Elegant, Useful, and Superior. These are the three words that describe the Cadence 4:20 Classic watch in my opinion and I truly believe that the watch is a testament to how the company manages its products, from production to shipping. The unit that I received came in an orange gift box and the minute I opened it up, I knew there was something special about it, from the leather band to the ticking hands on the face. With that, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of the watch. As I mentioned before, the watch  has a elegant vibe that you get as soon as you open up the box, and one of the best things that I loved about the watch is the presentation of it.

“If you think 4:20 is the most important time of day, this watch is for you. If you have no idea why 4:20 is a special time of day, there is nothing here for you.”

The watch was laid out with the leather band spread out in the gift box. Picking it up, I felt that it had the perfect weight, and the feel of the stainless steel and the leather bands had the perfect balance. After I put it on, however, I noticed a few things that I disliked compared to some of the other watches that I’ve used in the past. The leather band was my favorite thing and it fit perfectly, however, I felt that some of the corners of the watch (the piece the band was attached to)  were a little bit oddly shaped, poking at your wrist if you moved your hand at certain angles. Another thing I noticed about the watch was its lack of numbers, something which most of the Cadence watches are missing. While it may seem that I’m being nitpicky and these can be classified as higher end watches, I felt that for the price, most people would want numbers on the watch.

Cadence’s naming of the watch was superb, calling it 4:20 after the time when most people are taking a break from their daily lives, noticing that their long day of work is almost over, or getting ready for something special. It’s something that made me go, “wow, I never realized 4:20 was of such importance in my life, until now”. The 4:20 classic is made of stainless steel, has a leather strap.  measures a 40 mm diameter, 9 mm thick and uses Miyota movement (Japan) to keep the hands ticking. It’s definetely in a whole class by itself and sets itself apart from other watches out on the market, many of which boast the location from which their watch was imported or what materials were used. Cadence keeps it simple, hihlighting 4:20, giving it a classic watch look, and makes it sexy enough to appeal to many different types of people. For me, the watch was one of the better ones I’ve used, and the pros outweighed the cons.

The Cadence 4:20 Classic Watch can be bought on their website for $85.00USD.

Pros:

*Excellent leather band; soft, elegant, classic

-Watch face looks simple; classy look; and highlights 4:20 (which Cadence says not to buy if it means nothing to you; trust me, it does after you start using it)

- Higher-end feel, definetely not an afterthought

- High quality products, could last you a long time

- 5ATM Water Resistant

-has a 5 Year limited warranty

Cons:

- Odd shape for body of the watch, may poke you a bit at certain angles

- No numbers on the watch, especially if you want the classic look for an everyday watch

- High price of $85 may deter certain people from buying the watch, (but, hey, style means money!)

Apple released the iPhone 4S last month and a number of cases have come out that add a little bit of style and pizzaz to your new investment. The XtremeMac Microshield Layers is truly a great pick for the iPhone as it combines a layer of soft protection for the inside and a hard outer shell that defends against small drops and bumps. Together, it is one of the strongest, most durable, and simple cases to use. The case wraps tightly around your iPhone 4S, so there’s a guarantee that the iPhone will be snug when taking in and out of your pocket. One negative side note though, the Michroshield Layer case is one of the cases that is very tough to remove. I had to pry open the case with a number of items, including a credit card. There should be a small opening or slit that, with a slight push, should open the case right up. Other than that, there are absolutely no complaints about this case.

The rainbow color wasn’t really my taste, however the case including two inside soft layers, one Rainbow, one all blue. The blue one seemed to be the best fit for me, as it protected my iPhone very well, but at the same time, added some solid colors and design to my phone. The small bubbles on the back on great for resting on tables and good for grip. The back of the iPhone, on the inside collected no dust which I found impressive, as most iPhone cases usually accumulate a good amount of dust and debris that scratches the backside of the iPhone. This one however, did a very good job of protecting against that. The XtremeMac Microshield Layers are not yet available for sale, but will be coming soon. You can purchase yours here for $39.99.  In the end, here’s a recap:

Pros 

-solid case, colorful, very efficient in protecting the iPhone

-soft and hard combo is very interesting and useful

-protects iPhone 4S from drop/dust/debris

Cons

-Very, Very hard to remove and plastic breaks sometimes when trying to remove

Out of 5 stars, this case receives a 4.5

The iMainGo X case is covered in a synthetic, smooth black fabric, which houses hard plastic for extra drop protection. The case is closed by a zipper that goes all around the edges of the case, and when fully closed, shows two speakers , each  7/8” in diameter, covered with a metal grill.  There are also two open bass ports which allow heavy beats and smooth undertones. On the outside, near the bass ports and the charging input, there are two headphone jacks, numbered 1 and 2.

