Latest Consumer Articles

Case-Mate - Style and substance for your smart phone

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:19:36 -0700

Barely There, Fuel, Chrome, Backpack, Clear Armour and Dockster.
No not Santa’s new reindeers, but definitely something you would want for Christmas or a birthday or in fact, just as a treat to yourself at any time throughout the year.

These are some of the ranges of the Case-Mate skins and cases available for the coolest smartphones on the market including BlackBerry, iPhone and HTC.

You’d be certainly be forgiven for feeling a little overwhelmed by the choice with so many designs available, so here’s a little guidance to help you find the perfect Case-Mates to match your personality and style.

Case-Mate Barely There has a sporty feel with an impact resistant flexible plastic shell and comes in a great range of colours to suit your mood or style. This protects your BlackBerry, iPhone or iTouch whilst still allowing much of the phone to be on display.

The Case-Mate Fuel is the big daddy of the Case-Mate range as it not only looks fabulous, but has some rather extraordinary features, not least of which is its ability to provide extended battery life on the go! As a protective case, carrying solution and mobile charger, it will give iPhone users up to nine hours additional talk time and BlackBerry Bold users up to seven hours additional talk time. Awesome! Especially useful for those who are out and about a lot and using internet, video or music regularly. Currently available for the BlackBerry Bold and the iPhone, other models will be introduced shortly.

The Case-Mate Backpack is a form-fit leather covered shell for the BlackBerry Bold 9000. It features croc effect high quality leather over a durable plastic shell and wouldn’t be out of place in the boardroom or in the hands of a budding entrepreneur.

Case-Mate Chrome does what it says on the bling – it offers a polished mirrored façade with a case that covers the back and corners of your phone, so it remains protected whilst being reflective. One for the magpies and true fashionistas! Available for iPhone, BlackBerry and Nokia e71 smartphones.

For the military geeks among us or for anyone who remembers and loved Air Wolf, the Case-Mate Clear Armour is for you. These covers are military grade protective film originally designed to guard helicopter blades from extreme environmental conditions. It’s a clear case suitable for a wide range of phones (and laptops!). Subtle, but super tough.

The Case-Mate Dockster is a unique 2-piece leather case designed to easily slide off and connect to Apple's iPhone dock. When done syncing, the bottom piece easily slides back into place. Every accessory has the opportunity to feel and look stylish with Case-Mate!

Smartphones always look good in a Case-Mate

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:17:57 -0700

If you think Leather, Naked, Smart, Stealth, Tribal and Vroom sounds sexy, you’d be absolutely right.
These smartphone cases and skins from Case-Mate have been designed with the discerning and stylish customer in mind.

Joining the Barely There, Fuel, Chrome, Backpack, Clear Armour, Dockster and Fuel, the rest of the Case-Mate range just keeps on giving you choices.
The Case-Mate Leather range offers a great selection in a wide range of colours and finishes that would suit his and hers phones with its high quality Italian leather. Colours range from black to hot pink, green, red and brown. There are case and holster combos as well as limited edition Carbon Fiber Leather BlackBerry cases. This rare leather has only been used in high end aftermarket cars (Techart Porsche) and very high end cell phones (Vertu). There is also a Signature Case for the HTC Diamond – a smartphone that is both intuitive, innovative and extremely good looking!

Case-Mate Naked Skin is the world's first touch-through case for the iPod Touch, phone and Nano, BlackBerry and the Googlephone.
This revolutionary patent-pending technology mimics the function of touch screens so exactly, that touch functions flawlessly while in this case, even though you are actually touching the screen through the case. For the first time you can have the best of both worlds-complete protection and full functionality. Naked skins are understated, for those who want to care for their phone without making too much fuss about it.

Case-Mate Smart Skins are just for BlackBerrys and like all clever fruit the skin is designed to protect the goodness within it! In this instance with a silicone material printed with a carbon fibre pattern. The skin protects the entire device whilst providing access to all ports and buttons. Stunningly simple, yet in typical Case-Mate style, cunningly clever. And of course, very easy on the eye.
For the James Bonds’ amongst you, Stealth would be the choice of Case-Mate for your 3G iPhone. A privacy screen on the front and self-healing matte black defensive backing ensures your iPhone stays below the radar. Includes a full-face privacy screen that provides a 45° viewing angle.

