How To: Avoid Texting While Driving
Did you know 5,474 people were killed and almost a half million were injured in accidents related to distracted driving in 2009 (according to Consumer Reports)? With nearly 40% of Americans using smartphones, texting while driving is on-the-rise, especially with younger drivers. Fortunately, companies such as Drivesafely.ly are developing alternative methods to prevent distracted driving.
If you haven’t downloaded DriveSafe.ly, now is your chance! DriveSafe.ly is a Bluetooth compatible app that works on Blackberry, iPhone, and Android smartphones to read text messages and/or emails aloud. The app sends a short reply to senders, letting them know you’re driving and will follow-up once you’ve reached your destination. Best of all, the app is free! (There are premium versions available for frequent/advanced users).
Not only are drivers texting while driving, but The LA Times technology blog reports a new issue called “webbing while driving.” State Farm, a national insurance company, sponsored a survey that found more than 19% of drivers “webbed” while driving, meaning drivers used apps, browsed websites, and updated their Facebook statuses behind-the-wheel.
It seems that we are frequently reminded not to text and drive, but the safety message may not have caught up to the current technology. As the issue becomes more relevant, bigger companies, such as Verizon Wireless, are encouraging cell phone users to not text and drive. Even Oprah jumped on the bandwagon with her “No Phone Zone” and “My Life is More Important than a Text” campaigns.
If you’re worried about distracted driving and are looking for mobile accessories, don’t forget to check out Dexim’s car solutions for your iDevices and Blackberry mobile phones.
Have you used DriveSafe.ly? What other precautions do you take to prevent distracted driving?
Portable Power Solutions Featured in GigaOM and Mac Life
Many blog readers follow us on Twitter, Like our Facebook page, and subscribe to our YouTube channel, so you may have seen the occasional tweet, status update, or YouTube bulletin about our latest coverage in GigaOM and Mac Life. We’d like to share the news with our blog readers because we’re proud of our award-winning portable power solutions, like our Visible Green Charger, which CNN recently featured.
If you’re on-the-hunt for a new iPhone 4 charging case, check out GigaOM’s featured review of Dexim’s Super Juice Case. With up to 6 hours of additional talking time, who wouldn’t want a protective case that extends the life of your iPhone 4 battery?
Our Blue Pack S8 was featured in the same GigaOM article, but you can check out our website to watch a video about the device. Whether you’re looking to charge an iPhone, iPod, or even your Blackberry, the Blue Pack S8 is an excellent power solution for a range of electronic devices.
Do you have a favorite Dexim accessory we should know about?
Stay Out of the Red: Top Tips for Better Battery Life
If you’re a heavy iDevice user who constantly checks email, listens to music, texts, and uses apps, then you don’t have time for your electronic device to run out of battery power! At Dexim, we focus on portable power solutions to help you keep your mobile accessories charged. We think it’s important to know the best way to “stay in the green” all day, every day.
Check out our top tips for saving battery life:
Using laptops
- Chill out! Your laptop’s battery is more efficient when it’s cooler, so use these simple steps to keep from overheating: clean air vents regularly, and always keep your laptop on a hard surface.
- Evaluate auto save. Change your settings in Microsoft Office or Adobe programs to eliminate auto save. While this function can be a lifesaver, it drains battery life. Scared you’ll lose that 20-page report? Consider saving your documents in free, online storage spaces, such as DropBox.
- Don’t multitask. Do you use your email, along with iTunes playing and multiple browser tabs open? Too many programs running simultaneously forces your laptop battery to work harder. Instead of being a multitasking maniac, focus on one to-do list item, and you’ll finish something before your laptop needs to be plugged-in.
Using iPods
- Turn down the brightness. The brighter the screen, the more battery it takes to operate an iPod. Experiment with settings, and determine the screen brightness that works best for you. Or, take the easy road and use auto-brightness if your iPod has a built-in light sensor.
- Go without WiFi. When WiFi is turned on, your iPod constantly searches for a connection and makes that green bar turn red faster. Not using the Internet? Turn off WiFi until you need to connect.
- Eliminate the equalizer. Your iPod’s equalizer automatically adjusts the bass, treble, and other functions during your listening session. It also drains your battery life. Turn off your iPod’s EQ function under “settings,” so you can jam to tunes longer.
Using smartphones
- Unplug. Eliminate the bad habit of leaving your phone plugged in all night. Most chargers continually “juice” the battery, even when the battery has a full charge. To make unplugging easier, check out Dexim’s Visible Green Charger. Our charger conveniently turns off when your phone is fully charged, saving battery life.
- Tone down the extras. Smartphones offer an ever-increasing number of tools to stay connected: data fetch, push notifications, Bluetooth, and location services are the tip of the iceberg! While these features are great for compiling information and using apps, they’re bad news for your battery. Limit or turn off the smartphone extras when you need to save some bars.
