Accessories - 4/7 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Jan

The Tylt Vu Qi Wireless Charger We Loved At CES Is Being Released On April 1st For $70

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, News, Nexus 4

Sure, the Tylt Vu sort of looks like it was custom-tailored for a Windows Phone 8 device, but it's also officially our favorite Qi charger after seeing it at CES last week. If you've never used a wireless charger, it's probably not immediately apparent why the Vu is particularly want-worthy. But have no doubt - it is.

The Vu has two distinct advantages over competing chargers. First, it's also a phone stand - you can set your phone on the Vu, and still use it like you would a normal dock, because you can still actually see your phone's screen without having to strain your neck.

Jan

[CES 2013] Hands-On With The I'm Watch Color, A $400 Brick Of Failure That Straps To Your Wrist

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Accessories, News

I love the idea of wearable computers. When I heard I'm Spa was giving away the I'm Watch Color at CES, I ran over to their booth to grab one. The plan was to get it, review it, and maybe even use it after the review, even if it made me look a little geeky. I'm Spa has a new version of the OS, "I'm Droid 2.0," which is just a scaled down version of Android, so it should be very powerful and work well with my phone. It has a tiny app store for watch apps, and a pull down notification panel.

Jan

[CES 2013] Oh Look, An Oven That Runs Android (Hands-On Video)

Posted by Ron Amadeo in Accessories, News, Videos

I could probably count on one hand the amount of things at CES that are 1, new, and 2, run Android, so we are left with stuff like this.

This is an oven, an oven with an embedded 7-inch touch screen that runs Android. It's called the Dacor Discovery IQ Wall Oven. Here are some specs.

Samsung S5PV210 1GHz CPU
PowerVR SGX 540 GPU
512 MB DDR2 RAM
16 GB Storge
"Hard Drive Expansion: 32GB Max"
WiFi

The oven runs Android 4.0.3 (I can't believe I'm typing this) in tablet mode. Dacor has an app that will let you do oven things like adjust the temperature, set a timer, and show the time.

Jan

[CES 2013] Toshiba Introduces First Android TransferJet Adapter For The Fastest Close Range Data Transfer You Might Never Use

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Accessories, News

Have you heard of TransferJet? We won't begrudge you if you haven't. It's a fairly obscure bit of technology that hasn't managed to work its way into many consumer products, despite first launching to the public back in 2008. So, consider this whole article a bit of indulgent dreaming when we tell you about Toshiba's newly-announced micro-USB adapter that can add TransferJet capabilities to Android phones. What does that mean? Well, it means 560Mbps transfers between devices with a tap. To put it another way: you could easily send 250MB worth of data from one handset to another in the time it takes to read this sentence (or about 70MB/sec).

Jan

[CES 2013] PowerA Announces A New, Bigger MOGA Pro Controller, For The Large-Handed Among You

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Accessories, News

Back when I reviewed the original MOGA controller, I had two problems with the controller. First off, the software was cumbersome (though I didn't cover using third-party drivers to use it with emulators or anything like that), and secondly, while it was a good size, it still felt just a little too small. Well, the MOGA Pro solves at least one of these problems by being bigger, better, and more button-y.

As with the original version, the controller includes a flip-up arm that can grip phones as large as 3.2" wide (not to be confused with the diagonal screen size measurement).

Jan

Android Console 'GameStick' Reaches Kickstarter Funding Goal, Proves People Will Throw Their Money At Basically Anything

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, Android OS, Development, News

Stop me if you've heard this one before: An Android-powered <game console / TV / toaster> that's <buzz-phrase> and will <more buzz, with gratuitous usage of 'revolutionize'> and change <your life / entertainment / socks> FOREVER.

I have my own personal skepticism around Kickstarter projects to begin with, so bear with the cynical jabs. GameStick is an Android gaming console on a USB stick, and it just reached its $100,000 Kickstarter funding goal. Go ahead and listen to the pitch video. In fact, I'll transcribe the first part for you, because it's just so... nauseating.

So we were really frustrated by the TV gaming space.

Jan

[Deal Alert] Buy A 12000mAh New Trent Portable Charger ($77), Get A 9000mAh Charger Free

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, Deals

Looking for a deal on a portable charger? I mean, come on, you can never have too many. If so, we found a pretty great one on Amazon tonight, and it's from a company whose chargers we personally recommend: New Trent. Here's the deal - add both of the following chargers to your cart - the IMP120D and the IMP90D. Then, at checkout, enter the promo code "33ITURBO" to apply the discount. The total price of the IMP90D (the 9000mAh charger) will be slashed from your purchase - a savings of about $55.

Pretty easy, and a pretty great deal if you're looking for some more juice on the go.

Dec

PadPivot Review: The Best Tablet Stand Around That's Designed Primarily To Sit On Your Knee

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Accessories, Reviews

While the boom in the tablet market has certainly seen a gold rush from manufacturers eager to capitalize on the new craze (whether it be with Android or Windows RT), there's an equally-eager market that's attempting to cash in: accessories. Some of them are great, some are bafflingly weird. The PadPivot probably sits somewhere in between. This little thing is designed to fold up and easily slip into a pocket or purse. When you need it, you can unfold it, set it up, and prop your tablet on a makeshift stand that fits comfortably on your knee.

So, it's as normal and useful as a thing can be that's designed primarily to be used by your lower thigh.

Dec

ASUS Nexus 7 Desktop Pogo Dock Up for Pre-Order At B&H For $39.99 [Updated]

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in Accessories, News, Nexus 7

It's been five months since the Nexus 7 went on sale, and just about as long since eager Android fans have been waiting to get their hands on official accessories. We've seen the first-party Asus dock show up time and again in various overseas web stores, but never actually go on sale. The wait might soon be over, at least for US residents: B&H Photo & Video has put up an online pre-order for the Pogo Pin dock for $39.99.

Don't start stuffing those stockings yet, Nexus 7 owners. There's no indication of when sales will actually begin, and we've been denied this particular dock many times before.

Dec

Audiofly AF78 Headphones Quick Review: They Sound Great... If You Have Perfectly Shaped Ears

Posted by David Ruddock in Accessories, Other Reviews, Reviews

The AF78

The AF78 is the latest from Australian headphone maker Audiofly. They're also the company's flagship product, and their first IEM (in-ear monitor). They come with 4 sets of rubber tips, two sets of foam Comply tips, a microphone*, storage tin, airline adaptor, a splitter, and cleaning tool. They cost $200 (buy here). (*different model)

The Sound

The AF78s do sound great given their price. And they also have something of a trick up their sleeve. They're what's called a "hybrid" headphone, utilizing both a balanced armature and a traditional dynamic driver in each ear. This makes them something of an oddity in the audio world.