more planned to follow.

Motorola ATRIX™ 2

The Motorola ATRIX™ 2 combines “extreme power” with “life of the party” all at an affordable price. With its 1 GHz dual core processor and access to 4G speeds, entertainment lovers will revel in the ability to quickly download music and video and browse rich web pages in high-resolution on the 4.3-inch qHD display. Capture video in 1080p HD and display it on any size HD monitor with an HDMI cable using Mirror mode. With Motorola’s webtop application, you can browse the web with a full Firefox browser. Connect to the new Motorola Lapdock 100 or use the optional HD Station and browse the web on any size HD TV or monitor**.

While the ATRIX 2 boasts a great deal of entertainment value, features such as device and microSD card encryption, enterprise-grade VPN, enhanced Exchange options and personal information management and remote wipe make this device business-ready. Users will enjoy the new free ZumoCast app, giving users hassle-free access to their music, playlists, pictures and videos stored on their computer.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
4G HSPA+ 21 Mbps (Category 14)
1 GHz dual-core processor
Internal memory: 8 GB ROM, 1 GB RAM, 2 GB microSD™ card (expandable to 32GB)
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
4.3-inch qHD screen 960x540TFT, with more than 500,000 pixels for sharper, clearer display
8 MP camera and LED flash
Front-facing camera
1080p HD video capture, 30 frames per second playback
On Device Encryption (ODE) and Enhanced Exchange ActiveSync® (EAS)
IPsec VPN
Lapdock 100 Accessory

Samsung Captivate™ Glide

The Samsung Captivate Glide is a 4G Android smartphone that keeps you moving with a thin, side-slide QWERTY keyboard and a powerful 1 GHz dual core processor. Running Android 2.3, the Captivate Glide features access to 4G speeds, a 4″ Super AMOLED screen, 8-megapixel flash camera with HD (1080p) video recording and a front-facing camera for video chat.

For the business professional, the Captivate Glide has enhanced Exchange ActiveSync support for IT policies, task synchronization and global address lookup. Know your information and network are secured with virtual private network access and device encryption.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
4G HSPA+ 21 Mbps (Category 14)
1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 AP20H dual core processor
1GB RAM/1GB ROM/8GB Internal microSD™ to 32GB (not included)
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
4-inch 480×800 WVGA Super AMOLED™
Dual camera – 8MP Autofocus w/LED + 1.3MP front
Full HD 1080p video camera + HDMI playback
Enhanced Exchange ActiveSync® (EAS) to sync email, contacts, calendar and tasks
Device and SD card encryption
Virtual private network support
Mobile Device Management (MDM)

Samsung DoubleTime™

With its compact design and dual touch screen with a full flip keyboard, Samsung DoubleTime is perfect for texting, multitasking and staying connected to social networks. Running on Android 2.2, DoubleTime boasts a white and pink color scheme and features a 3.2 MP digital camera with a camcorder, voice recognition, a dedicated function key for shortcuts, drag-and-drop widgets, five scrolling home screens and an expandable menu with scrolling panels.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Processor Qualcomm 600 MHz
Onboard Memory Supports 260MB
Android 2.2 (Froyo)
microSD™ memory card supports up to 32GB (2GB microSD card included)
3.2″ full touch screen display with 320 x 480 and 480 x 320 (HVGA) resolution

Pantech Pocket™

The Pantech Pocket is a slim Android 2.3 device ideal for customers focused on social entertainment and messaging. With a 4.0″ SVGA touch screen display, wide profile virtual keyboard, 4G support, 5MP camera, and access to the Android Market, it is the perfect device for those wanting a wider screen for a better experience with browsing, navigation and entertainment in a one-handed design.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Internal Memory: ~600MB plus 2GB microSD™ included.
User Memory: 2.5 GB included (Includes a 2 GB microSD Card)
Support for up to 32GB microSD
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Full touch 4″ SVGA display
Screen size & resolution: 4″ (600×800) 16M TFT
5 MP camera with flash and HD video recording
114.7mm x 78mm x 11.3mm
Weight is 4.66 oz
Bluetooth: v. 2.1 + EDR
Wi-Fi and access to AT&T hotspots

AT&T Avail™

The AT&T Avail from ZTE is the second Android smartphone launched by GoPhone, AT&T’s pre-paid offering. This device features a 3.5-inch touch screen, 5- megapixel camera and runs on Android 2.3 OS. AT&T Avail provides an affordable option for customers seeking the Android smartphone experience while still maintaining control of their usage and monthly bill.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Internal memory: 512 MB ROM, 512 MB RAM, 2 GB microSD™ card
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
3.5-inch capacitive touch screen
5 MP autofocus camera and video recorder
Seven customizable homescreens
Wi-Fi capable

AT&T Android Portfolio

Committed to serving the growing number of Android fans, AT&T now provides more options for customers seeking the Android OS experience at a variety of price points, form factors and through unique services.

AT&T Announces Five New Android Smartphones: Motorola ATRIX 2, Samsung DoubleTime, Samsung Captivate Glide, Pantech Pocket and prepaid AT&T Avail is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

The solution isn’t as elegant as a native solution as there are wires dangling, but if you’ve made an expensive speaker investment, this $30 accessory will allow you to save some money. It would also allow you to connect your Android, Windows Phone 7, or webOS smartphone to car systems that have iPod dock connectors built-in as well.

