iThink iWant to get an iPhone 6

 

(iPhone 6 case – 4.7” Otterbox Case, Wallet – iPhone 6 (4.7”) Verus Wallet Case, Armband – iPhone 6 (4.7”) EnGive anti-slip Armband case, Screen protector – iPhone 6 (4.7”) IQ Shield LiQuidSkin)

 

If you happened to walk by an Apple store earlier today and saw a massive line of people waiting to get in but had no idea what those people were waiting for, let me explain: Apple just released the new line in their iPhone series, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Now that you’re caught up, let me just admit right now that I am really excited about this and have decided to write a short article on just a few iPhone 6 tech-cessories that I’m considering to get (in case you didn’t notice the iPhone paraphernalia above).

Without falling into any boring and pointless iPhone vs. Android debates, or “Samsung did it first” arguments, I present four accessories for the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 that I might purchase…. once  I actually get the phone.

1. The Otterbox case. All cell phones are expensive and sensitive pieces of equipment. iPhone users are probably more familiar with this than most (especially the expensive part). So it would make sense to at least put in a little effort to protect your fragile and costly piece of tech right? The Otterbox is a durable three layered case that protects the entire phone from scratches and dust as well as a little extra protection for those “Oh S—” moments when your phone slips away from you and plummets to the ground. The built in screen protector also prevents annoying little cracks from developing on your screen.

2. iPhone Verus Wallet case. I’ve seen many people use these cases and I’m having a difficult time deciding whether or not these are beneficial. While it is very convenient to have both your phone and wallet in the same place, it could be a problem simply because you have your phone and wallet in the same place. On the plus side you’ll never forget to bring your phone or wallet because they’ll be one and the same and you’ll have fewer things to carry around with you, however in the event that you lose your phone, which honestly probably happens more times than anyone would like,  you will also end up losing your wallet.

3. iPhone 6 Armband case. This little device is perfect for workouts. iPhones only seem to get bigger and bigger every year making them a more and more annoying to have in your pocket when trying to run or bike somewhere. Instead of having a giant 4.7 inch, 127 gram block of expensive and delicate technology rattling around in my pocket during a run or bike ride, i’d rather have it secure somewhere safe but close enough that I can still use it, like strapped securely to my arm in an anti-slip armband.

4. iPhone 6 IQ Shield screen protector. These screen protectors essentially cover your phone screen with a thin layer of a form of polyethylene terephthalate, which is chemistry-speak for a polyester that is flexible, transparent, and durable enough to keep your phone screen pristine. These screen protectors are particularly nice because once installed, you hardly notice that it’s there. The PET film sticks directly on your phone and is thin and clear enough that it appears that nothing is there. They also work to keep dust and oils off your phone, meaning that you won’t get as many annoying dirty fingerprint marks all over your screen. It is also worth noting, that the IQ screen can be used without or with additional cases for protection, however, if you are looking to protect your phone from fall damage, they should not be used alone.

What sort of Entertainment and Amenities do you have?

 

( Television – Samsung 32-in LED, Lights – 10 meter white LED Christmas Lights, Speakers – VIZIO HD Soundbar, Fridge – Danby 1.8 cubic feet Mini-Fridge)

Last week I talked about some suggestions for decorating an empty apartment or dorm room to spice it up and make it more comfortable. While paintings, posters, banners, and other aesthetic pieces are great and make your space more homelike, they are really just for decoration. You can’t really do much with a portrait other than admire it, and if your room is full of only posters and pictures, you’d better be really good at consistently appreciating decorations, otherwise you will run into boredom really quickly. So this week I’ve come up with a short list of more practical devices that, in my opinion, are somewhat mandatory for a dorm or apartment.

1. A relatively inexpensive yet good quality TV like the samsung 32-inch is a perfect choice for an apartment or dorm because it is small enough to fit in even cramped or cluttered living spaces but doesn’t suffer from lack of quality. Having a TV has become so commonplace that it is considered a basic amenity and for good reason; it is a device that offers an easy escape from boredom or stress and for many people, especially college students, there is a never ending need for an escape from boredom or stress.

2. A good quality speaker system like the Vizio sound-bar is a great addition to any dorm or apartment. First of all, you can hook it up to your TV for that “movie-theater style” audio experience. Secondly, having a good speaker system lets you play your favorite music no matter the setting. Whether you want to solo-jam to some tunes or bump music at a house party, a good sound system will always come in handy.

