Hasta La Ideas

Keep your digits cozy and usable this winter with touchscreen-friendly gloves

The latest Freehands gloves are now available just in time for winter to come blowing in. As the resident glove of choice here at CH, Freehands was born out of collaboration between our founder Josh Rubin and his father—expert glove manufacturer Stanley Rubin. New for 2011 are a handful of styles featuring new materials and upgraded tech with the same touch screen friendly design, including two new knits and a redesign of the top selling soft shell.

Particularly noteworthy is the new leather collection, with a style for men and women each. These supple leather gloves sport a sleek design lined with a soft knit blend of cashmere, wool and nylon. Like most Freehands gloves, the leather collection features a foldable tip on the thumb and forefinger to allow the wearer free use of touchscreen devices or simply find the right key in your pocket.

Also new is the youthful Hearts and Stripes glove for women. The playful knit is made with a cozy wool and acrylic blend and comes in black, purple and red color combinations. Dots on the palm help keep your phone from slipping and foldable finger tips hold back by magnets to allow for easy texting. Made of the same knitted blend and grippy palm detail, the new Solid Knit has conductive silver thread woven into the index and thumb—instead of the usual caps—for device usage without exposing any digits. Plus it’s available in bright pink and benefits the National Breast Cancer Foundation with each pair sold.

As an update on their top seller, the Soft Shell for men has been redesigned with a “swipe and flip” feature. This hybrid solution has conductive material on the forefinger tip that allows you to swipe to answer with the finger caps on, but still can be folded back for texting or other things that require a bit more accuracy.

Prices range between $18 for the simple knit to $75 for the leather collection. For more details and to see the entire line head to Freehands online.

A new rugged case and free app keep you on track and your iPhone safe while cycling

Bicycle gear and accessories brand BioLogic is set to release its strongest product yet—the completely weather- and shock-proof ReeCharge iPhone case. What makes this adventure-ready case truly unique is the integrated lithium polymer battery that keeps the battery charged, thus making the fully enclosed case perfect for cold weather—which typically drains battery life—and able to sustain longer adventures on the ski slopes or in the saddle.

The ReeCharge case, which drops in mid-November 2011, is optimized for cycling by connecting it to the handlebars with an optional mount and using BioLogic’s BikeBrain app to turn a cell phone into a cycling computer.

BikeBrain uses a phone’s existing GPS system to track movement, speed, distance and even altitude, all displayed in an easy-to-read, customizable format. The thoughtful app also keeps time on rides and stores the data for consistent training stats or to track sight-seeing routes.

BikeBrain is available as a free download from the iTunes App Store, with a sizable upgrade to unlimited training options and trip logs, and the ability to directly connect and share via email and across most channels of social media.

For more information and to watch informative videos on the ReeCharge iPhone case or the BikeBrain app head to Biologic online.

Seven wireless speakers that push the boundaries of sound and design

With Apple’s unrelenting dominance of the consumer marketplace for mobile devices, most high-tech electronics companies are making the push to join in and offer AirPlay-enabled devices capable of wireless streaming directly from iTunes on an iOS device or OSX computer. The following are seven of the newest AirPlay-compatible speakers pushing the limits of technology and design.

Audyssey

The Lower East Side Audio Dock Air, which launches today, 19 October 2011, is a bass-heavy, single-unit system compatible with all iPod and iPad models. Sharing the same advanced engineering and similarly inspired by the same New York neighborhood as the LES Speakers, this new wireless system delivers pure, distortion-free sound with plenty of power. The compact design favors two one-inch tweeters and two three-inch mid-range woofers, giving it its deep bass. Available today for $400 from Audyssey.

Bowers & Wilkins

By one of the first brands to directly target the AirPlay market and to be backed by Apple, the Zeppelin Air is a near perfect blend of superior audio technology and beautiful design. Available through Amazon for $600.

Although the Zeppelin Air isn’t the newest kid on the block, they’ve recently released the Zeppelin Air mobile app. Compatible with all AirPlay systems, the free downloadable app acts as a real-time jukebox by allowing multiple users to create individual playlists, and then collaboratively edit each other’s lists from separate mobile devices, while their tunes continue to play seamlessly..

