Perhaps the biggest frustration with modern-day smartphones is no matter how little you use them, they very rarely last more than a day thanks to their constant data connectivity and background synchronisation.
Whilst many have mitigated the issue by purchasing a battery extender such as a Morphie Juicepack, additional batteries can be bulky and also still require charging, so if you forget, you are still left with a dead iPhone.
Enter the Cord-On-Board case by CaseInity.
Emerging as a prototype on community funding website KickStarter, the Cord-On-Board case solves your charging problems by incorporating an iPhone USB cord within its case. The case is light and is slim enough to slip in your pocket, ensuring that you can slip it in and out of your pocket to charge it using one of the hundreds of USB ports you encounter each and every day.
The CaseInity team explains how the case works:
If that wasn’t enough, the case is made from shock-resistant thermoplastic material, ensuring your iPhone can be protected from the rigors of your daily life — oh, and it is self-standing too:
The team says that the design is complete and they have already begun the mold-making process. It now wants KickStarter users to pledge money to help with costs associated with further production processes.
The Cord-On-Board Case is durable, functional and houses that all-important USB cable for on-the-go charging. Want to help make the accessory a reality? Head on over to the KickStarter page and pledge away .
Here’s Samsung’s own (lengthy) hands-on video with the Galaxy Note II
Samsung took the wraps off its Galaxy Note II this week at IFA 2012. The smartphone maker has posted a lengthy, as in 13-minute, hands-on with the device for those who weren’t lucky enough to make it to Berlin.
Judging by the length of the video, it looks like Samsung’s pushing the Note II pretty hard. By way of comparison, the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet hands-on video was less than half the length.
http://youtu.be/5DcgZum8M1o
The Galaxy Note II has been expanded to a 5.5-inch screen and features a quad-core 1.6GHz processor. It also comes with a redesigned stylus. The device will launch in Europe, the Middle East and Asia in October and the US by the end of the year.
While the first-generation Galaxy Note was a hit for Samsung, selling more than 10 million units worldwide, the phablet form factor is still getting off the ground. Samsung has said the Note series of devices is a flagship product for it, and it will likely put some serious marketing resources into promoting the new handset.
(hat tip Phandroid )
Slick: The Magnus stand uses the iPad 2’s own magnets to keep it upright
iPad stands have a nasty habit of being so large and bulky that they become a burden to your desktop. So much so that most people just buy cases with stands built right in. That makes the tablet heavier and bulkier when you carry it around.
The new Magnus stand from Ten One Design looks to be an uber-minimal take on holding your iPad upright at your desk and we like the looks of it a lot. The stand is horizontal only, so it won’t suit every need, but it should be perfect for watching movies or reading in column mode.
The design is clever, leveraging the magnets already built into the iPad 2 for use with the Smart Cover to attach the stand along the left edge. The foot of the stand gives the iPad enough cantilevered support to stay upright for some casual tapping around.
Ten One makes some pretty slick accessories like the Fling game controllers and Pogo stylus’ for iPad and the Magnus looks like a nice addition to its lineup, as long as you don’t mind the horizontal-only limitation. We’ll try to get one in so that we can give you our thoughts on how well they pull this off.
The Magnus is available now on Ten One’s site for $49.99.