Donka's Mobile Rambles

Proporta now have a range of products in stock for the Xda Atom. There is a good selection of cases as well as screen protection and spare styli. Check out the Proporta website for more details.

Want to get the latest cool case for the iPod nano for free? Then enter this competition and be one of the first to own one of these cases. Even if you don't win, you can still buy one online through easyipodshop.co.uk.
Switch Easy Capsules for iPod nano is the only polycarbonate hard case available in five multiple personalities; Black Amber - Red Mama – Tangy Orange – Citrus Apple – Shaved Ice. Manufactured from GE LexanTM as used in the construction of NASA Space helmets, the product aims not only to protect the nano but also enhance ‘its cool look factor’. Fully protect your iPod. Fits all versions for iPod nano (1GB, 2GB and 4GB models).
The competition in conjunction with easyishop.co.uk will be launched online on the 1st April 2006 and will run until the 31st April 2006 at www.capsulecrazy.co.uk. Winners will be selected daily by an automated system and the winner’s informed via email. The Switch Easy Capsules are also available for purchase from selected retail partners and www.easyishop.co.uk who stock one of the largest selections of iPod accessories in the UK.

Proporta has announced accessories for the recently released PPC, the i-mate New JAM to protect your device from damage caused by impact or scratching.
First up is the Aluminium-Lined Leather Case, available in a book and a flip type. This handmade case is hiding a secret between the leather – a piece of aluminium is embedded to provide ultimate protection to the screen of your device. The Proporta Alu-Leather Case provides top level protection whilst looking like a traditional leather case. All ports and controls are accessible whilst the device is still in the case, meaning your device is protected even whilst charging. The Proporta USB Sync and Charge Cable allows you to charge the i-mate New JAM whether at home, at the office or on the train.
A fully removable belt clip allows the case to be clipped to your belt and can be removed when not wanted or needed to reduce unnecessary bulk. The case also has a hidden magnetic attachment system allowing the case to be used with the Proporta Magnetic Docking Mount. Internal storage for two SD/MMC cards allows you to carry extra memory around with you safely.
Proporta also has an Aluminium Case for the i-mate New JAM for those who prefer to protect their device with a hard case. This sleek and stylish case will protect your device from damage caused by impact and scratching, without adding any unnecessary bulk or weight. Cutouts for the front navigation buttons, ports and camera ensure that the device is fully usable whilst still in the case. A clear, protective screen cover also ensures that the screen of the device can be seen without having to open the case. A fully removable belt clip allows the case to be secured to a belt if desired.
If you prefer your cases barely there but still want to protect your device then the Proporta Silicone Case is perfect for you. This ultra light-weight, shockproof case will keep your device scratch-free whilst adding no more than 2mm (1/16”) to the dimensions of your device. Cutouts for the screen and ports ensure the device never has to be removed from the case.
Proporta has also extended the collection of its Advanced Screen Protectors to include one designed to fit the i-mate New JAM. This screen protector is essential to keep the screen of your device scratch-free and clean of fingerprints. Proporta is so confident that these washable screen protectors are the best on the market, they are covered by a lifetime guarantee. Proporta Advanced Screen Protectors are available for most handheld devices, including the XDA mini s/ i-mate K-JAM.
Don't forget, you can now register all Proporta branded products for a Lifetime Warranty at www.proporta.com/lifetime. As always, all Proporta purchases are covered by the company's Never Argue Money Back Guarantee - if for any reason or no reason at all, you are not completely happy, Proporta will refund you in full, or offer you a replacement (whichever you prefer).
You know where to go..... Proporta website

The Acer n300 series of Pocket PC has started to show up around the world in various places and inevitably, third party accessories are following suit. High on most peoples list will be a good quality case to replace the poor effort that ships with the n300 and if that good quality comes in leather form then Piel Frama will rightly be near the top. Workmanship, as is to be expected from this company, is top notch with everything stitched together immaculately giving an absolutely perfect fit.
The protection on offer is very good with the soft quality padded leather sure to cushion the majority of knocks although this leather is not as padded as previous Piel Frama cases I have tried. For a device as small as the Acer n300 series, this is a good move in my eyes; Piel Frama cases normally exude a high level of opulence but the downside of this is that the cases were sometimes a little over padded which increased their dimensions. They have got the balance between luxury and form fitting just right for this release.

Access is good when the flip cover is open giving way to the screen, buttons and data port. There is good clearance around the application buttons and joystick meaning there is nothing hindering use when in the case. The stud fixing closes on the rear hiding the data connector on the bottom and keeping it out of harms way. Although the sample I received has no access to the headphone socket with the flip cover closed, all production cases will ship with an access hole in place.
On the sides, there is easy access to the hold and power switches and no problem retrieving the stylus. Inside the flip cover are two credit card slots and room for two SD cards. The one area I am not so keen on with this case is the opening for the speaker on the rear. This is a cut out section with embedded plastic gauze allowing the audio to escape while still offering protection. I just feel it would have been more elegant and aesthetically pleasing to have some simple small holes pierced through the leather at this location.
Otherwise, the design of the case ensures excellent all-round protection for the diminutive Acer. Also included in the stylish presentation box is an excellent belt clip system. A screw in post can be fixed to the rear of the case allowing the quick release clip to be attached. If a belt clip is not required then a small plastic screw fills in this connector hole and sits flush with the surrounding leather.

The understated looks can’t hide the fact that this is a luxury case and the overall design and construction make this an ideal partner for your Acer. The Piel Frama case comes in a choice of colour and hides and more details and pictures can be found on the Piel Frama website .

While I was on the lookout for leather cases I discovered a brand that was new to me. A quick look on their website shows a great range of products available in a good selection of colours. Various devices such as PDAs, Phones and MP3 players are quite literally covered so head on over to the Noreve website and have a look around.

