It is quite the norm to see a new device hit the market to a resounding chorus of fantastic reviews left by new users who are giddy to finally have their new phone in hand. The newness tends to overshadow anything else in your first 24 hours of having the handset. There was just something off about BlackBerry’s reviews so I read them and check out what I found.

Folks, there is no red Z10 option on AT&T. I find it completely hilarious that someone posted about all their fancy accessories and covers for the phone hours after the many reports surfaced of the poor initial sales on Amazon. Secondly, quite a few of the reviews are from people who went into the store and tested out the device. What? How can you leave a review claiming it to be superior to other phones after just a few minutes of playing with it and you can’t testify to the messaging hub superiority without having your actual data on there.

This folks, is what I call smudging the numbers. Seriously read the reviews, on second thought, don’t. You’ll only be pulled in to fanboyism at its peak of absurdity. I’m not saying the Z10 is not a good phone and choice for some who prioritize the email experience over everything else. What I am saying is that these reviews are clearly over the top and clearly are meant to be adverts more than personal testimonies of their individual use cases.

Source: Amazon Wireless User Reviews

You could spend a lot of time trying to weed through all of the cases that are available for the iPhone 5 but if you are like me, you tend to stick towards brands that have  great reputation and have been in business for a long time. Such is the case (no pun intended) with todays review on a case for the iPhone 5 from Case-Mate. Case-Mate has been a round a long time and since 2006 have been bringing us all sorts of cases to personalize and protect our device investment. What you might not know about Case-Mate is that they do offer a high end quality case that is not only great looking, but offers a Military Grade protection for your iPhone 5. So sit back and relax, and check out this Mobility Digest Review: Case-Mate TOUGH XTREME iPhone 5 case.

Inside the package that you see to the right you will find just two components. That’s all! No extra packages of screen protectors and instructions, just the two part case that is incredibly easy to put together and at first impression feels great and is incredibly thin. In fact, I always dread having to put a new device that is as thin as the iPhone 5 in a maximum protection case because it completely robs the experience of having a device that thin. This isn’t the (cough) case with the Case-Mate TOUGH XTREME. The Tough XTREME measures:

• Length: 13.24
• Width: 6.72
• Height: 1.3

As you can see with those specs, the TOUGH XTREME is very thin and easily slides in and out of the tightest pant and does not bind like other case manufacturers that use a lessor grade of silicone. The TOUGH XTREME is also US Mil-Spec Approved: meets or exceeds US military testing. So you can expect a tough case to handle most any rough treatment to your iPhone 5. The inner case component also comes fitted with a screen protector that I thought did a very good job. I never ran into problems navigating or swiping on the screen and did not detect any bubbles or irregularities in the screen protector.

As I mentioned above there is only two parts to the Case-Mate TOUGH XTREME Case for the iPhone 5. The first part is a Shock-absorbing DuoFlex interior liner that goes on the front of your iPhone 5. Even though it is plastic type material, it is very bendable and not brittle like other lessor quality cases. It felt as though it would give some under impact and help move the shock of an impact away from the side of the iPhone 5. The Impact-resistant PolyCore hard outer shell has a stiff back plate that is covered with a rubberized coating that is also used on the sides. There is not skeletal plates in the sides, instead it is very conforming to your device.

Once assembled which is very easy to do, you’ll notice that there are several small flaps protecting the mute switch, 3.5mm audio jack, and lightning port. On the bottom side that see below, it takes some work to dig your nails into the two flaps and expose the audio jack and sync port. However, I like that they are small and sleek, and stay closed and flush to the case at all times.

The left side of the Case-Mate TOUGH XTREME Case has the third and last flap covering the mute switch. Just like the flaps on the bottom, they do in fact seal very well and stay sealed flush to the case itself. however, the same applies that it is hard to dig your nail under the flap to open it up. Also, and I think this is more of an iPhone issue, but the mute button is incredibly difficult to get your finger down in to the case to switch. The volume buttons are also slightly difficult to deal with in that they are very small and the button rubber tab was hard to depress.

The top of the case has only the off/on button which remained closed off and not behind a flap. It was easy to depress and very complimentary to the other parts of the case and did not stick up out of the ordinary.

The back side of the case is very smooth and slides in and out of your pocket easily without grabbing on and not wanting to come out. The camera cutout worked great and did not shroud the lens at all, and same goes for the front facing camera.

