Category: Tech

Review: Urban Armor Gear Protects Your Phone

Since my iPhone is such a part of my daily life, it is important that I protect it with the right case. I personally prefer function over form so when a product can give me both, it’s a win! The Urban Armor Gear (UAG) line of products may seem a little masculine-looking to some but for me, it’s simple and stylish and what’s more, it’s light weight and actually protects your device!

You see the Urban Armor Gear cases are drop tested to US Military Specs – that’s what their website says. Now, I haven’t dropped my phone intentionally but I have accidentally and so far my UAG has cushioned the fall. (Luckily, it hasn’t fallen on its face or glass side to shatter the glass – I really need to get one of their screen shields too!)

My husband has the Composite Case for his iPhone 6 Plus. It’s sleek and black and has an armor shell and impact resistant soft core, which is lightweight and still gives you easy access to the touchscreen and ports.

Now wait to see what I have – it’s the black card case from the #UAG Trooper series and I love it! It doubles as a wallet for me and it can hold up to 4 credit cards! It has the same impact resistant soft core as the Composite Case and of course, also meets military drop-test standards. Like all the UAG products, you get easy access to touchscreen and ports too.

Check out UAG online at urbanarmorgear.com . They have cases for other brands like Samsung, Microsoft, LG, HTC and Motorola as well as a variety of cellphone and tablet products.

May 24, 2016
TECH REVIEW: myCharge Energy Shot

As a social media manager and new media journalist, I rely heavily on my cellphone. At events, for example, I use my phone to get the job done, live tweeting, posting on Instagram, updating Facebook pages etc. so when the juice runs out of my phone I am in a bind. I have found myself searching madly for an electric outlet in which I can charge my phone. Once it’s plugged in, you’d think my problem would be solved, but then I have to wait a long time. Time during which I could be taking notes, snapping pics and posting to social. I’ve gotten into this jam too many times that my social tool box now means carrying 2 phones or at least an extra mobile device, which I can use while my phone charges.

Enter the myCharge Energy Shot, a portable charging device. (I thought it was clever how the device is packaged like one of those x hour energy drink shots.)

Charge your phone on the go.

The Energy Shot is a bit bigger in size than a tube of lipstick. It is small and convenient enough to stick into your pocket or purse.

My personal time travel device. This charger is about the size of a tube of lipstick.

It’s been such a lifesaver for me! I’ve been able to charge my device on the go, that is as long as remember to charge the Energy Shot itself the night before. From my experience, I’ve been able to fully charge two cellphones with one charged up Energy Shot.
The myCharge Energy Shot, a portable battery pack designed to charge electronic devices, is 25% more efficient than standard charging methods. It features a full size female USB Port, LED indicator light, and handy size. Available for $19.99 on the myCharge website, the Energy Shot is definitely worth it and is now part of my social media manager toolbox.

February 18, 2015
TECH REVIEW: HTC ONE Harman/Kardon Edition

I received the HTC One Harman/Kardon edition from my provider, Sprint, for review and let me tell you, she is a beaut. It’s got this brushed metal design which is pretty to look at but even cooler, the wrap-around frame is curved to fit your hand. It’s big but not too big.

I was told that the best thing about the Harman Kardon edition was its audio capabilities. The HTC One’s speakers are front-facing and it optimizes music, videos and games. The Harman/Kardon technology Clari-Fi restores all types of compressed digital music and provides a more life-like headphone listening experience using something called LiveStage technology. The sound is clear and crisp and does not sound like it’s coming from a tin-can unlike other handheld devices. Personally, I do not listen to music a lot via my phone but when I did for purposes of this review, the Spotify and Pandora apps sounded great. I also took the phone to the gym and enjoyed listening to a podcast while on a treadmill.

But if you want to know what truly sold me on this phone, it was the camera! UFocus brings blurry objects into focus before or after shooting. There are built in photo filters and manual controls such as ISO etc that you can manipulate to get just the right shot!

Here are some shots I took with the HTC One phone from Sprint.

Food shots taken with HTC One are clearer and vibrant.

Cranberries close-up using HTC One

And it had fun effects like Split Capture, Pan 360, HDR, and Zoe Camera.

Take a selfie and a photo of what you’re looking at… split capture magic.

I’ll tell you this, if there’s one phone that’s made me okay with switching from an iPhone to a Droid, it’s an HTC. This HTC One is something worth considering, especially if you find the iPhone 6 Plus a tad overwhelming.

January 28, 2015