- Regulate temperature. Devices work best—and batteries last longer—when they aren’t exposed to extreme cold or heat. Don’t leave your phone in the car, near the stove or heater, or in the bathroom while showering.
What happens when you’ve dimmed the screen, turned off GPS, and kept your device at perfect room temperature, and the battery is still running low? Have a wireless charger handy so you can quickly charge up and continue your day!
Have additional tips on how to save battery life? We’d love to hear them!
Top 5 Outrageous Cell Phone Accessories
At Dexim, it’s our job to keep up with trends so our product development team may create valuable mobile accessories to make our new and loyal customers’ lives easier. While we’re all for new technology and the latest fads, we had to wonder, how far is too far? Check out our top picks for the most outrageous cell phone accessories.
Number 5
Users may hide their charging cords in blades of grass with this unique mobile accessory. If Santa never brought you a Chia Pet, never fear! Now you can own this wonderfully constructed electronic device charger, but don’t water your grass while charging your iPhone!
Number 4
There are no bells and whistles to this mobile accessory. What you see is what you get! If your mobile phone needs a rest, purchase a mobile phone holder. But make it hip; make it a mini bean bag chair.
Number 3
We see the value in purchasing a zoom lens for your cell phone. It’s a fabulous alternative to the mini camera included in many cell phones that do not produce the highest quality photos. With this zoom lens, don’t mind the fact that it’s larger than your mobile phone, ‘cause the quality of the picture is probably astounding. If you’re looking for a career in professional paparazzi-ing, this may be the mobile phone accessory for you!
Number 2
We see how the backup pal could be helpful. Really – we do. This mobile accessory could be a great present for Grandma because it’s low-tech and functional. However, with a plethora of storage options available today, we’re finding it hard to believe a techie would purchase an external accessory when cell phone users can save their iTunes, Gmail contacts, Outlook contacts, and much, much more by syncing their phone to their personal computer.
Number 1
Cellular Jewelry works if your cell phone is within 3 feet of the pen. So…carry around this pen in your pocket – hope it doesn’t leak – and instead of being embarrassed when your cell phone rings in the middle of a meeting, you can be embarrassed when your pocket starts blinking.
At Dexim, we work to make our accessories functional and fun, at an affordable price. Have you checked out any of our new products lately? Don’t forget – we offer mobile accessories for both Apple and Blackberry fans!
Have you purchased a funny mobile phone accessory?
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day using “Green” Mobile Accessories
Happy St. Paddy’s Day to ya! March 17th is reserved as the day to wear green and enjoy Irish food and drinks, but here at Dexim, we’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by reminding our fans that it’s “easy being green” using our mobile accessories and portable power solutions.
In honor of the green holiday, we’re featuring popular YouTube reviewer, MrAJsTech, as he demonstrates Dexim’s Solar Powered P-Flip. If you’re hooked on the P-Flip after watching the review, consider making your friends green with envy when you sport your new P-Flip!
What are your favorite “green” products?
Vote “Dexim” in CTIA Emerging Technology Awards
The 2011 annual International CTIA Wireless Show will be held in Orlando, Florida in just a few weeks. One of the trade show’s highlights is the CTIA Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Awards program. Now in its 6th year, the E-Tech awards celebrate and promote the most innovative wireless products and services in the consumer, enterprise, application and network technology segments.
We are excited to share that Dexim has three – count ‘em, three – products named as finalists for the awards! Judges sorted through more than 300 nominations and chose the finalists based on “innovation, functionality, technological importance/impact, implementation and overall ‘wow’ factor.”
Three Dexim products, the Visible Green Charger, Frixbee Wireless Charger, and iCruz Audio Handsfree Set, have been nominated in the “Mobile CE: Accessories” category. In order to win, we need your votes! To vote for Dexim products as best picks in the Mobile CE: Accessory category, visit these links:
It takes less than a minute — we promise! Voting is open until March 23. Thanks in advance for taking 3 minutes to support Dexim!
Cell Phone World Records Becoming More Popular
Your cell phone’s “little black address book” is ever-growing because people without a cell phone are hard to come by these days! Many people rely on their cell phone as a primary means of communication, whether it’s via text, voice, or apps. Because cell phones are so popular, people have begun to set Guinness World Records, and we couldn’t wait to share them with you!
iPad 2 revealed: New specs and accessories, same price!
The long-awaited details of the iPad 2 were finally revealed in yesterday’s announcement from Steve Jobs and Apple executives. In short, the same great features that made the original iPad successful remain, while several bells-and-whistles were added to Apple’s new iPad 2.
First, Jobs and his crew took a moment to tout the success of the original iPad, which had more than 15 million orders in just 9 months. Apple continues to dominate 90 percent of the market share for tablets and outsells every other PC tablet combined. The company addressed its new competitors head-on and demonstrated Apple’s success. For example, Apple’s app store included 65,000 apps for the iPad, while the Honeycomb tablet has just 100 apps.
