Project Glass- The Future is Now. Really, it is!

Google announced Project Glass and with it gave the world a sneak peek at what our interconnected world can/will look like in an "augmented reality". That is quite literally having your friends, family, updates, notifications, playlists, texts, calls etc. accessible in your line of sight. Making this possible is a frame not unlike those of regular wraparound glasses. But unlike regular glasses, these have no lenses. Instead they have a small glass screen on the upper right side next to what looks like a Bluetooth type housing. From what the demo video shows these will be equipped with A.I. software. The artificial intelligence software is what makes the seemingly intuitive features and voice commands come to life.


As I said before though, this is just an announcement--a sneak peek into what Project Glass may deliver in the very near future. Currently the frames being sported by Google co-founder Sergy Brin are just prototypes, but, if Google has their way, we may be lining up to buy our own pair as early as this Christmas.

For those of you that have seen the Project Glass video (shot from the wearer's POV) and have now been left wishing to live in a Bluetooth world here is a gadget to hold you over.

The GOgroove FlexSmart Smartphone All-in-One turns your car into your very own Cobra control center (for those of you who remember G.I. Joe, wink). This device plugs into your car's DC outlet allowing you to centrally mount your Smartphone. The flexible neck and rotating head allow you to adjust the positioning and the USB port located in the unit can be used to charge any USB enabled device. What really makes this hands-free device sing is the FM Transmitting Chipset which allows you to play music from your device through your car speakers. Even cooler, when you receive a call the music fades out (ooh) to allow you to take the call sans hands through your car speakers. Once your call is completed the music fades back in (ahh). Not just that, they'll save you from any fines for fumbling with your phone while driving. Besides, you think they're going to allow people to drive while wearing Google glasses? Doubtful.

Will You be the Lucky One?

Tonight is the Mega Million Lottery drawing. Not just any Mega Millions drawing either. It is the most Mega of all Mega Millions in history! The record-smashing $640 million jackpot will be played by just about everyone in the country, including a handful of our neighbors in the Great White North who traveled to upstate New York to play. Lottery officials have estimated that more than $1.46 billion will have been spent on ticket purchases by tonight's drawing.

Of course, though someone may in fact win--maybe even a pool of co-workers, the odds are stacked against us. Currently, there is a 1 in 176,000,000 chance of winning. To put that into perspective: there are 313,269,000 people in the United States as of today. More than half the nation's population is competing against you to win. But on a brighter note, you have a 1-in-88,000 chance of dating a supermodel, a 1-in-20,000,000 chance of being canonized, 1-in-13,200,000 chance at becoming an astronaut and 1-in-10,000,000 chance of becoming president. For once, the odds are in my favor of becoming an astronaut after purchasing my lottery ticket. Then again, if I hit the jackpot I'll commission Richard Branson to build me a private Virgin Galactic space craft with that cool mood lighting they have on Virgin America planes. I can daydream...as I'm sure most of the nation is daydreaming about what they would do if they hit the Mega Millions. But alas, only one or a few--maybe even a large group of people-- will win and that elite group will most likely not include me or anyone else reading this. That doesn't mean that I'm going to feel defeated. Whether I or anyone I know who likes me enough to cut me a check for a substantial amount should they win the Mega Millions doesn't in fact win, I (we) still have plenty to celebrate this weekend. Besides, isn't the lottery, like, cursed or something?



Then again, if any of you do win some money and want to buy me a gift, I would like a brand new GOgroove BoomBUDDY High-Fidelity 2.1 Stereo Speaker with a 4 inch Subwoofer, a GOgroove BlueGate Wireless Bluetooth Audio Adapter & Receiver and a GOgroove SolaceAIR Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset so my BoomBUDDY and I can go sit and wallow somewhere far away while he blasts beautiful music into my ears so at least I don't hear my own cries of $640 million lost.

Magic hour, magical images

According to the weather forecast here in L.A., tomorrow will be mostly sunny becoming clear in the evening with winds SSE at 7 mph. The sun will rise at 6:50 am and set at 7:08 pm. Sounds like the perfect day to shoot some pictures to me! For all you self-proclaimed shutter bugs or those of you just starting to experiment with photography, I provided you with the weather report to encourage you to take advantage of Magic Hour! Magic Hour is just that, the hour or so just before sunrise or sunset in which the natural light and therefore your photographs are simply "Magical".

