iPhone Bike Mount – How To Video

Well folks, this is it – now you can leverage Kristin’s tech review channel to get to various reviews of cases for smart devices (iPhones and iPads predominantly).  Over the last week or we were able to also get a couple of hands on reviews going on for the bike mounts for the smart gadgets.

I personally find the mounts for iPhone (or Android phones for that matter) on my bike extremely useful and over the last several years have written multiple times about my experiences on the subject.  Now you can see the video of how to install / use as well.

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Here is also a link to some further description on the mounts.

Why do I find these mounts so useful?  For several reasons:

  • Allow you to have a good tool for assessing your exercise level
  • You are not likely to get lost on the trail — YES! believe me, multiple friends have told me they have had experiences where they were disoriented on a remote trail and took some time finding their way back to the car…
  • You can receive a phone call while biking – I do not recommend it BUT WHAT if there is an emergency….
  • …I am sure you will find other use cases as well (e.g. listening to music in some cases)

So check out the options I recommend and look for more reviews to come over the weeks ahead.

 

Connected Gadgets for Your Bicycle

CES 2015 has been certainly the year of connectivity.  Gone are the days when the stars of the show were 60-inch, then 80-inch, then 105-inch flat panel TVs…Those are now well underway to the homes of many consumers.

This year, it seems like transportation has invaded the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) – all sort of smart cars and…..wait….gadgets for bicycles as well.  In previous article I talked about the Car-to-Bicycle Communicating Helmet, and now we have a pedal that allows the bike it is part of to be connected.  A French company Connected Cycle, has developed this pedal which notifies you any time the bike is moved and also provides you with the location of the bike.

Connected Pedal Smart Phone and Pedal Connected

Connected Pedal Colors

The pedal has integrated GPS functionality that creates the tracking and prevents the bicycle from being stolen – a significant plus in a big city or part of a bike sharing program.

In addition, the pedal records the bike’s speed, route, incline, and calories burnt and of course those will be stored and accessed via a cloud service.  So overall, useful and interesting.

 

 

Review: Tech21 Impact Mesh Case for iPhone 5/5s

OK, so it is not exactly a bike product, but I'm sure most of you cyclists have smartphones–perhaps iPhones–and if you are like me, you are always on the lookout for the perfect case.  Currently, my favorite iPhone 5 case is the Tech21 Impact Mesh case. In comparison to my previous case–a Speck CandyShell–It is a little wider and a tiny bit longer, but it adds less thickness to the phone, even though the case's lip is higher and more protective.  I think that is because the back of the case is thinner, in comparison to the CandyShell.  However, as the back of the iPhone 5 is pretty sturdy, I appreciate the fact that Tech21 concentrates its efforts on the sides of the iPhone.  This is where the magic D3O gel is located–you can see it as an orange band encircling the case's edge.  I have a white iPhone and the blue Impact Mesh case looks quite marvelous with it.  The orange D3O strip is visible through the clear blue TPU, but it just adds a high tech, cool dimension to its appearance.  As far as fit is concerned, my Impact Mesh fits like a glove and has a premium feel in the hand.  It has a perfect amount of grip–just enough, while still being easy to pull in and out your pocket.  The cut-outs are all perfectly positioned.  The sleep/wake button is easy to push.  The volume up and down buttons are slightly harder to push, but it is no big deal.  The case looks great, feels great, and I would imagine that it would protect great as well, although I haven't dropped my phone with this case on it.  I am very picky where cases are concerned and this one meets all my criteria.  In summary, if you are looking for an attractive, slim, protective case for your iPhone 5 or 5s, you should strongly consider the Tech21 Impact Mesh. It is available from the Apple Store for $34.95.  Check out my YouTube review if you would like more information:

Tech21 Impact Mesh Case for iPhone 5