When headphones are plugged into jack 1, the iMainGo X is powered off and the sound comes directly from the MP3 player, allowing for private listening without having to take out the iPhone. The iMainGo X is specifically tailored for the iPhone and iPod touch and features a window on the back of the case which allows you to put your device inside of the case and use it in one piece.

You can navigate the interface exactly as you would without the case and allows for multiple iMainGo Xs to be linked together for maximum sound. The great thing about iMainGo X is that it doesn’t have to be a case but could also double as an external speaker for other devices larger than the speaker, like the iPad or even a Macbook.

Pros:

The speakers were able to function very well when volume is turned up and sound was not muddled; Speakers are very good for such a small and portable case, something that usually isn’t expected. Plays a range of beats and sounds very well without any difference in terms of sound.

Cons:

Material on the inside feels cheap; clear window in front is made of thin plastic which may tear easily; 3.5mm line jack isn’t long enough for other devices such as the iPad (although the company does advertise that it works).

iMainGo X works with many devices including the iPhone original to iPhone 4, iPod touch (any generation), and Microsoft Zune players. Other Apple iPods work but are not fully accessible. iMainGo X is available for $69.95 at EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports). iMainGo is also set to release iMainGo for iPad this year.

Tech Specs

Speakers: Extra large 37mm premium high output stereo
Output: 2.1W per channel
Amplifier: premium state-of-the-art digital
Bass: Tuned porting
Headphone jack, combination jack/auxiliary, mic-in
Power Supply: rechargeable lithium-ion battery with up to 12 hours battery life
Plug: 3.5mm gold-tipped stereo
Weight: 9 ounces (255 grams)
Size: 5.7” x 3.8” x 2.4” (145mm x 96mm x 61 mm)

Review Model 2GB (8GB Pictured Above) Both models are same size

The Verbatim Tuff- N’-Tiny USB is truly a great product. When it arrived at the doorstep, we couldn’t help but marvel at how small it actually was. The USB is less than an inch long and as thin as 2 millimeters. It definitely  puts the S in small. I got the pleasure of reviewing a 2GB Tuff N Tiny drive and I have to say that it is quite easy to use. I thought that because it was missing the outer metal shell , it would be hard to put into any port, but I was surprised. The USB easily slides into any USB port and shows up in the computer’s queue within seconds. Verbatim’s Tuff N Tiny also has a key ring, which I’ve been using for the past few days. It’s hardly noticable and adds no bulk, and I can proudly say that it comes to the rescue when you need to transfer files on the go.

It is tough and water-impermeable, which is always a plus incase you go the beach or the pool (sand can and will get into a USB at the beach, BUT NOT THIS ONE!). Verbatim’s name for the product is truly representative of what the product actually delivers and I believe that it is guaranteed to be one of the best USB drives and flash memory products you have used and is undoubtedly worth the $50 pricetag.

Give it a try. It’s available on the Verbatim website, or if you’re looking for the specific one reviewed here (2GB Orange), you can get it here.

Apple announced the future of iOS today with iOS 5, introducing the biggest part, a revamped notification system, the biggest change to the OS since iOS 3. The new system is called Notification Center and is accessed similar to Android when swiped down from the top of the screen.

Notification Center aggregates all the notifications in one spot and allows for easy access to all at one time instead of clicking each one individually. This is the first Pull Down menus we have seen in iOS and could be included to a number of features throughout. Notifications are also now on the lock screen, allowing easy access to calendar events as well as missed phone calls. Apple, aside from the major change of notifications has introduced Newsstand which allows newspapers and books to be found in one place. Other features in iOS 5 are:

Twitter Integration

Twitter integrates (as rumored) within iOS which tweets messages and you location through iOS. Integrated with many apps, including Camera and Photos. Just tap the action button, hit “Tweet” and it’s attached. This is done through Single sign-on. Simply, go into Settings, add in your details, and you’re configured for Twitter. These details are saved and can be used with any application.

