As I told you in the last post Fosfor was part of the eBay Dealhunter Challenge, so I just wanted to share what I’ll send in to the judges. It was quite a challenge to find something cool that the seller also could ship to Europe (most of the sellers only shipped to US and Canada), and the shipping cost was also, in most cases, higher than the price of the actual product. But anyway I decided to go for something vintage and finally I found this really cool 20 year old vinyl player (Technics SL-BD22), that still is brand new and in it’s original box. And my other deal was something that could be used with the turntable – a bunch of rare vinyls (20 different Johnny Cash LP’s and EP’s). More info and images inside.

Fosfor has been invited to the eBay Dealhunter Challenge, where we shall try and do a nice bargain on eBay and find something that meet the following criterias, or some of the criterias.

* Authentic (not fake)
* Limited edition
* Hard to find e.g. Not available in their local market
* Unusual and genuinely exciting
* A big brand name
* Highly desirable
* Vintage
* New to market
* Purchased for $285 or less including postage

If you have any ideas for a nice deal please post a comment on this post! The local market in this case is Sweden, even though most of the US stuff is available over here as well.

I’m not sure how scratch resistant the new Zune HD from Microsoft is, but if you want to be on the safe side you can get this nice protection from WaterField Designs. It’s made out of suede and can be yours for $9 USD. More info inside.

Press release from WaterField:

WaterField Designs Debuts Zune HD Suede Jacket Cases

San Francisco, California, Oct 14, 2009, WaterField Designs, a leading maker of custom-fitted computer bags and cases for digital gear, today announces the new Suede Jacket case for the Zune HD. The minimalist and custom-fitted Suede Jackets are constructed of soft, scratch-free Ultrasuede(TM) and are available with or without a pocket to hold accessories.

The Suede Jacket Case for the Zune HD offers light Zune HD protection without bulk. For a sleek and smooth look, all stitching is internal. An optional stretch pocket provides users with a place to store earbuds, or in pinch credit cards and cash. This ultra-thin, Ultrasuede(TM) cover can double as a screen cleaner.

“People want a slim case with quick access that will easily slip into their pockets; one that looks simple and un-complicated and adds no bulk,” explained owner Gary Waterfield. “Suede Jackets do that while they protect the Zune from other contents inside a bag.”

WaterField Designs also offers the Travel Case to stow the Zune HD and its accessories all together, tangle-free in one place. Custom-sized, padded interior compartments keep the Zune and accompanying gear organized and separated. Self-locking zippers ensure the contents don’t spill out accidentally. All three sizes maintain their thin and compact shape, even when fully packed. The water-resistant and washable material is available in six colors to coordinate with any day- or workbag users might carry.

The Suede Jacket Case and the Travel Case for the Zune HD can easily be stowed in a backpack, purse, or workbag such as the WaterField Muzetto, HardCase, Cargo, Cozmo, VertiGo, Racer-X or Sling.

Pricing and Availability:
Both cases are now available from WaterField Designs online. The Suede Jacket Case for the Zune HD: $9 (USD); with stretch pocket: $13. One color: black. The Travel Case: Available in Small: $35; Medium: $37; and Large: $39. Colors: Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Red, Silver.

Zune Suede Jacket [sfbags.com]

The PowerPak from Technocel is a clever portable USB charger that can power up almost any USB powered device while on the road. If you’re an iPhone user like myself, you have probably ran low on juice more than one time and the PowerPak could be a real saviour. More information inside.

Press release from Technocel:

Technocel Announces the PowerPak – A Portable Battery and Home Charger All-In-One

This Ultimate Universal Charging Solution Combines a Backup Rechargeable Battery Pack with a Rapid Home Charger

SIMI VALLEY, CA – (October 14, 2009) – Technocel, a leading accessory solution provider with over 11,000 products for the wireless market, announces their latest innovation, the Technocel PowerPak™, a portable battery and home charger combined into one unit. This patent pending technology will replace all your chargers with a single universal solution that will safely power your USB devices at home, in the car, at the airport, or anywhere else. If your device is running low on juice, the PowerPak™ built-in battery reserve will refuel it, whether there is a wall outlet available or not. The PowerPak™ will be available starting November 1, 2009 for MSRP of $49.99 on Technocel.com, as well as at a variety of retail locations, including all Sprint stores nationwide, Sprint.com, and 1-800-SPRINT1.