Philips

The design-driven Dutch company has created a bold, beautiful wireless system in the Fidelio SoundRing. The speakers deliver 360 degrees of surround sound, and look brilliant from any angle at the same time. The compact design allows the circular speaker to be taken from its dock and moved wirelessly throughout the room for stellar audio anywhere. The Fidelio SoundRing, powered by 16W RMS of total output power, will be released in November with a retail price of $300.

Loewe

The unassuming design of the Air Speaker doesn’t do justice to its sound capabilities, or maybe it’s that the designers wanted the audio to speak for itself. Either way, this wireless system is one we can’t wait to try. Inside the minimalist, box-like speaker are two subwoofers, two tweeters and two mid-range speakers for a total power of 80 watts. Unfortunately for those of us in the States, the Loewe Air Speaker will not be released in North America. The European market launch is set for late November 2011 where it will be available in multiple colors for $999.

Altec Lansing

The inAir 5000 blends clean lines and plenty of technology. Packed inside the sleek teardrop shape are two mid-range drivers, two tweeters, three amps, and one banging four-inch subwoofer. With a total output of 110 watts, the inAir 5000 is quite a bit larger than the others and clearly aims for the power seat among its competitors. This system also launches next month, for a price that’s yet to be released.

Klipsch

The Gallery G-17 takes the most impressive speakers from the brand’s larger Gallery Series speaker line to deliver the same rich sound in a pared-down body. The sleek design and high-gloss finish make for an elegant system that sounds just as nice. Designed for wall-mounting or as a tabletop set-up on the dark glass base, the G-17 is set to be released in November 2011 for $550.

House of Marley

The One Foundation Speaker Dock disguises a bundle of advanced features in a handsome, earth-conscious and FSC-certified-wood exterior. The two-channel, all-in-one audio system outputs smooth sound as an iPod/iPhone charging dock with an aux-in connection to hook up any other device as well. Housing two substantial, 5.25-inch woofers for a strong bass, the One Foundation—whose improved, second-generation iteration (pictured is the original) drops in early 2012—makes for a beautiful set-up, inside and out. Once released, it will sell for $600.

Wrap your mobile phone in fine, seamless Italian leather

Slovenian company Calypso Crystal continues to add a human touch to tech accessories with their new Italian leather Calypso Case. Like their remarkable, hand-polished Crystal Dock, the cases are the work of experienced craftsmen who hand-stretch the leather skin around the titanium frame in order to avoid stitching.

The Calypso speaks to the beauty vs. protection dilemma many iPhone users have with most protective cases. Not only is it arguably as luxurious as the device itself, but its holster-like design allows you to keep the phone secure when not in use, and still show off its glossy exterior when it is.

Handcrafted in four vibrant colorways, the Calypso Case works with the iPhone 4 and 4S. Pick one up at Calypso Crystal online for $119.

Charge your iPhone in a solar-powered case

With the recently released Mobius, a sleek new solar battery case for the iPhone 4, Palo Alto-based company Eton has upped the ante on green solutions for mobile devices. Mobius is a huge improvement over previous solar chargers that relied mostly on clunky external designs with limited mobility. Mobius users simply place the case in the sun and charging starts immediately. The pack can also be detached and charged separately, the energy stored for when you need it. An LED readout lets users know how much energy remains, and the pack is equipped with a slide bar to stop charging and save energy. For skeptics afraid of rainy days, Mobius can also be charged via a convenient USB port.

A full charge effectively doubles your battery life with an additional five hours of talk time, or eight hours of either 3G internet or video playback. If you don’t have time for a long charge, one hour in the sun will get you 25 minutes of talk time. Apple has long supported solar solutions, and this is the third Apple-specific device from Eton. Their Soulra  and Soulra XL solar-powered speakers are definitely worth a look.

What really impressed us about Mobius was its discreet design and practicality. Doubling as an iPhone protector case, the battery pack is conveniently shaped so as not to interfere with the device’s usability. The hard plastic case feels solid and the battery pack has a comfortable ergonomic design. It’s also seductively slim and lightweight, two advantages that indicate a graceful future for solar power given its relatively cumbersome origins.

Mobius sells through Amazon for around $80.