This member of the Case-Mate family allows you to broadcast to your ‘tribe’ with the iPhone 3G Tiki / Tribal case. Made with superior rubber and designed with funky tribal style art in super bright colours. Even if you throw it around, this one will most likely bounce!
Last but not least in the Case-Mate range is the aptly named Vroom. A new tyre-tread pattern case for the iPhone 3G, iTouch 2G and 4th gen Nano. Made from 100% rubber, this sporty form-fit case will protect your phone in style. Also comes in spanky colours. Totally top gear!

Reverse Osmosis Filters - No Longer The Best Home Water Filter

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

When reverse osmosis filters were introduced at the turn of the last century, it was to stave off the rash of deaths brought on by the contraction of waterborne diseases. While reverse osmosis water filters have done an admirable job up to this point, there is more that needs to be done. Since the advent of the practice of chlorine disinfection back in 1908, water treatment facilities have used reverse osmosis water filters to spare many lives over the years. The system designed primarily to remove sediment from our drinking water had taken great strides in the combat against biological contaminants in the water supply. Since then, things have been going steadily downhill where reverse osmosis water filters are concerned. The industrial revolution in America has given us many appreciable luxuries, but it has cost us the possibility to be able to find drinkable water from any existing natural source. Reverse osmosis filters must now contend with contaminant such as herbicides, pesticides, petroleum products, cleaning agents, and pharmaceuticals, that the system wasn't designed to be able to stop. This is the dilemma that we find ourselves in today. We are reliant on reverse osmosis water filters to do something that they were never intended to have to do. They were only built to remove particles that were heavier that water molecules. The system is incapable of slowing down this armada of chemical contaminants. With the additional help from a multi-stage filtering system that is designed to precisely and effectively block out the individual threats that we now face, reverse osmosis systems could be effective, but only as the first stage in this chain. Don't however expect to see any large scale changes at the treatment centers. The water treatment facilities are typically county run, and funded by the state. There is no possible way for a county or state government being able to come up with enough extra money to be able to make the kinds of renovations that the reverse osmosis water filters need to make. So, what is to be done in order to make up for the inadequacies of the reverse osmosis filters in order to make our water safe to drink? It seems that we as individuals are forced into deciding on a personal level whether or not the health threat that the public drinking water poses to our families is great enough to force us into taking steps to protect ourselves. The answer is a simple one for me, but it might not be for everyone. People have known about the shortcomings of reverse osmosis water filters for years, and have still done nothing. The threat to our health is growing greater all of the time. With new impurities turning up at regular intervals it's only going to get worse. Now is the time to take action by purchasing a home water purification system. You can't afford to wait until they discover evidence. With 2100 known carcinogens already in the water supply, we cant depend on reverse osmosis water filters any longer.