The Case-Mate TOUGH XTREME Case for the iPhone 5 was a very pleasant surprise indeed. I really liked how the case was very thin and complimented the iPhone 5 very well. It was also very easy to install and use. As I mentioned, the flaps are a pain to open, but once closed, they stay closed. It was also difficult to reach in and mute the phone with the switch. My fingers would not fit into the space provided. My only other complaint is the price. At $50.00, it is at the high end of the premium cases available for the iPhone 5. I thought $39.95 would have been right on target for a case like this and would have sold a lot of volumes to people wanting OtterBox Defender Quality at a better price.

If you are in the market for an iPhone 5 case then head on over to Case-Mate and check out the TOUGH XTREME. It runs $50.00 and is available in:

• Lipstick Pink/Flame Red
• Marine Blue/Winter Aqua
• Black/Charcoal Grey (tested)
• Emerald Green/Chartreuse Green
• Military Green/Orange
• Aqua/White
• Cool Grey/Turquoise

NumNet is Wordament with addition.  I find it more challenging, because I don’t think in numbers.  But if  you like Wordament, and want to give your brain a little more of a workout, I definitely recommend you give this one a try!

Play NUMNET for free with friends. Simple yet addicting! NumNet is a number tournament game – fun, addicting and unique. In NumNet you compete with players all over the internet, all players play on the same NumNet number board, in real-time, to get the highest score. Find the sum of the numbers displayed on the board to earn points. The longer the number path the higher the score. Try it out, it is lots of fun!

NumNet is simple, find as many numbers as you can on a 4×4 board of numbers before time runs out. Number sums can be made in a line, diagonally, or a mixture of both, and you can’t jump numbers. Once the time is up, you get your score, and then you see the global score table for the game you just played. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that all opponents have been on the same board and to see where you rank next to them.

ADDICTIVE FEATURES: ★ Simple game play! ★ Play and beat your friends ★ Can you find all the sums of the numbers? ★ Find the longest number paths to get higher scores

Become a fan! Stay up to date on our latest news: Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/numnet

Now here is a very cool App for Windows Phone that I just got done testing out. It’s called Postcard on the Run for Windows Phone and it works great! I have family and friends that live across the country and especially my Mom and Dad who do not always see what  post on Facebook. Besides, sending a post card is so unexpected and adds a something special directed to a specific person instead of Facebook that is still personal, but shared with all your friends and family.

I downloaded the app without issue and navigation is very easy using the Metro UI. You can send a picture from a Facebook album, existing photo, or take a new picture.

There is a simple but effective photo editor that can enhance our picture as well using Aviary Editing and Customization software.

After editing your picture you can digitally  sign your name with your finger giving your postcard a more personal touch to it:

After signing your post card, you will need to get the address from your contacts. But hat if you don’t have the address of a friend that you want to send it to? You can use a handy feature called “Postal Gopher” to find it and quickly add it to your contacts and post card.

Want to add even more personality to your post card? Make it smell by adding a scent. I didn’t use this picture because they did not have the smell I would have wanted. You’ll know why at the end of this. It costs just $0.50 cents so it is a fu and inexpensive way to to have fun.

Next is saving your post card. This is the only problem that I had with the App. It had to have several attempts to save your post card before I could go to the next step which was irritating. I admit I have a crappy internet connection here at the house, but I was wondering if this whole process was going to have to start over. On the third attempt it saved it and took me to the credit card screen. It was a very painless and quick process but I would have loved to see a PayPal option here as I do not like entering my credit card information. It is a pain and I had to locate my wallet which is always fun. After entering the CC info it is saved so this is a once only entry.

So finished! I got a confirmation screen like this and my postcard is sent! Mine, which I apologize because I did not get a screen shot, was due to arrive at my Dad’s house on 7/16. That’s a 900 mile 5 state trip so I was pretty happy with a one week lead time.

Wrapping it up I really like this app! It cost me $1.49 to send this picture to my Dad:

It’s a great memory I wanted my Dad to have. We don’t get to go up there and visit much, so this is one more way to stay connected. Now do you know why there wasn’t a smell available for my post card? LOL

Get the app here on the Windows Phone Marketplace: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/a91df160-0ea7-4e91-acf7-3b68a52364e9

Instantly create and mail real photo postcards directly from your Windows Phone from $.99 cents to $1.69. Just snap, tap and send anywhere in the world! We handle printing, postage and delivery. Easily personalize with your own photo, message, and signature. No address? No problem – we’ll find it for you. Share memories the old-fashioned way, with real photo keepsakes your friends and family can hold close to their hearts.

