Father's Day Gifts

This Sunday is Father's Day. Another day of recognition many don't know the history of so for those that don't or those who do and want a refresher, here you go.


In the summer of 1910, a young woman named Sonora Smart Dodd held the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane Washington just two years after the first Mother's Day celebration. She felt that fathers deserved to be celebrated as well. The main reason for this sentiment was that her father, Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, had become a single father and had to take on the responsibility of raising his six children. Originally Sonora suggested her father's birthday (June 5th) as the celebratory date but preparations weren't completed until the 3rd Sunday of June. For the next ten years Sonora Dodd promoted Father's Day with little success. Then in the 1930's Sonora began extensively promoting Father's Day and even raised awareness at a national level. Mrs. Dodd had quite a knack for cross-promoting too. As of 1938 she got the backing of the Father's Day Council which was a New York based group founded by the Associated Men's Wear Retailers. Essentially all the guys that were in the business of making ties helped her promote her cause. For the next 30 or so years the nation was resistant to accepting Father's Day and even went so far as to make sarcastic jokes and cynical remarks in the press accusing merchants of just wanting to ride the success of Mother's Day and make a buck. Regardless of the decades of resistance from the public there were political figures that were for making Father's Day official. Beginning with then President Woodrow Wilson who way back in 1916 wanted to make it official. In 1924 President Coolidge suggested that it be celebrated by the nation as well. But it wasn't until 1972 that dads across the nation got the official recognition when President Richard Nixon signed it into law. So sixty-two years later the tie business went through the roof on the 3rd Sunday of June.

Not to mock anyone who bought their dad another tie this year, or maybe even an electronic tie-holder to sort all the ties from Father's Days past, but I have it on high authority that dads like gadgets too so if you bought your dad yet another tie or "Kiss the Cook" BBQ apron and feel that he deserves a do-over gift after Sunday then here's a few cool gadgets he's guaranteed to genuinely love and maybe even need.

ReVIVE Solar Restore XL- Compact, lightweight device charges with either sunlight or via USB. The Solar ReStore XL incorporates a high-efficiency solar panel with a 300mA charging rate in direct sunlight. With your average smartphone needing around 1300mAh to 1500mAh for a full charge, the XL will be charged up with enough juice after only 3-5 hours in direct sunlight. Leave the pack in direct sunlight for 13 hours to fully charge its internal 4000mAh battery. The low self-discharge Li-polymer battery pack stores emergency power for weeks without degradation, so you can use the power when you need it. Once charged the 4,000mAh battery can charge a Smartphone 3 times over. It 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.

SMARTmini Bluetooth FM Transmitter- Make and Receive Calls on your Phone Hands-Free while driving! Equipped with Bluetooth Technology, it's easy to use your phone while driving. The hands free technology allows the user to make and receive phone calls through their car speakers. If music is playing, it will slowly fade out to allow the user to clearly connect to any phone call. The GOgroove SMARTmini BT plugs into AND grips the inside of your DC car outlet. The redesigned articulating neck is compact and the sleek design compliments any vehicle nicely.

Finally, if your dad is a gamer, give him the old school arcade experience with the ScreenPLAY touch screen joystick. The Enhance ScreenPLAY Tab joystick gives you the competitive edge you need to level up. ScreenPLAY allows you to easily play your favorite touch screen game without missing a move. Just mount the screen-safe joystick over the virtual gamepad and let the fun begin!

CNET Features Panda Pal Portable Speaker

This has been a tremendous week for Accessory Genie. More specifically for the GOgroove Panda Pal portable speaker which was spotlighted in all of its adorable glory on CNET.com, yes CNET. For those who are unaware of who CNET is, it's a tech media site which was originally founded in 1994 and has a mammoth following with over 12,000,000 unique visitors. In other words, they're HUGE!


For two glorious days CNET has the GOgroove Panda Pal portable speaker featured as an Exclusive Deal at the lowest price anywhere. Besides the cache of being an "Exclusive Deal", both Liza Maloy and Rick Broida from CNET wrote incredible reviews about one of our favorite products. But they weren't just interested in the Panda Pal because of its super cute design or the huge sound it puts out, they want to help Pandas International too. A heart as big as their site.