Via: Engadget

CableJive dockBoss+ Allows Android to Rock Tunes on iPhone Speaker Docks is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

Most of these are bulky and boxy, but the SmartKeyboard concept from Jing Yang is an impressively thin and inventive way to add a physical keyboard to the iPhone.

Taking design cues from the iPad 2 Smart Cover, Motion Lab in China is working to bring this new magnetically attached keyboard to the iPhone 4.

As you can see in the video, the keyboard snaps right into place on the iPhone 4′s metal case and rolls out a physical keyboard, which the designer claims is the world’s thinnest for the iPhone.

iPhone Smartkeyboard

The question I have for you iPhone owners is would you buy this keyboard?

Back when I first jumped to Android I needed a physical keyboard, but these days even the optimized physical keyboard on the third generation Droid 3 can’t touch the virtual keyboards available on Android.

I realize that the iPhone has no keyboard replacement apps, but is there a need for a physical keyboard on the iPhone?

If you would buy one of these, tell me why you’re a fan of a real keyboard in the comments. I’m not trying to make you give up the keyboard, just curious why you like it so much.

If you are interested in this keyboard, you can get updates from @SmartKeyboard on Twitter.

Would You Use a SmartCover Style Keyboard for the iPhone? is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.

Besides acting as a conversation piece, the POP Phone ensures that you won’t lose your iPhone in your sofa’s cushions. It’s also sure to serve as a great conversation starter.

I’m not sure who exactly who Native Union, the company behind the Pop Phone, hopes to sell these things to. One of the company’s pitches is that using the device helps reduce radiation exposure since you don’t have to hold your mobile phone up to your head when using one of their blinged out devices. Of course you could get the same results with any old iPhone headset without embarrassing yourself and your loved ones.

Native Union sells the POP Phone in a variety of colors, but it broke out some extra special models for Showstoppers at IFA 2011 in Berlin. I just might have to pick up one of the sparkling gold POP Phones and see what kind of reactions I get back home.

Available direct from NativeUnion.com, the POP Phone costs $29.90. It’s just what you need if you want to make your mobile device a lot less mobile.

Need Attention? Buy a POP Phone is a post by Xavier Lanier from Gotta Be Mobile.

Most of the accessories we have seen in other forms for other smartphones, such as the HD Station, which is a multimedia desktop dock similar to that offered for the Sprint Photon 4G or the Droid X and Droid X2 but altered for compatibility with the Droid Bionic. There’s also the Motorola LapDock, which is a keyboard laptop dock that turns the smartphone into a netbook, a concept that had debuted on the Motorola Atrix 4G for AT&T earlier this year at CES. New to the list is an inexpensive Adapter for Webtop Application, which will plug into the phone and should give users an even more expensive way to access the Webtop application, though pricing nor availability for all three Webtop accessories were revealed.

For the adapter itself to be successful, it would have to be priced less than the HD Station Multimedia Dock. Typically, as official docks are priced around $40-$70, the adapter should go for less than that.

Webtop is a special OS that’s preloaded into storage on the phone that’s based on Linux and is accessible when plugged into either the Laptop Dock or an HDTV and stays hidden on the phone. The OS gives users access to not just the phone, but also to a full Mozilla Firefox web browser as well, along with a special UI for displaying videos, photos, and music.

Motorola Reveals Droid Bionic’s Webtop Accessory Solutions is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

In the past, hardware-makers had to innovate on top of Android, both on the hardware and software side. HTC and others came out with their own user experience layers; in HTC’s case it was called the HTC Sense UI. On the hardware side, we’ve seen tablet-makers like Asus creating laptop docks that effectively changed a tablet into a notebook, as in the case of the popular Eee Pad Transformer. Motorola, which had its own secret sauce, created the Webtop OS, which was loaded alongside on some of the company’s Android handsets, and could be enabled when docked into accessories like the laptop keyboard dock or the home multimedia dock.

As Google is working on Chrome OS on the new Chromebooks, it’s unclear what the future of the Linux-based Webtop OS will be from Motorola’s lineup. Though Webtop on the Motorola Atrix 4G, which itself has a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, was a clever idea and received a lot of buzz from media and consumers, the experience fell short and was a bit slow, despite AT&T’s 4G HSPA+ network. Given that Webtop didn’t support third-party apps aside from the photo and video viewer that was pre-loaded and a full version of Mozilla’s Firefox browser, perhaps the future of Webtop in its current incarnation may be phased out.

But that doesn’t mean that Motorola wasn’t on to something new, and perhaps something that may be groundbreaking. Carry a light smartphone when you don’t need power, and dock it to the keyboard laptop dock when you do need the extra oomph. That said, Google’s Chrome OS can fill the void with pizzazz as it does support HTML 5 applications and a full Chrome browser with Flash support would give users a bit more power while docked. Also, given that Google’s opening up Chrome to web app development, we can potentially see more app development with a Chrome OS replacing Webtop OS in the future.