Safari in iOS 5

Safari now has Reader capability, allowing for newspapers and articles to be read in a clutter free view. Apple also introduced something called Reading List, (basically InstaPaper), which allows articles to be saved for reading later and across devices. Other features include:

- Tabbed browsing
- Twitter integration (as do all other apps)
- Reminders (lists of things, assign a reminder to any dates, and you can even assign a location)

Camera Updates

- Camera button on lock screen for easy access
- Volume up button allows picture taking
- pinch-to-zoom as well as hold and tap exposure
- Photo editing directly on device (You can crop, rotate, reduce red-eye, and you can do a one click enhance)

Mail Updates

- Rich-text formatting, indentation control, draggable addresses (from To: to Cc: or Bcc:), flagging so you can mark them as unread, and now you can search the entire contents of messages.
- S/MIME is being added for added security
- built-in dictionary (also a service across iOS)
- New keyboard (grab it with thumbs and the keyboard splits in two

PC Free

A computer is no longer necessary for syncing the device. It can be set up directly, when turned on, the screen displays a welcome message, allowing setup and activation right on the device.

iMessage

New messaging service for all iOS users, regardless of device and features delivery receipts, read receipts, and real-time typing notification (which is pushed to all of your devices)
- Allows access to photo albums
- Sends notification when message arrives

AirPlay

AirPlay mirroring, letting you mirror your entire iPad right to the TV — wirelessly.

Apple is allowing developers to receive a seed for the SDK, today and briefly talked about device compatibility. Basically, any device from the iPhone 3GS on will work on iOS 5. iOS 5 will be released to users this coming Fall, possibly after the release of new hardware for the iPhone iPod touch and iPad.

{Image: Engadget}

SkyFire, produced by Skyfire Labs, Inc. is an app that brings flash to the iPhone and iPod touch. While the app does play full flash videos on most sites on the web, there are the exceptions where video does not play. Skyfire labs has great customer service that accepts request from within the app for sites that currently don’t play videos. After receiving a request , Skyfire will do it’s best to fix the site to work on the browser. The browser works very smoothly, loading pages very quickly and efficiently. The settings in the app are spot on, giving you all controls at once with the click of 3 buttons or less. There were a couple of negative parts of the app that I felt could use a bit more work:

1) The Social Sharing and SkyBar at the bottom gave the browser a cluttered feel, and I was always fearing that I would click something that I didn’t want to click.

2) Simplicity is lacking. The multiple buttons on top should be brought down and should display in full in landscape view.

3) Allow the browser to scroll back to top with the touch of the bar up top (similiar to Safari)

4) Needs a few maintenance and stability updates (mulitple crashes since download)

Skyfire is a great replacement for Safari, if only small features could be fixed. Other than that, there are no problems and the app runs and does what it’s supposed to do. It’s a truly great app and there isn’t another application in all of the App Store that does as good a job of playing flash videos than Skyfire does. I suggest you download it, it’s definetely worth giving a try.

Image from BGR (Boy Genius Report)

Coming out of the holiday weekend brought some interesting news about the iPhone moving to other networks. Now that the iPhone is no longer exclusive to AT&T and it’s now operating on the CDMA networks of Verizon, there is a very likely possibility that T-Mobile will be getting the iPhone as soon as this year. It has also been rumored that Apple is looking to release the long awaited white iPhone 4 this Wednesday, April 27th, 2011. Reports from Boy Genius Report as well as MacRumors point to an iPhone 4 release on T-Mobile. The pictures from a source at BGR likely confirm this possibility that Apple is curently testing a prototype dubbed, “N94″, on T-Mobiles 3G network. There is alsoa rumor floating around that soon after T-Mobile, Apple is looking to move to Sprint, which is the fourth major service provider in the US. If it does play out as rumored, the iPhone will open up to AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint, giving users many more options on network providers. Check out the pics below: 

Image from BGR (Boy Genius Report)

Image from BGR (Boy Genius Report)

( Via BGR)

]]> http://kmiahali.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/iphone-rumored-to-support-t-mobiles-3g-network-and-maybe-sprint/feed/ 1 kmiahali iPhone T-Mobile iPhone T-Mobile iPhone T-Mobile 3 http://kmiahali.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/living-earth-hd-for-iphone-world-clock-and-weather-review/ http://kmiahali.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/living-earth-hd-for-iphone-world-clock-and-weather-review/#comments Fri, 22 Apr 2011 02:13:38 +0000 Kaled Ali http://kmiahali.wordpress.com/?p=550 ]]>

Three Trees is an interesting twist on your average game and is very different than games that one normally plays. The most interesting part is the attention to detail, although the opening menu could use some work. The buttons seem unclickable. Other than that, ThreeTrees definitely fulfills it’s promise.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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