The Griffin Technology Travel Stand for iPod and iPhone is one of the the smartest little gadgets I’ve reviewed in a long time. Despite not consisting of much more than a small case and rubber headphone winder, this product fulfills multiple tasks in one.
When closed, it is a great case for your headphones – keeping them wound around the included rubber wrapper. But when you open it up, this little marvel becomes a brilliant little movie watching stand for your device. Despite the name, the travel stand works perfectly with almost any player on the market – including most mobile phones and small media tablets.
How good is the Travel Stand for iPod and iPhone? Well, when I first saw it, it made me furious. Furious because I didn’t invent it. The whole thing is ridiculously simply, yet so perfectly executed.
Headphones store neatly inside the stand when not in use.
And the whole thing folds up into a neat little headphone case.
The viewing angle is perfect, and rubber feat on the bottom prevent it from sliding around on your airline tray table.
Best of all, the Griffin Travel Stand for iPod and iPhone retails for just $14.99 (though I have already seen it at the local Walmart for under $10!).
If you have ever struggled with watching a movie on your flight, this is one $15 you won’t regret investing – even if it is just to keep your headphones protected. You’ll find this brilliant little product at Griffintechnology.com or your local electronics retail store.
Frommer’s just released their newest iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch application – Frommer’s Travel Tools. Their previous applications were mobile versions of their guidebooks, but this newest application acts as a 9-in-1 travel companion.
The app offers the following tools:
Tip calculator
Packing list
Postcards
Currency converter
Unit converter
Time translator
Travel trivia
City guides Flashlight
“Apps we love”
The best part of the application is the price – $0. Unlike some other travel companion apps, the Frommers app is surprisingly comprehensive. The tip calculator lets you split the check, and select the required tip level. The currency calculator can download the latest rate charts, and the postcard feature lets you pick images from a large collection of Frommer’s photos.
Regular readers will know that I’m a huge fan of portable chargers that can keep my gadgets running way past their normal battery life. In this review, I’ll show you a neat little iPhone/iPod Touch charger that doubles as a viewing base.
The “Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch” features a Lithium-Ion battery pack, flip stand and integrated USB connector for recharging the pack itself. Inside the pack is an 1100mAh battery – enough to double the battery capacity of most iPhone and iPod models.
The built in USB plug connects to any USB charger or USB port on your computer. A full recharge takes just over two hours and 5 LEDs’s show the charging status.
To use the pack, you simply flip open the lid, and plug it into the dock connector of your device. The top of the lid is at the perfect angle for viewing a movie, which is just as well, because you can’t change its angle. The stand has a rubber non-slip pad, which helps keep your iPod and its battery pack in place.
There really isn’t much more to add about this product – it works exactly as described, is nice and compact (a mere 2.2 ounces) and can double the run-time of your device.
At $69.99, it does not come cheap – and other products (including some from Kensington) often provide a larger battery capacity. That said – this is the first dual-purpose charger/stand I have ever reviewed, and the added bonus does help justify the price.
The good news is that most Kensington retailers have managed to shave almost $30 off the price – and stores like Amazon and buy.com are selling it for just $40.
PROS: Extremely compact, great for viewing movies CONS: Limited 1100mAh battery capacity, MSRP is fairly high compared to other products.
You’ll find the Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch on their site – and at most Kensington retailers.
Well, Premium Economy, at least. But we’ve sat in Business Class seats that weren’t this comfortable.
Apparently Air New Zealand has a larger proportion of leisure passengers than other international airlines, so they’ve focused more of their efforts on enhancing the Economy and Premium Economy cabins. We covered the upcoming changes to the Economy section, including the option for passengers to choose the new Skycouch layout when booking their trip, but the Premium Economy redesign may be an even bigger story. It’s surely going to cause other airlines to take a fresh look at their offerings.
Air New Zealand currently offers a Premium Economy cabin that offers a larger selection of meal options at a much higher quality, nearly approaching the level of service seen up front in their Business Premium cabin. It’s likely one reason they were awarded ATW’s Airline of the Year for 2010. But they don’t seem ready to give up the title for 2011. Space Seats
With their new Premium Economy “Space Seats” which enter service in November of 2010, the airline has managed to match their seats to the enhanced meal service. The combination could even rival the business class sections of other airlines.
Premium Economy passengers can reserve a seat based on their requirements for privacy or if they’re traveling with a partner, they can choose a more social arrangement. They do this by installing two different types of seats in the Premium Economy class.
Inner Space
The center seats face outward at a 23 degree angle and are called “Inner Space.” The two armrests in the middle of these seats can be lowered to create nearly enough room for a third person to sit, which could be helpful for a family flying with an infant.
With the armrests up, two people could share a meal or play a game of cards on the center console, with room for at least one person’s legs to fit underneath, like a small table.
Outer Space
The “Outer Seats” also point at a 23 degree angle and face the windows. With the new, larger 787 windows that are coming-depicted in the mockup pictures-these seats will be perfect for those who enjoy looking out. It felt a little like sitting on the front porch in a chair while taking in the view.
Another improvement over the current Premium Economy is the ability to recline without impeding anyone else’s space. And when the person sitting at the window is ready to get up, there’s enough room for the passenger at the aisle to pivot their legs to allow access. The seat width is now three inches wider at 20 inches, but there’s no obstruction, such as a fixed armrest on either side of the seats, so it feels even wider.
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“Otto” Pilot
Since there are now foot rests built into the seats, a stuffed foot rest that Air New Zealand has coined “Otto” which is short for ottoman will be provided. Ed Sims, the project manager on this effort remarked, “We readily anticipate that these will get stolen in huge numbers.”
Just like the rest of the cabin, Premium Economy will feature snacks on demand which allows a passenger to order complimentary drinks or snacks in between meals via the in flight entertainment screen.
The IFE screen is a pull-out, 10.6″ screen that provides more content than the current 8.4″ system, such as an expanded range of kids shows, exclusive offerings and a viewers recommended section. Applications such as hourly updated weather will be featured on the new graphical user interface that was designed by Air New Zealand.
A USB port or iPod connector will allow passengers to view their own content they may have brought with them. This will also be offered in the standard Economy class as well. No word on device compatibility, but the iPod and iPhone are sure to be on the list.
While looking at the innovative seats for each cabin, I couldn’t help but wonder where I’d prefer to sit. I suspect it will come down to who I’m flying with. If I were traveling with just my wife, the center, or “Inner Space” seats in premium economy would be preferable.
If we brought along our two kids, I’d love to try the two standard Economy center seats for us while the kids could take up the outer Skycouch seats for sleeping.
And if someone else is paying for the trip, well, there’s just no other option than to give the Business Premier cabin a try. Because if they consider these seats to be just a step up from their regular Economy seats, then wait until you see what they’ve done with their Business Class seat. We’ll have a review for you next week.
Gadling was briefed on the Space Seat prototype Tuesday at the Hangar 9 facility in Auckland, New Zealand. See it for yourself: