Black Friday Savings Minus Crazed Crowds

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I turned on the TV, occasionally glancing over when I heard anything interesting. Black Friday news is always rather entertaining and shocking simultaneously. So when I heard the news anchor talking about a store pretty close to the office, I looked over to see what the commotion was about.
A woman at a local WalMart was on such a mission to cross off all the stuff on her list that she decided to pepper spray anyone who dared to be in her way. Later at the office, I saw another video of a riot over a $2 waffle maker...

Really? Who on earth would want to go through that? To what limit will we go to save a few bucks? I personally prefer to stay home and do all of my Black Friday / Cyber Monday shopping from the comfort of my warm and comfy couch, with my sweats on and a nice cup of hot cocoa to sip.

This weekend, you too can shop from home and save a bundle, without getting pepper sprayed or trampled. If you've shopped with us before, you know all about our Reward Points. Basically, with every purchase you make at AccessoryGenie.com, you earn a certain amount of Reward Points, depending on which items you purchased. These points can in turn be used as credit on future AccessoryGenie.com purchases!

From today through 5:00 PM on Cyber Monday (11/28/2011), your Reward Points are worth double the amount! That means you can save twice the amount on many of our popular electronic accessories, including the GOgroove FlexSmart X2, AudiOHM earbuds, and the AudioACTIVE!

To check out how many Reward Points you have earned, visit AccessoryGenie.com and click the yellow "Accessory Genie Login" button at the top right. After you have filled out the correct email and password, your Reward Point will display at the top left of the home page!

Don't have an AccessoryGenie.com account? No problem! Click on the save "Accessory Genie Login" button on the homepage and fill out the short form to be on your way to AccessoryGenie.com savings!

In my opinion, shopping from home certainly beats dealing with cold weather, crazed crowds, and pepper spray any day.

-Jinni 

Staying Neutral - Our Lowdown on the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet

There was so much buzz around the Amazon Kindle Fire when it was first announced back in September that I even considered buying one for myself. I think that we at Accessory Genie may have noticed it more than others, especially when most products that were compatible with the Kindle Fire suddenly started flying off the shelves.

Regardless of the lack of news coming from Barnes & Noble, I always had a hunch that they weren't about to let the Kindle Fire take over the "e-reader gone tablet" scene. And low and behold, turns out Barnes & Noble had a little announcement of their own, telling the world of the new Nook Tablet a week before the Amazon Kindle Fire.

And so the competition began, or at least from what we, the public, saw. Barnes & Noble didn't stop there. The Nook Tablet just happened to be available to the public the same week as the Kindle Fire was sent out. Oh, and remember how the Kindle Fire was shipped a day ahead of schedule? Barnes & Noble decided that their customers would receive their Nook Tablets TWO days ahead of schedule.
With all of this evident competing, it's no wonder why almost every tech and news site out there is comparing either tablet to the other. And from what I've personally seen and heard, the competition is pretty close.

Both budget-friendly tablets are designed serve their purpose in the most simple and efficient way. Physically, neither tablet is especially different or particularly appealing; the Nook Tablet used the same design as the Nook Color, and the Kindle Fire just looks like the regular 7-inch Android tablet.

With such closeness in price, the only reason I can see to prefer one tablet over the other is whether you're an Amazon/Kindle person or a Nook person. Aside from being $50 cheaper than the Nook Tablet, the Kindle Fire is really designed around Prime. Prime is like the VIP of Amazon, costing members $79 a year and allowing them to enjoy unlimited videos, free and quicker shipping, and what is essentially a free library where users borrow and read books a month at a time.

However, if you're not a fan of Prime and don't mind the extra $50, why not give the Nook Tablet a chance? Although not by much, the Nook Tablet's specs were generally better than the Kindle Fire's, after all.

Whatever tablet you choose, make sure to check out our speakers and cases compatible with both the Nook Tablet and the Kindle Fire. Clearly, we chose to not be involved in this continuous battle between the extremely similar e-readers-turned-tablets.

-Jinni

Affordable Headphones Without Compromising Quality

To say that I am happy with my Apple products would be an understatement. It all started with my 3rd generation iPod Classic, and as I bought my MacBook, my iPad and my iPhone, I became more and more convinced that Apple in general delivers quality products.

BUT I am also convinced that Apple is not good at one thing: earbuds. Sure, they get the job done. And it is nice to buy an iPhone or an iPod and not have to worry about buying another pair of earbuds. But as far as comfort goes, Apple in-ear headphones did not make in onto my favorites list.

Solution? I have several! When using my iPod, I'm pretty attached to AudiOHM earbuds. They're probably the most comfortable earbuds I've ever worn, and the noise-isolating feature is great for helping me focus at work or avoid being social.

One feature that I did appreciate from my Apple earbuds was the remote and microphone built into the wire. Although I did use them for driving, the microphone came in handy when my hands and shoulder weren't free to hold onto the phone while in the middle of a conversation. They were great when I was cooking, folding laundry, or when shopping at the grocery store (although I did get weird looks from strangers who thought I was talking to myself).

But as with my iPod's earbuds, they became increasingly uncomfortable. Luckily around the time that I was ready to retire the uncomfortable earbuds, GOgroove came out with the DynaMIX earbuds, which are not only incredible comfy, but they also have an in-line microphone AND control for switching tracks, answering and ending calls, and playing or pausing music.

Although it's not exactly a fashion-forward accessory for us ladies, my favorite headphones to use are the GOgroove SoundCLUTCH Over-Ear Headphones. When it comes to quality and comfort, these headphones are the by far best ones I've ever tried. With cushioned, noise isolating earpads and an adjustable headband, these headphones are so nice to wear that I would forget I was wearing them if it wasn't for the crystal clear audio coming out of them.

Best part of all? All of the earbuds and headphones mentioned above are reasonably priced, saving you money without compromising quality!

-Jinni

GOgroove Pal Family Has a New Member!

Being the proud owner of a Panda Pal and a Koala Pal speaker system, and of course, a lover of all things CUTE, this post may be a little biased.

When I saw this little gal make her first appearance at Accessory Genie headquarters, I knew that it was love at first sight. And after seeing all of its little quirks and unique features, I could hardly contain myself! I had to complete my collection of the GOgroove Pal family and get MAMA Panda Pal!

MAMA, as I we like to call her, is as versatile and powerful as her family members. With a 3.5mm cable, you can connect and play audio from any media device with a 3.5mm plug, including smartphones, MP3 players, laptops, desktop computers and more.

In addition, MAMA is powered by the included AC power adapter and cable, or by 4 AA batteries, making this speaker system great for use at home and at the office, or at the beach or park!

When turned on, MAMA's little nose glows red! And adding to her cuteness, the volume is controlled by her touch-sensitive ears!

Since its starting to get cold out, my MAMA Panda Pal is stationed in my kitchen at home, where I listen to music from my iPad as I read cooking instructions from my Epicurious app. But come summer 2012, MAMA will definitely be hitting the great outdoors, joining me at the beach, camping, and on family outings.

My 5 year old niece has also developed a recent obsession with MAMA, and always tries sneaking her out of the house to take home. Little does she know, she's getting her own MAMA Panda Pal for the holidays!

With the holidays fast approaching, the MAMA Panda Pal arrived just in time as the perfect gift for friends and family, adults and kids!

-Jinni