This is the time when the sky and your photos go Technicolor. When the light blue sky turns to gold, to orange, red, pink, purple, faded layers of each and finally indigo providing your subjects and images with warmer light and colors. This much sought after and limited time is the result of a phenomenon called Alpenglow, which is when the Earth's shadow produces a scattering of red light across the horizon. And, trust me, the result is phenomenal! Magic Hour is an amazing time to shoot any type of photography. Because of the long shadows cast, landscape shots are amplified, as are all of the natural colors. Portraits are softened by the warmer light when you have your subject face the downward sun, which unlike overhead sunlight, doesn't cast harsh shadows. This is also the only time to capture those classic silhouette shots--where shots taken facing into the rising or setting sun, with your subject directly in front of the light, come out stark black.

Whether you decide to take your camera up into the mountains, the lake, the beach or to the city to get those amazing reflective shots of the skyline make sure to pack your camera in a snugly padded case or bag like the CaseLogic Compact Camera Bag. Or if you like to have options, attach an Easyswitch Lens Case which allows you to easily interchange lenses. However you end up spending your weekend, we hope it's a "magical" one.

Take adavantage of that extra hour of sun

Pacific Standard Time started last Sunday so we've all been running through the week minus one hour of sleep, maybe even more. While the loss of such a precious commodity is never an easy one there are plenty of perks that come with that extra hour of sunshine. For instance when you leave work, the sun is still high in the sky making us feel like we can go out and do things, get things done in the window of time between work and home without the dreaded feeling of being surrounded by darkness. In turn, this frees us to do all those menial errands that would otherwise gather and snowball throughout the week until we had no choice but to give up our weekends to the bank, post office, grocery store, dry cleaners, etc.

Another perk of that extra sunshine is FREE POWER! Yep, you read that right. FREE POWER. How you may ask? By using all that extra sunshine and loading it up in our new ReVIVE Solar Restore XL USB Battery Pack which will soon be joining the growing list of amazing gadgets on Accessory Genie. When fully charged this amazing little dynamo houses and stores enough energy to fully power a Smartphone 3 times over. Or you can share and power 3 Smartphones one time over. But that's not all it can do, after all it is a dynamo.

This compact, lightweight device has a built-in dual-mode LED flashlight which can shine at full beam or in S.O.S. mode for up to 36 consecutive hours on one charge. It also comes with 2 dual-window suction mounts, a carabiner and a USB-charging cable. Use the suction mounts to charge your ReVIVE Solar Restore on the inside of your windshield during the week then pack your gear and go have an adventure on the weekend. Or, hook the Solar ReStore onto your backpack with the carabiner while hiking or mountain biking to charge and have all the backup power you need for your agonizing Smartphone that lost all its power tirelessly trying to get service in the great outdoors.

The Solar ReStore can be used to power MP3 players, tablets, eReaders, portable speakers, digital cameras, camcorders and more, so much more. So thank the Sun god Ra for that extra hour of free power and take advantage of no more missed photo ops, videos, favorite songs, urgent status updates or whatever else powerless devices deny you. Harness the power of the sun! It's FREE!

Fueling your Springtime Fun with Portable Speakers

Down in Southern California, we've enjoyed a nice little taste of warm weather with a heat wave this week. Beautiful weather combined with swimsuits hitting stores made me more excited than ever for spring and summer fun!

Luckily, spring is right around the corner. And hopefully with it, warmer weather promoting outdoor entertainment. So why not start preparing for springtime fun?

At least for me, outdoor activities are nothing without good music to fuel the fun. Portable speaker systems, like the ones from GOgroove, are the ideal solution, providing great sound from small, lightweight designs. The Panda Pal and Koala Pal are great for kids, or for the kid in you, playing audio from any device with a 3.5mm outlet. Although the Panda Pal and Koala Pal are both powered through USB, they also make great speaker systems when powered by 3 AAA batteries.

The TuneStyle Portable Minispeaker is also a favorite, with a color-wash grill that adds a fun dash of color to this compact speaker. Also powered by USB or with 2 AAA batteries, this small speaker system is perfect for use as a desktop speaker or to take with you to the pool, camping and on picnics.

The GOgroove SonaSPHERE is my favorite speaker to use when I'm enjoying the outdoors on a nice day. With an internal battery, the SonaSPHERE can continuously play audio for 2 to 3 hours on a single charge. The SonaSPHERE's body expands for increased sound fidelity, and a linkable design allows you to connect several SonaSPHEREs together for increased sound.

