Video Review: CableJive dockXtender

Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Gives you the ability to use docks with your case or extend a short cable.
Cons: Expensive, only available in 2 feet or 6 feet options.
Overall: The dockXtender from CableJive is a great product which I use often and frankly the only reason it did not score higher is the price point.  It’s hard for me to justify a $25 2 foot cable ($31 for 6 feet) to extend a docking station that itself may have only cost $100.  Other than that this is a great product that I use in the car to extend my coiled car charging cord.

You can purchase this and many other products from CableJive by clicking here and being directed to their website.

Video Review: Pro Clip iPad Headrest Mount

Rating: 10 out of 10
Pros: Superior construction, ultra sturdy, all open ports, swivel takes advantage of accelerometer, secure while driving, no more scratched DVD’s,.
Cons: The swivel extension could come out a 1/4 inch more to avoid hitting the handle on the back if the seat
Overall: The ProClip Headrest mount is one of the best products I have ever reviewed.  This one product could help revolutionize how we utilize technology, in particular the iPad.  Auto dealers charge up to $2500 for factory installed DVD players and that is usually with one screen.  Let’s do the math: 2 iPads(16GB 3G tax included), $1383, 2 Pro Clip Headrest Mounts with tax and shipping, $230. Total Savings $887 plus you can do more than watch movies.  The Pro Clip iPad Headrest mount is $99.99 and worth every penny.  You know what I mean if you have taken a long car ride with the kids.  This product easily garners my Editor’s Choice Award.

You can purchase the Pro Clip iPad Headrest Mount for $99.99 by clicking here and being directed to their website.

Sneak Peak: Scosche iPad Car Kit

Canada Drive Safe Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free

Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: You never need to take it off your windshield for charging.
Cons: Audio is not the sharpest to hear while driving at high speeds
Overall: The fact that this product allows for solar charging is genius. I literally didn’t remove this from my car’s windshield the entire time I tested it. The only negative that I found with it, is if you leave it on your windshield it can be difficult at times to hear what the other person is saying, especially at highway speeds.

You can purchase this product at CanadaDriveSafe.com for $98.

Just-Mobile Xtand Go Give-Away

Rules for Give-Away:
1. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
2. Visit Just-Mobile.com
3. Email Sales@Just-Mobile.com
4. Tell them your favorite product
5. Winners will be picked at random on May 1st

Video Review: Just-Mobile Xtand Go

Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Very versatile, includes a built-in Allen Wrench, .
Cons: It would be nice if the holder could work with an iPhone in a case.
Overall: I really liked this car mount. It was very flexible and easy to find a good sweet spot for positioning the iPhone. I also liked how it includes extra mount discs in case you want to secure it to your dash or place on your iPhone case. The only thing I would like to see added is maybe an adjustable mount to use it with your iPhone while it’s in a case. I think most people, including myself, probably won’t want to stick the mount disc on the back of  their case. I liked this product so much that I decided to award it our Editors’ Choice Award.

You can purchase this product from MyGearStore.com for $39.95. If you use our promo code “BuyMeAniPhone” you can receive 10% off.

GPS App Review: N Drive

Rating: 5 out of 10
Pros: Multitude of purchase option: purchase the whole country or only major metropolitan areas, decent user interface.
Cons: Navigation is a bit spotty as it usually ads a few blocks and instructs you to make unneeded U-Turns, not as clean and vibrant as other GPS applications on the market.  Putting in destination is clunky at times.
Overall: The N Drive application falls short of the other GPS applications available.  I had high hopes for this app and although I can’t point out glaring shortcomings the overall finish of the application fails to live up to standards.  Map accuracy is sub par although it does get you from point A to point B although sometimes in a roundabout way.  With a little work in numerous areas this app can be a contender but until then I would go with another solution.

If you would like to learn more about Ndrive United States you can check it out in the iTunes App Store by clicking here.  United States purchase price is $32.99.

AT&T Navigator powered by Telenav

Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Very accurate, simple easy to read user interface, powered by a respected name in the navigation industry; Telenav, live traffic alerts.
Cons: Maps not stored on phone and is real time over the cellular network so if you have no cell service you are out of luck, subscription based at $9.99 a month if you choose the monthly billing, charged to your AT&T bill.
Overall: AT&T Navigator performs quite well on the road and is extremely user-friendly and pleasant on the drivers eyes.  I thoroughly enjoyed using this application and service but there are a few things that are a bit of a concern.  First, as mentioned above, the maps are dependent on cellular service which means no cell service equals no navigational application, the other is the monthly or yearly subscription fee.  At $119.88 a year if you choose monthly billing or $69.99 for the yearly subscription you can purchase a navigational app with maps loaded on your phone and only pay a one time fee.

This app performed very well and if you don’t mind the cons, is a very viable well thought out navigational unit.  Learn more about Telenav by clicking here and visiting their website. You can access the application in the iTunes App Store by clicking here.

App Review: TomTom US & Canada

Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: Looks and feels just like a stand alone portable TomTom unit, simple and easy to use, clean user interface that is detailed yet uncluttered, text to speech, super cool looking lane assist.
Cons: Unless you find it on sale, it is an expensive app. The POI icons on the map are in black and white and not color so they seem like an afterthought. Text to speech only active on certain voices.
Overall: The TomTom GPS app for the iPhone looks amazingly similar to stand alone GPS units, so much so that sometimes I forgot it was on my iPhone. The accuracy was right on target and there were plenty of options to give you flexibility to program via points amongst others but not so many features that you actually need a users manual to figure them out.  This is the perfect app for the tech savvy mobile user as well as the user who simply wants their phone and GPS app to work.  TomTom is such a user friendly app I am awarding it my Editor’s Choice Award.

To learn more about this and other GPS apps see my article in the Winter 2010 issue of “iPhone Life Magazine” you can subscribe by clicking here and being directed to their website.

As of this writing (December 20, 2009) TomTom US version was on sale for $49.99 until December 28, 2009, the regular price is $99.99 while the US & Canada Version is on sale for $69.99 regular price $99.99.

You can learn more about TomTom from their website by clicking here and if you click here you will be directed to the TomTom US & Canada page in iTunes.

Video Review: Contour rE-charge USB & Car charger

Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: 2 USB ports for charging 2 devices at once, comes with iPod/iPhone connector.
Cons: It’s a bit large and may stick out too much for some vehicles.
Overall: I really liked this product and it definitely is the best solution for those that travel a lot or for those that always need to have a Car and Wall charger with them.

You can purchase this product directly from Contour for $39.95