Features include:
• Send real postcards directly from your Windows device to any mailing postal address in the world.
• Find missing addresses with the touch of a button with our "Postal Gopher".
• Sign your postcard with your finger!
• Add your own personal message.
• Include a map on your postcard using GPS location.
• Add a scent to your card with Smell Mail.
• Easy to pay with any major credit card.
* Exclusive Aviary Editing and Customization.

Thanks to David K for the heads up on these new apps. Of course the slacker could have done this himself! LOL

Meh, it’s Monday again.. I’ve been busy the last few days, got a new motherboard and CPU so I’ve had fun re-installing everything and I’m still not close to being done. Once I get it all settled in then I’ll clone it all over to an SSD for some real speed!  Anyway I’ve got the news for you, not much mobile but there are a few chances to win stuff down in the Assorted section. So go read something…

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Yep it’s a new month so make sure you change your calendars! I usually forget and it’s a week or so into the month before I change mine, oh well, I remembered today so I ‘m reminding you as well!  Anyway, time for some more news from around the world for you. There’s a few mobile related things, specifically check out the Samsung Galaxy Note review from Hardware Heaven down in the mobile section…

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Ok, this is my last post for the day, I’ve got plenty of other stuff to get done. It’s the news for you from our friends around the world. There’s plenty of stuff in here to keep you reading for quite a while, so I’ll leave you to it and get some other work done. Enjoy!

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I’ve been looking at getting these headphones for a really long time, and I had made up my mind on my last flight to CA that I would get the  Bose QuietComfort 15 Headphones before I fly again. I’m sitting on an airplane right now with these things on and they are simply incredible. Even before you connect them to an audio source, they almost completely remove the sound of the engines, the air flow over the chassis, and the other ambient noise, yet still allow you to hear someone talking to you. But what I love most about them is how they perform with audio. I watched 3 movies with the volume just under 50% and didn’t miss a word. They’re crystal clear in voice and bass, and performed flawlessly when the action got intense. A stewardess asked me a question and I removed the headphones after about 2 hours of use and was incredibly surprised at how loud the cabin actually was!

Bose QuietComfort 15 Headphones are $299, which is a lot of money for a pair of headphones, even ones that have active noise cancellation, but after trying a few other models from Sony and other big name brands, the quality of the audio can’t be beat.  The build quality also seems to be top notch the ear cups and head band are covered in a very nice leather like material and are extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time (I’ve had them on for over 5 hours and they feel just
as good as the moment I first put them on).

Bose QuietComfort 15 Headphones come with a nice zip-up carrying case with a standard 3.5mm cable that you can use with any audio source, an airplane connector adaptor, and a special cable for iPhone, iPad, iPod or MacBook connections which includes a remote for volume, play/pause, and forward/reverse controls. They are powered by a single AAA battery (included) and can be used with out any cables at all if you’re simply looking for noise cancellation. Also included with the headphones, and placed inside their carrying case are a handful of information cards which have the model number and a website link to give to people if they ask you about the headphones. And as silly as that might sound at first, this is the first time I’ve ever used these and I already gave one to the guy sitting next to me.

I highly recommend the Bose QuietComfort 15 Headphones if you’re on the go, constantly in a loud environment, or just want to enjoy quality sound without interruption.

Sheesh…. 5:30am is too early to get up I think, I just haven’t been able to sleep lately, waking up several times per night so I finally gave up and just stayed up this morning. I’ll regret it tonight as I’ll be ready for bed at 9pm probably..  Meh, whatever, I guess it’s a good thing as I can get the news posted anyway right?! There’s all kinds of stuff in here from sites around the world, so sit back grab your coffee and read some..

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Good morning, happy Sunday and all that. I’m back with the news once again for you from sites around the world. Inside you’ll find a few things mobile related, guess it was a slow last few days for the mobile stuff. There’s also a few sites giving stuff away as well, you’ll find those all the way down in the ‘assorted’ section if you think you’re feeling lucky.

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