Author : Gregg Ellman

By Gregg Ellman
@greggellman

Tech gifts this year will be big hits with audio, tablet and smartphone accessories leading the way.

Bluetooth also seems to be a common theme and here are some tech head choices.

The three-foot-tall iHome iP76 tower stereo speaker system isn’t stocking-stuffer friendly and will cost you a bundle in wrapping paper but bigger is better when you hear the room-filling sound.

Your device can connect via Bluetooth, use a top-loading Apple friendly dock with the included wireless remote or just plug it into the aux-in jack for using any portable media player.

On iHome’s website these are described to “deliver astounding clarity, depth and power” and after hearing them you see that this is accurate.

Additionally, the sides of the tower have LEDs, which change colors in a choice of modes in indigo, blue, green, white, orange, red, violet and yellow.

www.ihomeaudio.com $199

If you want to stuff your audio gift in a stocking, try the CUBEDGE EDGE portable wireless speaker.

It’s shaped like a brick and connects via Bluetooth 3.0 for a wireless connection for use with a 3.5mm headphone connection

In addition to the great portable sound, you get 10 hours of battery life after a USB charge; it also works to answer calls, Skype or other voice options with a built-in microphone.

http://cubedge.com available in black or white for $149

Kensington’s slim profile and pocket-sized Portafolio Due wallet for iPhone 5 works like any other case to protect all sides of the iPhone and even covers up the screen when its tucked away not in use.

What gives it an edge vs the other millions of iPhone cases available it it doubles as a wallet with slots on the inside for a drivers license, credit cards or even cash.

But it doesn’t end there: it has a built-in stand to keep your device hands-free for calls, video conferencing or just to look cool in both vertical and landscape positions.

www.Kensington.com $39.99, in choices of brown marble, red snake, and black

The 200-watt PowerLine PowerCup looks like a coffee cup but don’t fill it with liquid.

It sits in your vehicle’s cup holder and  an18-inch cord comes out to plug into a vehicle’s 12V power port.

On top of the cup is a pair of AC outlets and a USB port for powering and charging just about any electronic gadget for a road trip or camping.

www.powerline.com $26

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman The only accessory I plugged into my Mac Mini’s Thunderbolt port was an extra monitor until I tried Western Digital’s (WD) new Thunderbolt external hard drive. With speeds up to 400 megabyte per second possible, the WD My Book VelociRaptor Duo is priced high per gigabyte but when you experience the […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman You would think you had it all after purchasing an Apple iMac but the Twelve South intros HiRise for iMac is a nice accessory to add to the somewhat all-inclusive computer. It’s made with what seems to be an identical match as far as appearance with it’s extruded aluminum and stamped […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman Two products make a great combination for an earful of tunes while on a leisurely bike ride. The first is the Bikemate Slim Case 3 smartphone bike mount, which to me is one of the best among many bike mounts I’ve tested. My reasoning is that it’s design and size allows […]

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By Gregg Ellman
@greggellman

Likes millions of others around the world, I chose to upgrade to the iPhone 5 a few weeks ago and until recently it sat uncased.

Unlike the iPhone 4 to 4S upgrade, the iPhone has a different body so that caused a delay in the release of cases and accessories from third party vendors.

According to several tech supply companies, Apple didn’t release the specs of the new phone and it’s new redesigned Lightning power connection until the actual announcement.

As for the cases, they have been popping up on my doorstep almost daily, which gives me a lot to choose from.

Literally within second’s of the iPhone 5 announcement my inbox was flooded with emails from companies announcing their new cases and most said that their products would be available any day or soon.

The first one out of the gate and into my hands was from Scosche and among their choices was the rawHIDE.

It’s made with a polycarbonate shell and has a genuine leather exterior.

Just as with every other case, you get full access to the screen, volume control and the lightning port.

www.Scosche.com $24 black only

As I’ve written previously, Otterbox makes some great products and their efforts with the iPhone 5 continue their tradition of protecting high-priced portable gadgets.

You can’t go wrong in choosing between Otterbox’s Defender or Commuter Series iPhone 5 cases.

The commuter is a two-piece design with a silicone skin-tight shell that  fits perfectly into a hi-impact polycarbonate shell and comes with a self-adhesive screen protector.

With Defender series you get everything you need to either carry the phone in your pocket or bag and also at your hip with a belt-clip holster that swivels both north/south and east/west,  depending on your preference.

A polycarbonate shell has a built-in screen protector and then is surrounded by an impact-absorbing silicone.

www.Otterbox.com $25 for the Commuter or $35 for the Defender

Lots of companies have tried to incorporate a small wallet into their cases and the best I’ve seen so far is the Wallet Case from Targus.

Without adding any bulk, the back opens to reveal a patent pending compartment where you can store a credit card and drivers license or just a few business cards.

It’s made with a faux leather exterior and is available in black, French blue and merlot.

www.Targus.com $25

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman AirPrint is a feature Apple put in iOS devices a few years ago to help users print emails, documents and photos without using  a computer if you had a newer, AirPrint-ready printer. The problem for many people is you already have at least one printer that doesn’t have the feature so […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman For years I’ve been a digital music junkie with a variety of devices but it’s still kind of cool to go back to the player I used in high school – a Sony Walkman. The latest in the line of digital players is the Sony E470 Series MP3, the thinest Walkman […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman The CordCruncher is one of those gadgets that seems useless when I first read about it but think it’s pretty cool after I’ve had a chance to use it. There isn’t much to it: a set of earbuds whose cord is encased in an elastic sleeve. But the cool thing is […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman The iHome iD55 is another of those cool-looking portable stereo docking systems the company produces and like the others, it sounds great. It features a sliding cover with a black faux leather top that unveils all the controls and a dock for Apple iPad, iPhones and iPods. The great desktop sound […]

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By Gregg Ellman @greggellman Your morning shower will never be the same once you start sharing the water with the new iShower created by iDevices. The water-resistant bluetooth speaker is powered by three rear-mounted AA batteries (included) for about 15 hours of shower time. Once you pair it to your iPhone, iPad, Android or any […]

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