Bluetooth speaker systems are also great to use when you're out and about, connecting to compatible devices wirelessly. This BOOMbar will connect to any Bluetooth enabled device and play audio from up to 75 feet away!

Get rid of that old jumbo boom box and upgrade to a portable speaker system to play your springtime fun playlists.

-Jinni

Getting Over Single's Awareness Day

Single's Awareness Day has come and gone, leaving behind lonely souls and broken hearts. Valentine's Day is the least favored day of the year by many, especially if you're single or if you're significant other is forgetful.

If your V-Day was as miserable as they come, here are a few products designed to enrich your life and possibly fill that empty void.

If you're in the mood to be anti-social and block out those obnoxiously lovey-dovey couples, Bluetooth headphones may be the perfect solution for you. The GOgroove AirBand Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset is perfect for cutting outside noise without constraining yourself with annoying wires. The AirBand wirelessly connects to any Bluetooth-enabled audio player, including the latest smartphones, MP3 players and tablets, allowing you to freely move around. On-board controls also allow you to adjust volume and switch tracks. When you're ready to be social again, a built-in microphone allows hands-free calling, as well!

If gaming is your way to dry those tears, the Enhance Touch Screen Gaming Joystick is great. Easily attaching to your tablet with a suction cup, the Enhance Joystick makes playing games on your tablet or smartphone, giving games more of an arcade feel. Again, once you've mended that broken heart, use two joysticks to play with a friend!

If your Valentine's Day was a lonely one because you're overwhelmed with work, why not treat yourself to an office makeover? The ScrollSmart Touch Sensitive Wireless Mouse is a fun and unique addition to any home or work office. A touch sensitive scroll wheel is comfortable and fun to use and it looks great as well. A USB powered fan is also a great addition to your office, keeping you nice and cool on those busy, busy days at the office.

Whether you spent Valentine's Day alone, or with your significant other, know that it is simply like any other day. If you're in a relationship, show your honey love every day of the year. And if you're single and ready to mingle, don't let a day like 2/14 void you from any happiness or contentment.

Lots of love!

Jinni

MORE Valentine's Day Gift Ideas from Accessory Genie

Procrastination. It's a nasty little habit that I think may haunt us all, even if it's just a little. We all remember being in school and waiting until the day before a paper was due to sit down and actually write it. Or waiting until an hour before class to study up for a test. How about waiting until the day before Valentine's Day to buy your honey their gift?


Last year, I didn't buy my boyfriend his Valentine's Day gift until the morning of. I did manage to find him something that he liked and uses pretty often. But it was really out of pure luck.

Don't make my mistakes. Shop early this year and find your significant other the perfect gift. Shop AccessoryGenie.com!

Last week I focused on gifts for the smartphone owner and enthusiast. So let's talk tablet accessories this week. We carry a wide variety of tablet accessories, including cases, sleeves, stylus pens, speaker systems, docks and more.

We recently got the enerG Portable Battery Dock, a foldable charging dock that will dock, charge and sync your tablet. We currently carry two models - one for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0, 7 Plus, 8.9 and 10.1 tablets, and the other for iPad and iPad 2 tablets. The internal rechargeable 5200mAh lithium polymer battery offers your iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab an extra boost of energy when you're away from power outlets. When connected to the computer, the enerG Dock will also sync the tablet!

We also have a variety of tablet cases for him and her. The Renee Michelle Padfolio was especially designed with women in mind, and is compatible with a variety of tablets, including the iPad/iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Motorola XOOM and Xyboard 10.1, HP TouchPad, and many other tablets.

If your guy has an iPad, iPad 2, or a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0, definitely look into getting him a CaseScenario Folio Case. I bought one for my boyfriend last year for his iPad 2 and he absolutely loves it! The case has a built-in rotating stand that allows you to easily prop up your tablet in a portrait or landscape view for easy viewing and typing. The sleek, black leatherette exterior is professional and modest, and will keep his tablet well protected.

We've also got a variety of speaker systems that are perfect for playing audio from tablets! For the ladies, the GOgroove Panda Pal, Koala Pal and Mama Panda Pal make excellent gifts. And guys would LOVE the BassPULSE Satellite Speaker System! Not only does it look great, but it also delivers amazing sound with bass he'll be able to feel!

Trust me, your Valentines will love you even more with awesome gifts like these!

-Jinni