3. A mini-fridge is a perfect little utility to keep around especially if you have roommates. Why? Well having a fridge that everyone shares means that your food is fair game for anyone. Having a mini-fridge in your room ensures that you can keep a close eye on your munchies. It also means that you can be really lazy and keep food literally within arms reach so you don’t have to spend the extra 10 seconds it takes to walk to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat.

4. Christmas Lights. Yes you read that correctly. The great thing about Christmas lights is that you definitely do not only use them for Christmas time. Christmas lights are a perfect decoration for any place in the apartment because they add a vibrant glow throughout the entire place. They are also a more aesthetically pleasing alternative to the bland office-like glow of fluorescent lamps and light bulbs.

So, what sort of entertainment and amenities are essential for your place?

Modernize your Workout routine with these Tech-cessories

(Scale – Withings Smart Body Analyzer, FUEL – Nike Fuelband, Other Wristband – Fitbit Flex, Chest Strap – Under Armour Armour39, Fork – HAPIfork)

We’ve heard all the fitness cliches before: “There’s no substitute for diet and exercise”, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you”, or “It’s called a ‘WORK’ out for a reason”, and while these overused pump-up phrases are generally true, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t little things that can make getting healthier a little easier. While of course “there is no substitute for a proper diet and exercise”, there is some pretty fancy tech out there that can enhance your journey to healthy living.

The first item on the list is something everyone’s heard about. The Nike Fuel Band has been advertised everywhere by Nike. In fact, it’s probably one of the first things you see when walking into a Nike store. What does it do exactly? Well for starters, it’s not just meant to be worn for when your working out. The Fuel Band is meant to by worn throughout the day, keeping track of your activity and calories burned and converting the measurements into a simple easy to understand number that Nike has very cleverly named “Nike Fuel”. It also functions as a watch for when you don’t have your phone with you.

You may think of the Fitbit Flex as just a less popular version of the Nike Fuel Band, but you would be vastly oversimplifying the Fitbit’s function. While it also keeps track of steps, distance, and calories, the Fitbit also takes sleep into account. Sleep is one of the few things that people forget to consider when trying to live a healthy lifestyle. Well with the Fitbit, you can keep track of your sleep cycles and measure the quality of your sleep. It also functions as an alarm clock, for (again) when you forget your phone.

The Under Armour Armour39 is a work-out chest strap, that unlike the Fuel band or Fitbit, was made purely for keeping track of your workouts. It keeps track of your heart rate, calories burned, and a new measurement that Under Armour calls WILLpower – a rating from 0.0 to 10.0 on the quality of your workout. The Armour39 transmits all the information to your iPhone and displays it on the Armour39 app.

The sleek looking scale is known as the Withings Smart Body Analyzer. This may seem just like a fancy new way to describe a weight scale, however, the Smart Body Analyzer does more than just measure a person’s weight. It takes more important measurements that are more directly related to a healthy lifestyle, specifically Body Mass Index (BMI) and (resting) heart-rate. For some reason it also measures the quality of the air in which it is placed, which you wouldn’t exactly expect from your scale, but is still handy for making sure you stay healthy. Like the Armour 39, the Withings Smartbody Analyzer sends Data directly to your mobile device.

The last tech gadget looks deceptively simple however the HAPIfork may be a stroke of genius. It is essentially an eating utensil that tells you when you are eating too much. Okay maybe that’s an oversimplification. The HAPIfork is a Bluetooth enabled “smartfork” that keeps track of your eating habits and sends the data to your personal Online Dashboard. While online, you can see trends in your eating habits and advice on how to modify your diet to get the healthy results you want.

And of course there are dozens apps for mobile devices that can offer advice on workout routines, keep track of calorie intake and expenditure, and virtually every aspect of healthy living.

How Tech’d up are you for School?

 

(Case – Macbook pro case, Keyboard – Accessories, Bag – Mackbook Bag, Laptop – 15” Macbook pro with retina Display, Kindle – Kindle Fire, iPad – 16GB iPad 2, Stylus – smartphone/ tablet stylus.)

Last week I wrote about the joys of “Back to School” week and the basic must haves supplies of going back to school. However I realized after writing that article, that many of those items are very slowly being replaced by numerous tech devices. Take the last decade for example (2000-2010), the only things that kids in school used to do homework was a pen, paper, and notebook and for the most part technological exposure was limited to using the internet for research and using a computer to write essays. However in recent years, technology has been making its way into the classrooms. Online courses can now be substituted for regular courses, smart-boards replace chalk boards and assignments can be given and submitted online rather than in a classroom. While the modern classroom still requires the use of a pen and paper, these are being gradually replaced by different technology. So this week I’m going to focus on certain tech-stuffs that you can add to your collection of school supplies.