Well Apple went from the iPod to the iPod mini to the iPod nano. So what do Kensington do when they release a product smaller than the nano? They call it the Pico of course! Kensington’s latest release for the iPod range is a tiny FM transmitter that compliments the nano very well indeed. Don’t let the nano design fool you though, the Pico is compatible with any modern click-wheel iPod with the standard bottom dock connector. Available in black or white, the nano is the preferred recipient though with its slim profile making it a perfect partner.
Using the Pico is very simple, you just plug it into the iPod and the screen will switch to the tuning display. This is the standard ‘OK to disconnect’ dialogue on the iPod but with the current broadcast frequency from the FM transmitter added. If you are happy with this, just push in the small jog switch on the transmitter and the iPod then switches back to playback mode. At this point you will be able to pick up the iPod music on the frequency selected using a nearby radio. If you are not happy with the current frequency, just press in the jog switch again and then tap down to select the alternative preset frequency and then press it in again to listen. If you experience interference or the preset matches a station you already receive then you can enter the tuning mode and just tap the jog switch up or down to select a frequency of your own choice. Should this new frequency prove ideal then you can hold the jog switch either up or down for a few seconds to store this new preset.
When you are finished using the Pico, you simply just pull it out. Things don’t come any easier than this. The beauty of the Pico however is that it uses the iPod screen which makes it seem like a very well engineered and seamless device. It would be great if it was possible to control the transmitter using the click-wheel instead of the jog switch at the side however this simply is not an option and I’m therefore guessing it is impossible in a third party device. This is a shame really because even though the control method is simple, it doesn’t feel highly robust or provide any real form of feedback although there were certainly no operational issues with it. The transmitter is powered by the iPod battery which is either a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. While it means you only have one battery to keep charged, there is no way of charging the battery in use as there is no dock pass-through connector.
Performance is good; with a full battery on the iPod a range of a metre will still remain good audio quality but placing the iPod closer to the receiver brings out a high sound quality. The sound at this close range is quite clear and almost entirely free of audio artefacts like static and doesn’t sound too far away from a wired connection. This holds true while out in the car and is a great way of broadcasting the sound from your iPod for others. Be warned though that as soon as you start moving further from the receiver, the sound quality falls away very quickly into a noise of static and interference so choosing a good frequency is paramount to get the most from this device. I would be very happy with this setup as the source of audio entertainment for a house party for example although it would be better if you could wander around the room without the fear of degrading audio quality; you really need to leave the iPod very close to the receiving system for this to work satisfactorily.
Durability seems assured with the good all-round construction, save for the slightly muddy feeling jog switch and things are certainly rugged enough to keep in a pocket until required.

If you are in the market for a very portable FM transmitter for your iPod, especially the nano, then the Kensington makes a great choice. No cables or power supply means this can be carried anywhere and used easily in the house or out and about. More details are available from the Kensington website. UK users will have to hang off though for the results of new directives governing the use of such transmitters. Until such times as legislation is agreed, these will be unavailable for purchase in the UK.

Proporta realise that the demands placed on an iPod case will change depending on the environment you are in and sometimes different cases are needed for different situations. For a limited time only when you buy any case for your 30GB 5G iPod, Proporta will give you a pink silicone case for the 30GB 5G iPod absolutely free. This amazing offer means you will have a suitable case to protect your iPod in any environment whether at the gym, at work or on the everyday commute to work.
To help you decide which Proporta case you need to protect your iPod, have a look at the choice of cases available. Whether you choose the ultra-protective Aluminium-Lined Leather Case, featuring the exclusive ‘screen saver’ system, or the sleek and stylish Aluminium Case there will be a case to meet all the needs of you and your iPod. Whichever case you do decide is suitable for you, you will receive a Silicone Case absolutely free. The silicone case is perfect for everyday use or whilst in the gym as it adds hardly any bulk and still allows your iPod to fit in your pocket. This offer is only available whilst stocks last.
Proporta has cases for the whole family of iPods, ranging from the nano to the shuffle. Other accessories are also available such as essential screen protectors, cables and charging solutions. The full collection of products can be seen at www.proporta.com.

I have posted a quick and dirty video review of the Acer n311 Pocket PC below. I say quick and dirty because this was done in one take using a digital camera so apologies up front for the video and audio quality however I thought it was still worth posting. I still don’t think performance benchmarking under Windows Mobile 5 is particularly effective so figured this video clip will help many people out. Please also note that the Acer had a screen protector fitted and the two movie clips I show are WMV format (576 x 320 530kbps and 640 x 336 630kbps) played back through Windows Media Player 10. Please feel free to reply here with any questions and I will do my best to answer. I’ll also post some proper mini reviews in the coming days on various aspects of the n311. To view the video review of the UK production model of the Acer n311, click one of the two links below.

Acer n31 video review - link 1 (40Mb VGA WMV format)
Acer n31 video review - link 2 (40Mb VGA WMV format)

Well the wait is finally over and I have been playing around with the UK release of the Acer n311. Early impressions are very favourable indeed with a fantastic form factor and speedy performance. One thing I have noted though is that video playback is absolutely fine provided the source file has been encoded with a Pocket PC in mind. Playback of full size and bit rate movies has proved a little taxing although certainly not unwatchable. Otherwise, I can see this device being on the wish list for many a user. I’ll prepare a video review over the next couple of days once I have had a chance to really test this device. All things going well it should be online at the start of next week.

Well, the Acer n311 is finally winging its way to me so expect a full review online shortly. I’m planning on putting up a small video review as well which will hopefully give a better indication of how this device performs. Check back soon for my first impressions.