Global Warming And Americas Addiction To Oil

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Global warming is caused by the build up of co2 in the earths atmosphere. This build up causes the heat from the sun to be retained inside of our atmosphere thus increase the global temerature. 70 million tons of co2 are being released into the atmosphere daily.At this rate you will see that in the next 50 years that global warming will have caused the polar caps to melt causing an the ocean levels to rise by 20ft. An example: If all of the ice were to melt in Greenland, ocean levels would rise by 3ft. This global warming is man made and is the number one threat to the earth and its occupants at this time. If we do not stop what we are doing the damage will be irreversable and I believe as well as others that this is the case already. How do we get the whole world to stop polluting for just a week,not that this would make a difference. When we really need it to stop permanently right now and how do we do that with our dependence on oil. There are alternative fuel sources however some people do not care or are ignorant to the fact.Big money says global warming is a myth and lets keep foing what we are doing so we can live in our mansions and driving Bentleys. So most people would choose greed and power over the survival of the earth. We are killing this planet and it is only a matter of time before the planet flushes us down the toilet so that it may cleanse itself like it has in the past. Raising public awareness is a tough thing to do when you can't get people to pay attention. They would rather play their video games and eat and ignore the whole global warming thing altogether especially when they do not believe that global warming is real. People in America are blind to the whole issue and are being left in the dark. The signs are the however nobody is paying attention.They are all wrapped up in their me,me worlds and do not care about this planet or other people. This is a country in danger of losing everything if it does not wake up.We truly need to get on the ball to put an end to the #1 threat to the planet and to save this planet for generations to come. In the next 50 years there will be catastrophic events taking place and people will believe that it is some type of freak of nature and not realizing that these events are going to be long term and we will have to work around them as long as time will allow. What do we do to stop the use of oil and use the free energy technology that is available. Free energy,what is that all about. There are devices that we could be using right now that would give us free electricity and the ability to go wherever we want for free. That would mean shutting down the big oil companies and closing that chapter. This certainly frightens the big oil companies because this would mean the death of them and not the other way around.

Diamond Buying Tips: Different Shapes

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

The diamond buying process is all about finding that special, unique diamond for yourself or someone important in your life. Knowing about the most common diamond shapes available before you begin shopping will help you be better prepared to find that perfect stone. Round, brilliant diamond shapes represent 75 percent of all diamonds sold, and are considered to be the most popular and the most beautiful due to their 58 facet cut, which allows for maximum brilliance and shine. These diamond shapes are not necessarily more expensive than other types, however, since color, size, certification, and other factors also contribute to the overall cost. Oval diamonds are a relatively new shape, created Lazare Kaplan in the late 1950s. These diamonds are popular for several reasons. First, they are generally as brilliant as most round diamonds,and are also uniquely elliptically shaped. Also, the cut and size helps to create the illusion of elongated, sleder fingers. When purchasing this type of diamond, make sure to select the highest grade and color that your budget allows, since, due to their unique cut, brilliance varies greatly based on these criteria. Marquise cut diamonds are elongated, with pointed ends and were first commissioned by the French King Louis XIV, who wanted a diamond that would, reportedly, match the smile of the Marquise de Pompadour. These diamonds are used both as solitaires and in combination with other, smaller diamonds. Pear shaped diamonds are also known as hybrid cut diamonds, because they are a combination of round and marquise diamonds. They are also commonly called tear drop diamonds, and are cut to allow for maximum sparkle and brilliance. When purchasing pear shaped diamonds, it is importance to avoid the bow tie effect, an obvious black or dark spot in the center of the diamond Fortunately, this defect is very obvious and easy to spot. You should also be aware that some pear shaped diamonds may be cut incorrectly, resulting in uneven or high shoulders. Again, however, this defect is easy to spot If you know what to look for. These are some of the most common, but by no means all of the many different diamond shapes available. Do your research before you begin shopping to determine your budget, the style or styles that you prefer, the shapes that you like, whether you are shopping for a cluster or solitaire ring, and whether it is more important to you to have a larger, lower quality diamond or a smaller, more brilliant one. Considering these factors before you purchase will help you find the best diamond for you.

You Dont Have To Be A Greenie To Enjoy A Green Gift!

