Cygnett WorkMate for iPhone 5
Price: $25
Ratings: 4.5/5
Web: www.us.cygnett.com
Cygnett
WorkMate for iPhone 5
As a fan of earlier Cygnett iPhone cases, I
was eager to get my hands on the $25 WorkMate for iPhone 5 – and I wasn’t
disappointed. The two-piece case combines a thick polycarbonate shell with an
impact-resistant inner silicone layer. Press-through button overlays cover the
volume and Sleep/Wake controls. The volume overlay works well, but the
Sleep/Wake control takes effort to press. The case is slim and grippable, and
should help cushion impacts if your iPhone falls face-down. This version 5 is a
worthy successor to my beloved version 4 case. It looks great and offers
excellent protection.
Fitbit One
Price: $100
Ratings: 4/5
Web: www.fitbit.com
Almost
as soon as I strapped on the tiny Fitbit One fitness tracker, it became a great
fitness sidekick
Almost as soon as I strapped on the tiny
Fitbit One fitness tracker, it became a great fitness sidekick. With an
easy-to-read display, the gadget rotates through activity a flower icon that
grows or shrinks based on your recent activity level. If you keep it on during
the night, the Fitbit One tracks the hours you sleep; and can wake you via a
silent, vibrating alarm.
The Fitbit One stores your activity
information for several days and syncs wirelessly with PCs, Macs, and certain
iOS devices. On the Fitbit.com website (membership is included), you can
track your progress via charts and graphs, and exchange messages with fellow
Fitbit One users.
Jabra Journey
Price: $70
Ratings: 3/5
Web: www.jabra.com
When
the Journey recognized the number of an incoming call, it announced the name
and gave me the choice of answering the call or ignoring it
When I’m driving and chatting through a
Bluetooth speaker-phone, I prefer huge, easy-to-access buttons. The $70 Jabra
Journey delivers, with big buttons that are simple to find by feel alone. The
unit’s hands-free operation also works nicely: When the Journey recognized the
number of an incoming call, it announced the name and gave me the choice of
answering the call or ignoring it. But when issuing voice commands, I
occasionally had to roar to be understood.
Call quality was up and down. During good
calls, voices sounded clear and natural, but during bad calls, the voices were
robotic and tinny.
Powis iCase Mini
Price: $60
Ratings: 4/5
Web: www.powisicase.com
Thanks
to a hide-away kickstand, you can prop the case up in several different
position
The $60 iCase mini from Powis is a
book-style case with a variety of patterns that exude personality. You can
customize the cover with an image of your own, and even opt to have the inside
of the case inscribed in silver or gold foil.
The case weighs a bit less than half a
pound, and its size does add a small, but noticeable, degree of thickness to
the iPad mini. But it feels well-made and holds the iPad securely. Thanks to a
hide-away kickstand, you can prop the case up in several different positions.
In one position in particular, the stand was surprisingly sturdy, even with
forceful typing.