Apple’s procurement and shipping departments are full-speed ahead, since the new iPad is set to ship beginning March 11! (Foreign countries have their chance beginning March 25.) With these impressive statistics, it’s amazing to think about what improvements Apple made, but once again, the company’s innovation surprised tech media and excited consumers. If you’ve recently purchased an iPad, be sure to check out discounts and Gazzelle.com for easier upgrades.
New specs include:
- A5 chip/dual-core CPU, making the iPad 2 up to 2x faster CPU and 9x faster graphics
- Built-in front cameras (rear and front-facing) for video, including a built-in gyroscope
- Thinner and lighter for maximum portability. In fact, the iPad 2 is down from 13.4mm to 8.8mm. It also weighs-in at 1.3 pounds, which is less than its predecessor
- Models work on both AT&T and Verizon (3G), the two big carriers of Apple’s products
- 10 hour battery life, despite changes in design, including weight and size
- Immediate availability in black and white
- iOS 4.3 details include a new video chat app for the iPad called FaceTime. Thus, the reason for additional cameras. Additional features include a Safari upgrade a personal hotspot for iPhone 4, and the ability to stream music, movies, and TV shows from iTunes using a local wireless connection.
- HDMI mirrored video output that works with all apps and costs just $39 for the cable. This is likely an underestimated change that gives users a sneak peek at iPad upgrades in the future. While the HDMI cable gives presenters, professors, and doctors the capability to connect their iPad to a larger screen (up to 1080p), this could be a move to make the iPad the premier portable video device.
- iMovie and GarageBand for iPad. Two amazing apps; one amazing price. At just $4.99, teens, movie-makers, and music lovers have a new reason to purchase a 64G iPad. No longer is the iPad used for consuming content, but it works for producing content, too.
Just in time for the iPad 2 release, Dexim announces our iBlueK, which turns any generation iPad into a computer. The iBlueK doubles as a sleek and light weight keyboard and a protective case for your iPad. If you need to make your iPad complete, the iBlueK features a keyboard that is only 0.2 inches thick. The case is made of premium leather and provides superior protection for your brand-new or cherished iPad!
What is your favorite new iPad 2 feature?
Handsfree devices: a solution for multi-taskers
Did you know that studies show driving while talking on a cell phone is equivalent to driving drunk? If you live in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, Washington state, or Washington D.C., you’ve probably heard your state adopted new cell phone laws designed to protect drivers and reduce distracted driving accidents.
As smartphone functions and text messaging continue to increase in popularity, lawmakers are intent on banning text messaging while driving. Drivers in 30 states and the District of Columbia should be aware of the newest traffic laws to avoid fines, driving penalties, and accidents.
Some people try to multi-task while driving. This habit can be a dangerous one, but if you want to make your mobile life easier, consider using Jott. This program lets the multi-tasker call a phone number, speak your notes, messages, or updates, and hang up. Jott Voicemail works the same way, but the user’s friends, family, and colleagues are the people leaving messages when they call a specific number. Jott takes the spoken messages, turns them into text, and send the messages to the appropriate destination via email, text message, or web update. We think Jott is pretty amazing and convenient!
If you’re used to talking on the phone while driving, Dexim has an excellent car solution for your iPhone. The iCruz Audio Handsfree Kit securely holds your iPhone while you drive, and it swivels horizontally for easy access. The iCruz app is available for download and allows drivers to talk handsfree!
What do you use to multi-task safely while driving?
Interact with Dexim on Social Networks!
We’d like to take a moment to thank you for reading our blog. Twice weekly, we strive to provide you with tech-related news and updates, as well as feature our portable power solutions and accessories for your iDevices and mobile phones. If you’re a loyal blog reader but have yet to Like, follow, or subscribe to us on additional social media platforms, we invite you to take a moment to connect with Dexim!
From now until March 7, visitors to our Facebook page will see we’re hosting a sweepstakes. The grand prize is a Spring Break Tech Survival Kit that includes a Dexim P-Flip, the world’s first foldable, portable, multi-functional, and rechargeable power dock. It charges your iPhone/iPod Touch on-the-go and extends your talk time up to 8 hours! Other prizes included in the tech survival kit include our 3-in-1 charger, an audio car mount and charging holder, a touch screen FM transmitter, and two silicone cases. Here’s your chance to win iDevice accessories, and it takes less than a minute!
We have 2,800 Twitter followers who rely on Dexim’s updates about the latest Apple rumor or must-have apps. We also enjoy interacting with our followers using polls or trivia questions. Last week, we asked our Twitter followers which mobile phone carrier they use because we were curious to see if the data showed any competition between AT&T and Verizon, which now offers the iPhone 4.
Our YouTube subscribers and friends are the first to see product unboxings and demonstrations. Our channel gives a behind-the-scenes look at Dexim representatives at trade shows, and best of all, Dexim supporters review our products and post videos so you can decide which product best suits your needs. Check out our YouTube channel to see our portable power solutions up close and personal.
We hope you’ll connect with us soon!
What’s your favorite social media platform?