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The color green is affiliated with regeneration, fertility and reincarnation for its connections to mother nature. New political radicals have adopted the color as a symbol of environmental protection and social justice, and think as themselves as being a part of the Green movement, some naming themselves as Green parties. This has led to synonymous movements in advertising, as corporations and business have started selling green, or environmentally friendly, merchandise! Either way, I have decided to list a few of the items out there on the market that are promoted as "green" or earth friendly products. Some of these items are Eco friendly or promote an Eco friendly lifestyle, and some are solar powered. Take a look! Grow It Chili Plants - This brand comes in all sorts of options but for this one the Chili Plants gift box is a complete growing kit for five types of chili plants, including one of the world's hottest varieties. They are appealing plants and can be grown, not only for their fruits, but also for their ornamental value. The Grow It Chili Plants gift box is an unusual gift idea for an enthusiastic cook - the chillies may be plucked when green or may be left to mature. In a further 2-3 weeks, most will turn red, but some turn orange, yellow or even chocolate brown depending on the type. Grow It Tea And Coffee - The perfect gift for both gardeners and tea and coffee lovers! Tea and coffee play such a big part in our lives today and the GROW IT Tea and Coffee gift box provides a fun opportunity to try growing your own. Includes 1 pack of coffee seeds, 1 pack of tea seeds, 5 coconut husk growing pots, 5 natural coconut husk compost discs, 5 wooden plant markers, and tea and coffee growing tips! Grow It Bonsai Tree - This box contains all you need to grow a variety of bonsai trees at home. This is an unusual gift idea - perfect for a green-fingered friend, or for someone who would enjoy growing something really different. Includes 4 packs mixed bonsai seeds, 5 coconut husk growing pots, 5 natural coconut husk compost discs, 5 wooden plant markers, and Bonsai Tree growing tips. Ipower Solar Charger - Stylish and durable, the iPower SX can be charged two ways; USB connection or solar energy. This device can be used with Apple, Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Blackberry, Bluetooth headsets, Portable gaming devices such as the Sony PSP, digital cameras, MP3/MP4 players, smartphones, PDAs, GPS and much more. Plastic Solar Powered Wind Turbine - These Solar powered wind turbines make great presents and are ideal models for educational purposes. Excellent for demonstrating solar power in action, put your hand over the panel and the rotors stop turning. This is all good and well, but don't get me wrong, you don't have to be an official greenie in order to buy green gifts. You can be a beginner at this stuff, or maybe you know someone that is into the Go Green idea pretty deep, or maybe your not into going green and you don't know anyone, but you just like the products that are offered, that's fine too!

Interested In Finding Some Unusual Gift Boxes Online?

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It seems like there is always something new, interesting and unusual popping up all over the Internet, a lot of these products found online were at first glance considered "odd" but after we got a chance to know them, we learned to love them. For example, what do you first think of when the slinky, the first mp3 player, or the laptop first came out? Items we will never use? Wrong! The slinky became one of the most popular toys when I was a child, even now 20 some years later, it's still being bought up at stores all across the country! Recently I came upon a website that offered unusual gifts, the most unusual item I found were these gift boxes, they vary in themes, and for each theme you get a welcome letter, explanation of the gift, gift registration instructions, and information about the theme product. For example I found one on the endangered Exmoor ponies, in which you can adopt a pony in the adopt a pony gift box. Once you have chosen your Exmoor pony, you register the adoption by following the gift registration process detailed inside the Adopt a Pony Gift Box. Within 28 days you will receive a personalized supporter certificate displaying your name and your pony's name along with a color photograph of the pony. They all have just about the same thing, but each one offers something of different substance; listed below are a few of my favorite, along with some info about the item! Adopt A Monkey Gift Box - Okay, 'Ill admit it, I have always had a certain affinity for any primal animal but monkeys really are the cutest and sweetest of all primates! In this gift box you can help protect an endangered monkey or ape of their choice by supporting a conservation project carried out by the People's Trust for Endangered Species - a charity that runs a range of hands-on projects that make a real difference to the future of many species. You can choose from Chimpanzees, Western Gorillas, Orangutans, Drills, Black Lion Tamarins, Brown Headed Spider Monkeys and Purple Faced Leaf Monkeys. They are then sent a personalized supporter certificate and will receive newsletters directly from the charity, giving the latest news of its projects, achievements and animal conservation plans for the future! Adopt A Sea Turtle Gift Box - The recipient of this gift will help protect an endangered sea turtle of their choice by supporting a conservation project carried out by the People's Trust for Endangered Species - a charity that runs a range of hands-on projects that make a real difference to the future of many species. You can choose from Loggerhead Turtle, Leather back Turtle, Green Turtle or Hawks bill Turtle. They are then sent a personalized supporter certificate and will receive newsletters directly from the charity, giving the latest news of its projects, achievements and animal conservation plans for the future. Name A Star Gift Box - I have always wanted to do this for as long as I can remember! On your Star Details Form is information about your star; two of these references being your star's Right Ascension and Declination. These are the co-ordinates that relate to the exact position of your star in the sky. Just use these co-ordinates and the instructions on your "5 Steps to Locating Your Star" sheet to find the exact location of your star on the huge wall map enclosed. Save British Wildlife Gift Pack - The recipient of this gift will help protect an endangered British animal of their choice by supporting a conservation project carried out by the People's Trust for Endangered Species - a charity that runs a range of hands-on projects that make a real difference to the future of many British species. You can choose from Red Squirrels, Water Voles, Bats, Pine Martens, Beetles, Harvest Mice or Otters. They are then sent a personalized supporter certificate and will receive newsletters directly from the charity! And there were also other ones that looked pretty cool as well including adopt a big cat, discover your coat of arms, dedicate a tree, and historic map gift box. These aren't just a nice thing to get younger kids, but adults as well! I know I definitely want the monkey one and the name a star one, but I'm also thinking about the dedicate a tree one as well. How are you supposed to pick just one when they are all different and unique in their own right! Pick em all, pick some, pick one, I don't care, but you have to at least try these gifts out! I'll bet if you bought this for someone they would be incredibly surprised at this one of a kind gift and incredibly thankful you didn't get them the same old gift, again!