Additionally, given that Webtop still relies on the phone’s connection to the Internet–whether if it’s through the internal phone cellular modem or through a WiFi connection–Chrome OS would be a natural fit alongside a smartphone or a docked tablet. If that happens, perhaps the future of Chromebooks will make more sense as it will become a natural evolution and extension of the smartphone ecosystem. As it stands, although the base price of a Chromebook is cheap–and certainly cheaper than Windows-based netbooks–the constant connection and potential need for yet another mobile broadband data plan may be prohibitive for some users to adopt. However, alongside an Android smartphone, it may help hardware-makers push not just phones, but the accompanying laptop dock accessories to make devices like Chromebook a reality. As Chrome OS operates in the cloud, the smartphone may be Chromebook’s best companion.

Google + Motorola, Will Webtop OS Pave the Way to an Android-Chromebook Dock? is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

The unique case, called the Dokkiri Hand Case, has a fake hand attached to the backside of the case, which is far from functional nor is it practical, but will allow iPhone owners to hold hands with their device. Available for about $64, the case will allow you to take your iPhone on long, romantic strolls on a beach at sunset, hand-in-hand.

Interestingly, the case will come with either a woman’s hand or one of a child.

Creepy? Bizarre? Cure for the lonesomes? Perhaps a little of everything and a lot of creepiness, but in an age of digital pets and having friends on social networks that we may not have ever met in real life, this adds a somewhat ‘human touch’ in the connected age.

Via: PC World

New Case Allows iPhone Owners to Show ‘PDA’ is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

The dock will ship with a wireless remote and a wall charger.

Right now, the rear of the device reveals that the device will house an 8-megapixel camera sensor, making it the standard across the Droid 3, the Droid X2, and now the Droid Bionic.

The USB ports on the rear will also allow users to attach a USB mouse and keyboard to operate the Droid Bionic in Webtop mode if the device will ship with the Webtop OS like on the Motorola Atrix 4G. Motorola had promised that Webtop would be available for the Droid Bionic after the device is released at CES, but that was in reference to the now scrapped original Droid Bionic design. Hopefully, the company still has plans on rolling out the Webtop application, which is built on top of Linux, and gives users access to the full Mozilla Firefox browser so that when docked, you can view most webpages. For instance, some websites, like NBC and Hulu, won’t stream videos to the mobile Android browser, but should work with the full Webtop Firefox browser. Currently, Amazon’s product description does not mention the Webtop application, but does list that there will be a special docking screen on the phone that will allow users to maximize the Droid Bionic when docked, called Extra Sense.

In addition to the desktop dock, Amazon‘s also listing a battery dock for users to charge a spare battery. With 4G LTE devices consuming battery faster than 3G devices, having a spare charged battery handy while on the go may not be a bad idea for users who find themselves far away from a power outlet throughout most of the day.

Pricing and availability information is not available for either devices at this time; Amazon is asking customers to sign up to be notified when these accessories are available.

Via: Droid-Life

Droid Bionic Desktop Dock Reveals Hump Similar to Droid X2 is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

The MIC Aluminum Keyboard case transforms your iPad 2 into a MacBook Air clone.

The MIC Aluminum Keyboard Buddy Case for iPad 2 delivers on all of these fronts, turning your iPad 2 into a smaller MacBook Air body double for $50 — $20 less than what you’d pay for an Apple wireless keyboard.

iPad keyboard cases are nothing new, but the MIC keyboard case stands out for more than the MacBook Air looks. Compared to the current crop of iPad 2 keyboard cases like the ZaggMate keyboard case, it is also 50% cheaper.

If you want to turn your iPad 2 into a beautiful productivity driven machine, this may be the case for you. In addition to delivering faster typing, cases like this are attractive because it leaves more of the screen visible while you work and props the screen at just the right angle for typing. For more on the benefits of adding a keybaord case to your iPad, check out the words per minute differences of using a keyboard case and the on screen keyboards.

MacBook Air inspired Keyboard case for the iPad 2

Here at GottaBeMobile we spent the weekend drooling over the looks of this case. Don’t be surprised if you see one of us carrying this case around soon.

Via 9to5Mac

Beautiful Aluminum Keyboard Case Transforms Your iPad 2 into MacBook Air Clone is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.

Thunderbolt owners looking for an elegant desktop solution to display, charge, synchronize, and showcase their 4G LTE smartphone can now have an official solution from HTC. The HTC Thunderbolt Desktop Dock is now available and shipping, though the accessory will set you back $60, but will come with an extra USB cord and wall charger.

The nice thing about the dock is that it will allow you to dock your Thunderbolt with either the standard capacity battery or the extended capacity battery. Additionally, a slot at the rear of the dock will also allow users to charge a spare battery at the same time as well, which is a handy feature considering how quickly the Thunderbolt eats through a battery, especially with 4G LTE enabled on the handset.

The dock isn’t available yet in HTC’s store nor on Verizon’s web store, but if you’re aching for a desk or bedside dock for your beloved Thunderbolt, you can grab one from third-party seller HTCpedia.

Official HTC Thunderbolt Desktop Dock Listed for Whopping $60 is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.