This week, I touch on three subjects most appropriate for January: accessories, organizing and getting into shape.
With so much gift giving in December, January is a big month for accessory sales, so here are a couple of items I like. As an iPhone 4 user, I’ve tried dozens of cases. The best I’ve found that protects both the front and back of the phone is the Sena Hampton Flip.
The case is made from smooth, rigid leather and has a flap that hinges at the top of the phone and snaps in place over the screen to protect it. The case is durable, well-finished and maintains the phone’s slimness. it also has a couple of pockets inside the cover to hold business cards and identification ($60, senacases.com). Sena also makes an attractive leather sleeve, the Ultraslim, which adds less bulk than any other case ($30).
The Apple iPad Smart Cover for the iPad 2 ($30 in vinyl and $70 in leather) provides good protection for the display and turns the device on and off, but does little to protect the back and sides. a good alternative that covers the entire iPad is the CEO Hybrid iPad 2 Holder. like the Apple cover, it doubles as a stand that angles the display. It’s nicely finished in a soft-touch twill pattern on the outside and soft microfiber inside ($50, levenger.com). Levenger also offers an elegant English leather sleeve with sheepskin padding made in England ($129).
For those who want an accessory keyboard, Belkin offers the Keyboard Folio for the iPad 2 that connects via Bluetooth and protects the iPad’s front and back. unlike some add-on keyboards that use soft rubber keys, the Belkin uses hard keys with a spring mechanism ($99, belkin.com). another good choice is the Logitech Keyboard Case by ZAGG for iPad 2, which is a keyboard built into an aluminum shell that serves as a container for the iPad ($100, zagg.com).
Organizing
When it comes to organizing my desk, I always seem to be overwhelmed with cables, power adapters and terminal strips. There are two issues to contend with: bringing the cables to where they need to be and keeping them there, and organizing all of the excess wire, the power blocks and outlet strips. Bluelounge, a design company that seems to come up with one clever solution after another, has two products that are very helpful.
The first is Sumo, a weighted molded square enclosure that fits over the cables and keeps them in place. Sumo works much like a paperweight, but stays in place, thanks to a special suction tread that sticks to flat surfaces ($12).
Bluelounge’s CableBox and CableBox Mini are attractive molded boxes designed to hold an outlet strip, several power adapters and all of the excess wire. Simply drop everything into it and snap on the lid. Openings at either end allow wires to exit neatly and connect to an electrical outlet and to your devices. it transforms a mess to a neat box ($30, bluelounge.com).
Fitness
When it comes to dieting, Weight Watchers has one of the most popular plans. I know, as I’ve been on it many times. it has recently changed its plan, as covered in this month’s Wired magazine, to focus on the source of the calories, favoring those items with more protein, fruit and vegetables. But what’s most useful is its app for the iPhone and iPad that lets you track your points utilizing its online database of calorie counts, including basic foods, store products and restaurant menus. it can even remind you to enter your points. While the app is still a little buggy, it’s very helpful. It’s free with a membership that costs less than $20 per month.
The Withings Wi-Fi Body Scale is a clever product that goes well with one’s effort to lose weight. Each time you weigh yourself, the measurements are tabulated online confidentially over Wi-Fi. you can plot your results over time and even receive email reports on your progress. It’s able to automatically detect and privately keep track of the weights of up to eight different users ($160, withings.com).
Unplugging
Each year on new Year's Day, my wife challenges me to unplug for one day. No computer, Internet, smartphone, iPad, etc. I’ve never been able to do it completely, but it does make me realize that high tech is a mixed bag. There’s more to life than staring at screens.
I wish I could say that high-tech products make life easier, but among all of the products I try, too many end up creating more work, and often aggravation, that’s never compensated by the time savings or simplification that’s promised.
A good example may even be the Wi-Fi scale noted above. Some users will have difficulty connecting to Wi-Fi, making the product frustrating. It’s just the nature of the variability of Wi-Fi routers and computers with so many different home situations. So my advice is: if something is not easy to set up and able to work the first time, send it back and forget about it. Embrace what works and discard what doesn’t. my job this year will be to help you tell one from the other, beginning next week with the Consumers Electronic show.
Baker is the author of "from Concept to Consumer" published by Financial Times Press and available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and other booksellers. he has developed and marketed consumer and computer products for Polaroid, Apple, Seiko and others; holds 30 patents; and is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Baker can be heard on KOGO AM the first Sunday of each month. Send comments to . Comments may be published as Letters to the Editor. Baker's blog is blog.philipgbaker.com, and his website is philipgbaker.com.
AT&T turns on 4G in San Diego
AT&T has announced that it has turned on its 4G LTE network in San Diego, its latest and fastest network technology. according to the company, LTE is capable of delivering mobile broadband speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G. to take advantage of the speeds, customers will need a smartphone or tablet that is capable of accessing LTE.