For college students, having a laptop is a must. Sure, any student can make use of computers at a campus library, but having a laptop (while expensive) is very, very convenient. Many students in college prefer to take notes on their laptops, and as an added bonus some college professors post lecture notes on their course websites, so being able to access those on your computer while in class can be helpful. And if you’re planning on spending a decent amount of money on a laptop, you might as well make sure it’s worth it and get a laptop that does the job. I personally use a 15” Macbook Pro. While it’s a little heavier than the Macbook air, the hogher processing power and memory storage are mean that I can use my Macbook for things other than school-work.

And lets be honest, when you buy a laptop, it’s not going to be just for schoolwork, you’re going to use it, most likely for every day use, so why not personalize your laptop? Apple has developed many accessories for their products, but some of them are worth buying for both practical and aesthetic reasons. Take a Macbook case for example. It provides some protection for your very, very expensive piece of tech, and can be customized to fit your personality. Keyboard covers can give your laptop an added flair and also serve to protect your laptop from scratches, dirt, or food/drink spills. Laptop bags are essential if you plan on going somewhere without a backpack or an adequately sized purse. It limits your laptops exposure to anything that can damage it which is equally important if you’re traveling somewhere far or simply looking to use your laptop at the local Starbucks.

Some students that I’ve met don’t like using their laptops but instead prefer to use their iPads. They’re lighter than laptops and can access the internet the same, however you probably won’t be writing essays or working on assignments with them. You can however take written notes with them. Thanks to the app Paper for iPad, your iPad become an electronic notepad. All you need is an electronic stylus and you can draw, or take notes on your tablet or mobile device.

Last week I also mentioned that Amazon has a special membership for students that need textbooks. Well as I’ve found out, some textbooks now are available for purchase on Kindle. Now I don’t think I can overstate how convenient having three or four textbooks worth of information on one small device. Not only does it cut down on the amount of stuff you have to carry with you, but you’ll have all your information consolidated in one place!

With this decade already well underway, technology seems to be a part of every day life. And the strange thing is that many of the tech that we already take for granted wasn’t available to us barely ten years ago. However, in my opinion, no matter how far technology can take us there will always be some things that technology cannot replace.

My Travel Bag

(Camera – Canon SLR, iPhone – Apple, iPhone case – Jagger Edge, iPad – Apple, iPad case – Penelope & Parker, Apple chargers – Apple, Kindle – Amazon, Kindle case – Mulberry, Swimsuit – Morgan Maillot, Wallet – Kate Spade, Shoes – Capezio, Hat – OndadeMar, Shades – Vera Bradley, Sunscreen – CLARINS Sun Wrinkle Control SPF 30,  Sandals – American Eagle Outfitters)

What’s in My Travel Bag

I absolutely love my Kindle (I have two, the Kindle Fire and the Kindle with the Keyboard) because not only am I an avid reader, sometimes flying is the only free time I have for reading! With the Kindle Fire, I could also listen to my audibles and watch downloaded movies on the plane.

After flying for hours and checking in at a hotel, I love to relax in a jacuzzi or heated pool, so I always pack a swimsuit – just in case.  Plus, if your destination is close to a beach, you are all set without worrying about where you could find a swimsuit.

Since I rarely wear tennis shoes, do not want to lug a suitcase of heels and desire to wear a dress from time to time, I always bring a pair of heels made for dancing. It is light, functional and looks fabulous with any dress or jeans. When I visited New York City a couple years ago, I comfortably walked over 30 blocks in a pair of Capezio – without any blisters!

And of course, don’t forget your chargers, Apple products and sunscreen!

Food for the Soul

As I travel and discover new places, cultures and people, however, I appreciate how it broadens my horizon.

1. Opens my mind. I organically learn about new and diverse places, people and cultures  that may or may not do things the same way as Americans. Even if I travel to the same place more than once, each experience is new – and different. And I love delicious food from all over the world, from a cart in the middle of the street to a restaurant in the middle of an isolated island.

2. Challenges me to thrive. By far, I am not the most athletic person. I am afraid of heights, and I cannot swim well.  However, I have challenged myself by (safely) zip lining in Costa Rica and black water rafting in Rotorua, which made snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef a piece of cake!  I come back loving myself and appreciating life even more!

3. Allows me to see the beauty of a people globally.  All over the world, I’ve discovered that many of us value inner beauty – love, respect, purity, integrity, friendships and family. There are people in Fiji who are happy just because they are surrounded by beautiful lagoons and clear blue sky. There are people in Slovenia who are happy just because they are surrounded by friends – and cooked wine.

Thus, go forth and explore!