Tag Archives: gear
Gadgets

OtterBox Commuter and Defender for iPhone 4/4S (Class A)

By on Sunday, January 6, 2013

After a few months of use, my knock-off OtterBox Commuter chipped and cracked so I looked for replacement case. Over the holidays, Edong accompanied me in the search. It was tough going because every shop were carrying mostly iPhone 5 cases. We did find a knock-off OtterBox Commuter at the place where he got his own case. But it was P650 and it wasn’t even well-made. Today, I dropped by the phone accessories section of a nearby mall and ended up at the stall of this Chinese guy at the far end of the section. He showed me not just a Commuter (P250) but also a Defender (P700). They were good copies. Definitely better than my old one. The Commuter even had stiffer silicone similar to the one being used by OtterBox. I asked for his last price and he said P200 for the former and P600 for the latter. I asked him if I can get both for P750 and after some thought he agreed. But I’m sure he still got a tidy profit. In fact, the other stall keepers were actually getting stocks from him while we were transacting.

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Gadgets

OtterBox Commuter for iPhone 4/4S (Class A)

By on Monday, August 27, 2012

The Otterbox Commuter is a mid-level risk case slotting between a bumper and a heavy-duty case like the Otterbox Defender. Unfortunately, they’re rather expensive at P2,100 or thereabouts at local shops. And then I saw Edong’s Class A OtterBox Commuter case for his Samsung Galaxy S-III. “Class A” is a euphemism for knock-off so it was way cheaper. I was impressed with the quality (for the price) so I got one for my own phone.

Just like its “inspiration”, the case is composed of two pieces: a silicone inner layer and a polycarbonate outer layer. The silicon layer covers the back and wraps around the edges giving the screen a slightly raised protective rubber bezel. This protects the screen from direct contact when the phone is face down. The buttons have touch-through covers but are still reasonably easy to press. The proprietary Apple USB port is covered by a flap and should be easily accessible to most accessories. There are cutouts for the camera, flash, and silent switch. The silent switch is still easily accessible with a finger.

The polycarbonate layer clips onto and around the silicone layer giving it another layer of protection. The whole case fits the iPhone snugly and makes it look like it could bounce off the floor. I’m just concerned about the the durability of the polycarbonate considering this is just a “Class A”. But at P300 (and could be lower) a pop, it should be less painful to replace.

 

 

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Gadgets

Casio G-Shock GW2310FB-1CR

By on Monday, July 9, 2012

Leslie finally came back from his onshore assignment and he dropped this off at my desk: My new Casio G-Shock GW2310FB-1CR. Casio G-Shocks are known for their resistance to shocks (e.g. hard knocks and strong vibrations). They are designed primarily for sports, military, and outdoor adventure oriented activity. Of course, they’re also water-resistant to 200M. Operators may have Rolexes and Omegas but when they’re actually operating, they wear G-Shocks. And the color of this particular model, all black, backs up the walk with the look.

Aside from being a helluva beater of a watch, it’s also a gadgety watch. Consider the specs:

  • Tough Solar Power – Solar rechargeable battery with power saving function and battery power indicator
  • Battery life – 10 months on full charge an no further exposure to light
  • Multi-Band Atomic Timekeeping (US, UK, Germany, Japan, China) – Receives time calibration radio signals which keep the displayed time accurate, accuracy: +/- 15 seconds per month
  • EL Backlight – With auto (glance to light) and manual (press G button to light) Illuminate and afterglow (1 or 3 seconds).
  • World Time – 31 times zones (48 cities + UTC), city code display, daylight saving on/off
  • 4 Daily alarms and 1 Snooze Alarm
  • Hourly chime
  • 1/100 second stopwatch – Elapsed time up to 24 hours, split time, 1st-2nd place times
  • Countdown Timer – 1 minute to 24 hours
  • Full auto-calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099)
  • 12/24 hour formats
  • Button operation tone on/off

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the compass, altimeter/barometer and thermometer function of the recently departed Suunto Observer. Also, this particular inverted display is a bit hard to read especially since the numbers are smaller than those on the Observer. Finally, the backlight doesn’t remain on while being operated but shuts down in 1 or 3 seconds, depending on the setting. On those, Suunto had it beat. But at $150, it’s still a lot of bang for the buck.

Rating: 4/5

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General

Photon Microlight Upgrade

By on Monday, July 11, 2011

Jeanne got these little toy LED lights from Jet’s birthday party. We were playing around with them when I noticed how bright the yellow one is. I took out my trusty Photon Microlight and indeed it pales in comparison to the toy! So I swapped the LEDs and now my Photon Microlight is brighter :D

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