Wishin' You Could Find Some Cool Gifts Online?

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Well now you can! I found this really amazing website the other day that offered all sorts of really cool items that I hadn't seen anywhere else. This only means one thing, this site is incredibly "in style" when it comes to the new items being offered to consumers. This is definitely something you would be interested in if you like having all the new things that come out before anyone else gets wind of them! These products include all sorts of cool things such as baby gifts, gifts for children, teens, gifts for him and her, MP3 and MP4, toys and games, novelty items and much more! Listed below I'm going to name off some of the coolest things I found along with a quick intro to the item! Night Owl Keyword And Mouse - I can't even tell you how many times I go to bed and realize I forgot to finish some virtual paper work on my computer, and this is when my favorite keyboard comes to life. I don't even have to turn a light on nor do I have to squint to see the board by the light of the computer screen! This little guy is an illuminated keyboard and mouse which is an ergonomic, split-key variety. I like the ergonomic option because it's easy on my hands, shoulders, and wrists! It's also splash proof, so if you're up late drinking coffee trying to meet or beat that deadline, you won't need to worry about the odd spillage. There is also a purple one but, I prefer the clear one! Name A Star Gift Box - I have always wanted to do this for as long as I can remember! On your Star Details Form is information about your star; two of these references being your star's Right Ascension and Declination. These are the co-ordinates that relate to the exact position of your star in the sky. Just use these co-ordinates and the instructions on your "5 Steps to Locating Your Star" sheet to find the exact location of your star on the huge wall map enclosed. Car Kit - It's small enough to keep in the glove box or under a seat, this inexpensive set contains an essential set of tools to help keep you on the road, especially on freezing winter mornings. Includes; jump leads, ice scraper, power pack, gloves, air freshener, escape hammer, and a torch! Sonic Grenade - This would be the perfect gift for a good old laugh. When you throw the pin on this "grenade" it emanates an ear piercing sound that would scare the bejesus out of anyone! The only way you can turn this off is if you have the pin, and you the pin holder sticks it back in! Picoo Z Sky Challenger - This is one of those really cool toys you always wanted as a kid and your parents always said "when you get older" but you still never got one! Well darn it I still wanted one so at 27 I bought one when i found it online! This Sky Challenger is only six inches long and weighing an incredible 10 grams, the amazing new Picoo Z x-rotor micro helicopter is a fascinating flying machine that is super stable and easy to fly in the smallest of spaces, and unbelievably fits in the palm of your hand for fantastic desk top fun! Awesome!

How Does Online Shopping Benefit Me?

