Today is Black Friday. If you’re like a lot of people who have the day off from work, you may have decided to keep your sanity by staying in to avoid the crushing crowds and horrendous traffic. You’re not alone. Many people forgo the craziness of Black Friday shopping, and opt to buy their gifts online instead. It’s easy, convenient, and safe. There’s little chance of being trampled by hordes of shoppers while sitting at the computer. But there’s also a possibility that you’re still not quite sure what to buy for some of the people on your gift list. Most of us know a gadget geek or two, and odds are, those folks are enthusiastic about mobile phones and accessories. You can always give cell phones as gifts, but for those family and friends who already have the cell phone they want, you don’t have to settle for giving fruitcake. There are plenty of accessories out there that can enhance anyone’s experience of using a mobile phone. These are just three that we like.
Powermat Wireless Charger
Cell phones come with wired chargers, and replacements are available for sale if the original is lost. Plans are in the works for a universal charger to be available by 2012, which will make being able to charge a phone much easier, and less expensive since it will reduce the need to buy replacement chargers, even if you buy a different phone. But 2012 is still a little ways off, and the universal charger, while a great development, is still a wired accessory in an increasingly wireless world.
Leave the wires behind with the Powermat Wireless Charger. It charges mobile phones and a few other devices via magnetic induction. The only wire necessary is the one that plugs the charger unit into the wall. To charge a cell phone requires a receiver sleeve to be slipped over the phone or other device, like the Nintendo DS. The device is then placed on the charger unit, and receives power without being plugged in. There’s also a separate Powercube that can be placed on the charger mat, and then plugged into many more devices with interchangeable USB tips, including BlueTooth headsets, and even some ebook readers. The Powermat Wireless Charger is compatible with several phone models from multiple manufacturers, and can charge more than one device at a time. There’s even a hinged, portable one for travel.
Both Powermat models cost $99.99. The Powercube costs $29.99. Sleeves and USB tips vary in price.
Solar Powered Speakerphone
We’ve all seen those people walking around with BlueTooth headsets stuck in their ears. I’ve even seen a few people with two, one in each ear. No matter who it is, every time I see someone with one of these earpieces, it makes me think they’re in the process of being assimilated by the Borg. Well, you know what? Resistance is not futile. There’s a way around looking like Locutus of Borg, at least while in the car. For that person who just has to be connected at all times, consider giving the LG HFB-500 solar-powered BlueTooth car speakerphone.
BlueTooth headsets are a step in the right direction toward less cell phone distraction while driving. No one should be dialing, or even holding a phone, and definitely should not be texting while driving. Although these headsets free the driver’s hands, it’s still a bit of a distraction to have a speaker that rests right up against the ear. Depending on how loud the volume is turned up, it may make it difficult to hear important things like other car horns or ambulance sirens. A speakerphone allows a driver to hold a conversation without the distraction of holding a cell phone, or wearing a headset.
Like most car speakerphones, the HFB-500 comes with a cord that plugs into the car’s cigarette lighter or power jack. But LG went a step further and installed a solar panel which allows the unit to draw power from the sun. It also comes with a suction cup mount, so the device can be attached to a window and maintain its charge. A second cord connects the HFB-500 to just about any LG phone, which means the unit doubles as a portable charger. It’s convenient and environmentally friendly.
The LG HFB-500 solar powered speakerphone sells for anywhere from $65.99 to $79.99, depending on the retailer. Do a little research to find the best price.
Gift Cards
Some people seem to think gift cards are gifts given by the lazy, or reserved for people not worth the time to figure out what they really want. I disagree. Gift cards are opportunities. They give the recipient endless possibilities—well, endless to the extent of what is offered by the store the gift card is from—to choose for themselves something they will really like and not have to return. More and more wireless and handset companies are launching app stores. Rather than a gift card to a department store or restaurant, why not give a gift card that will allow the mobile enthusiast in your life to load up their phone with the latest apps or music?
The best example of this is the iTunes gift card. Apple is the only company that offers its own gift cards that are good for purchasing products from its own app store. The cards can be used for anything iTunes offers, whether it’s music, TV shows, movie rentals, or any of the tens of thousands of applications available for the iPhone. The gift cards come in denominations of $15, $25, and $50.
Android Market, which provides apps for Android-based smartphones, doesn’t sell its own gift cards. It does accept gift cards, though, as long as they have a logo from American Express, Visa, MasterCard, or a few others. As Android Market grows, this may change, and they may begin offering their own branded cards. But for now, Android phone owners can easily buy apps with a gift card backed by one of the listed companies.
BlackBerry’s App World offers many great apps for the myriad BlackBerry devices available. Although App World doesn’t offer its own gift cards either, it does seem to accept them. The BlackBerry Wallet user manual contains instructions for adding gift cards, yet doesn’t specify what kind of gift cards are accepted. Since BlackBerry Wallet also accepts gift cards, it stands to reason a customer could use gift cards with credit card logos on them, such as Visa or American Express. Check with your local BlackBerry vendor before buying one to be sure your gift recipient will be able to use the card you give them.
A few months ago, it was announced that a Verizon app store, or VCast app store, would be launched in the fourth quarter of this year. It’s nearly December, and that still hasn’t happened. But Verizon does have a media store that sells ringtones, games, and apps. The problem is, when a customer chooses a product from the media store, it’s downloaded to their phone, and the cost, if any, is added to their monthly wireless bill. This makes it difficult to give a Verizon customer the gift of music or apps for their mobile device. Let’s hope Verizon makes good on their promise of having a dedicated app store available before the end of the year, and even better, before the gift-giving holidays are over.
Speakerphone photo courtesy MobileBurn
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