“We are thrilled to provide an all in one charging solution that will power a variety of USB devices at home or on the go” says Rami Rostami, Technocel CEO and Founder. “It also offers our dealers an opportunity to replace all of their home chargers with one unit, which will create better inventory SKU management, as well as less inventory risk. For cell phones, PDA’s, MP3 players, reading devices, Bluetooth headsets and more, the PowerPak will give your accessories instant power, anytime, anywhere.”

Providing the extra juice when you need it, the PowerPak will recharge your handheld device at the same time as it recharges itself via the wall outlet. If you’re a heavy user who constantly runs out of battery in the middle of the conversation, the PowerPak was designed for you, providing up to 3 hours of extra talk time.* For those who are eco conscious, this solution meets Energy Star requirements by drawing very minimal power from the wall outlet when no additional power is needed. The easy to read, LED indicator lights reveal the remaining capacity of the PowerPak battery reserve with the press of a button. Interchangeable tips included in the packaging provide compatibility for 95% of all handheld USB devices. The PowerPak is also compatible with any other USB cable that might have been provided with your wireless device.

*Actual talk time depends on handset, network, location and environment.

iSkin, most known for their iPod/iPhone cases, have released a series of silicone keyboard protectors for Apple laptops and keyboards. Prices range between $24.99 and $34.99 USD and there are lots of several colors and models to choose from. Check some of them out after the jump.

See the whole product range over at iSkin.

I have been using the lightweight v-JAYS headphones for two weeks now and they turned out to be a really great pair of headphones. Come inside for our review of the v-JAYS.

The v-JAYS come in a package that is just a bit bigger than the headphones itself and there isn’t anything more than an extra pair of earpads, the headphones, a 70 cm extension chord, and short paper instructions in several languages inside the box. But that is exactly what you need so there’s nothing negative about that.

The build quality is quite sturdy and it feels like these headphones easily will last a couple of years without breaking. The cable is also quite thick and all cable extensions is gold plated. So even though they might look like the earphones you get on an airplane to wath the in-air flick the v-JAYS feel more robust and durable than the cheaper counterparts.

When you aren’t using the headphones, you can fold them up as in the photo above. They aren’t ultra compact but at least they feel somewhat protected when you fold them.

I have been listening to lots of different types of music with the v-JAYS and even though I think they are best used for modern music with lots of bass, you still can enjoy Beethoven and Bach with these headphones. I used the equalizer quite a lot though to get the exact sound that I wanted.

The v-JAYS deliver rich and open sound, with lots of punchy bass and smooth sound all over the frequency range. You can turn up the volume really loud and it still delivers a great sound experience. A lot more than you probably expect by just looking at them, as they look a bit like cheap airplane headphones.

Everything with the v-JAYS ain’t positive though, one of the problems with the headphones is that the sound doesn’t only reach the person who wears the headphones. A lot of sound leaks away and that might annoy your colleagues if you are using them in an open landscape. This is of course a problem with most open headphones and apart from that I can really recommend the v-JAYS. They are a great catch, and I don’t say that just because I’m a Swede (Jays is a Swedish brand you know). Highly recommended. You can get them in a shop near you for around $100.

More info over at Jays.se.

Today Nokia admitted that there are ’some’ problems Nokia N97 lens. The problem is that the lens cover is fitted too close to the lens which actually makes it damage the lens instead of protecting it. It’s interesting that it took so long for Nokia to admit this since there are thousands of sites and posts about this well known problem.

Talking about the N97 [conversations.nokia.com]

Today Apple launched a new version of the OS for iPhone and iPod touch. It’s the 3.1.2 version and the most important fixes are:

• Resolves sporadic issue that may cause iPhone to not wake from sleep
• Resolves intermittent issue that may interrupt cellular network services until restart
• Fixes bug that could cause occasional crash during video streaming

If you hook up your phone in iTunes it will find the 250 MB update.

I got the chance to play around with a couple of phones running the recently launched Windows Mobile 6.5 and it was quite interesting. At the first glance it looked a bit fresh with a new home screen, the market place, a revamped Internet Explorer but after a short while I realized that it’s basically the same thing as Windows Mobile 6.1 – crap. I was really, really disappointed. Hopefully Windows Mobile 7.0 will be a different ballgame, otherwise Microsoft is in big trouble…

Today I got myself a new pair of v-Jays, the new lightweight headphones from the Swedish company Jays. I’ll post a review in a few days but here’s a couple of snaps from the unboxing procedure.