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Believe it or not but online shopping has actually started taking over the cyber world, it doesn't seem to matter what you're looking for, you can find it online and for the most part cheaper than you would find it in a regular offline store! Obviously there are certain attributes that have been factored in to make such an activity so popular, between increasing gas prices, and the hassles often associated with offline stores and shopping malls. There are also other benefits which make online shopping an excellent alternative, some of which include convenience, comparison shopping options, and express shipping available. Listed below I'll get into these benefits a little more! Convenience - Obviously this is one of the main benefits because products are always available and stores are always open 24/7 365 days a year while other offline stores have daily hours and may be closed on popular holidays such as Christmas and New Years. This is the ultimate plus for people that work long hours, and for people that can't get to a shopping mall of sorts during normal business hours. Simply go to your favorite site, type in what you want (or view categories), find what you want, place it in your cart and voila, done! Comparison Shopping - When your shopping for something specific in the offline world, but you want to see who has the lowest price, what do you have to do? Take the time to visit every single store that might or might not have that product, and cross check prices. Whereas with online shopping, there are many sites available that are made specifically for comparison shopping, this gives the consumer the ability to choose a product, and see prices in X amount of stores online. You can also do a comparison of products say two types of back massagers, or two different kinds of cell phones to find features, prices, and much more. Express Shipping - I'm sure many offline shoppers would use this point to make a point of their own, why spend money for express shipping when you could just as well go to the store, well, have you read the first part of this article at all?!? People that find online shopping convenient and nicer than offline shopping often will use the express shipping option which will allow them to receive their product or item in as little as 1 day. Yes, you do have to pay extra, but that's a small price (no pun intended) we're willing to pay! Other benefits not listed above include gifting options, gift receipts as well as wrapping options, this is a really nice offer for those people that don't live near their family or friends but want to ship a Christmas or Birthday present to them. The ability to be able to send receipts is important as well in case the receiver wants to exchange or return an item but the sender doesn't wish to divulge the price for the gift!

Hip Hop Or Hip Not?

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0700

For the last few years hip hop clothing has been all the rave in the United States. The fact is, is that it's a symbol of wealthiness for many people both in the lime light and not. While hip hop was usually an underground culture it can now be found most anywhere in the world and is now referenced as being "mainstream". There are several different brands such as Sean John, Cazal, Corner $tore Hero, Swindl, Breezy Excursion and many more along with several different categories such as accessories, jewelry (which includes decorated buckles, and biker chains), t-shirts, pants, hats, and can vary between classic and modern. Baggy jeans are fashioned to fit low around the waist and have low hanging pockets, shirts are usually oversized one, two even 3 times bigger than you would usually wear them. However, baggy these hip hop clothes are supposed to be, a lot of recent hip hoppers have chosen to relinquish the baggy style, but still choose to experiment colorful, fitted, hip hop inspired clothing seen on rappers such as Will.I.Am, Kanye West, Common and Andre 3000! The appealingness of hip hop clothing is attributed to the superior quality and vibrant colors that can make any fashion savvy man look good! This type of clothing is not just present in men, either. Many women also wear hip hop clothing or street-wear to make a statement as well or to express themselves. These types of clothing might consist of dresses, halter tops, tube dresses, blouses with loud prints and bright colors. The idea is that you can look hip but still look sexy, which is what most girls are interested in! Considering the high demand for these types of clothing items, hip hop clothing retail stores have conveniently designed their stores to sell just hip hop clothing specifically, and nothing else. It seems that these on and offline stores that had a variety of clothing plus hip hop, were selling the hip hop clothes like hot cakes so they decided since they were making such a huge profit with it, why not just go the entire way and specialize in just hip hop, street wear and urban wear! While hip hop clothing can sometimes become expensive when bought from designer stores, there is always an alternative option as with any other product line, simply find the clothes (whatever they may be) on stores online that are either independently owned or aren't "brand name" stores. So to answer the question, hip hop or not? Well, I think its sort of obvious, isn't it? Hip hop clothing is still being developed, perfected and experimented, but its pretty obvious that this type of clothing style isn't going to go out of style any time soon, after all it's been around since mid 80s and it's still going strong!