Pandas International is a non-profit organization that has been mentioned plenty here, but that's because what they do is so important that we'll mention them every chance we get. To reiterate to those in the know or to enlighten any novices, Pandas International is dedicated to the preservation of the endangered Giant Panda and its habitat. They were founded in 1999 after the soon to be founders witnessed the plight of the endangered Panda first-hand in China. Since then they have been working tirelessly to raise funds through donations and to educate the public so that future generations can continue preservation efforts. In 2008, an 8.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the Sichuan Province of China. As a result, the Wolong Giant Panda Reserve Center was severely affected. Immediately following the earthquake, Pandas International dedicated itself to raising money to provide medicine, food and electrical equipment to the reserve and neighboring communities. Since then, Pandas International has been concentrating efforts on rebuilding the forested area the pandas call home through their Bamboo Project. Pandas International has several ways that you can help including Pennies 4 Pandas, Adopt a Panda, and Sponsor a Panda. Another way that they're spreading the word and raising funds is through sales of the Panda Pal portable speaker. From June through October 5% of the net profits of Panda Pal sales will be donated directly to Pandas International.

So hurry and get your very own Panda Pal from CNET and I mean hurry since their offer ends at 11:00pm EST today. If you don't make it to that deal then you can grab one on sale on this very site. Learn more about how you can help the endangered Giant Panda at http://www.pandasinternational.org/

iPhone 5 Rumors are Running Rampant

All this week photos and videos claiming to be evidence of the new iPhone 5 have been popping up like photos of the Lochness Monster or Bigfoot once did. But this is nothing new. Every year the whispers start, then the fuzzy images, then the not so fuzzy images of what the next iPhone will look like. But unlike cryptids--like the Chupacabra or Jackalope--the next iPhone will in fact exist in a tangible way. The only uncertainty for now is when. So, while we wait for a set release date, let us indulge in the fuzzy features the rumor mills are cranking out.


So far they all seem to allege that the 6th generation iPhone will have a taller screen coming in at a hair under 4.0 inches. Sources are also agreeing that while the screen looks to be taller, that the width will remain the same. This would mean that the current 3.5-inch display with its resolution of 960x640 would be beefed up to 3.99 inches and a resolution of 1136x640 (the better to see HD video with!). If this is true, then the casing itself will have a complete redesign. Fortunately, Steve Jobs had a hand in this so whatever it looks like it will be gorgeous. Another design change sources are agreeing on is that the new iPhone will also be one of the thinnest ever. Sources are saying that Apple has achieved this by combining the iPhone's LCD screen and its touch sensors into one. As far as the backing goes, there are whispers of a new and improved Gorilla Glass that promises to be the most durable of them all.

In regards to what the iPhone will actually be made of some (perhaps less reputable sources) have suggested unicorn horn, but sources are claiming that it will be something far more sinister than that. Liquid Metal! Yep, just like the T-1000 in Terminator 2. Well, maybe not exactly but that's what I picture when I hear "Liquid Metal". Either way some say that a Liquid Metal iPhone is still just a concept. If is in fact a reality for the iPhone 5 then I'm reserving one ASAP. One thing that the new iPhone will potentially kill is the humble existence of the point-and-shoot camera. It's rumored to come equipped with an unheard of 10 megapixel camera because you know, why not?

As gorgeous and futuristic as this fantasy iPhone is looking, its sounding like it will have beauty and brains. Sources are saying that Apple will be powering one of the world's thinnest phones with iPad's A5X CPU Quad Core graphics. Quad core, that's twice as much as twice as much! With that much power potentially going into the new iPhone sources are guessing that the next logical upgrades will be the introduction of iOS 6 and an increase from the current 512MB to 1GB of RAM.

Like I said before, if this is all true then I want one. I will coddle it like an only child and buy it all the accessories it wants.

Memorial Day, how will you commemorate?

Most of us will be fortunate enough to have an extended weekend, three long sunny days to bask in the warm sunshine and cool breezes. Maybe at the beach, the calm lakeshore or in your own backyard. A nice long weekend to relax, hang with family, friends, have barbeques and pool parties. But why? What or who is it that we are memorializing? As a generalization most of us have an understanding of what Memorial Day is. A day set aside to commemorate US Soldiers who gave their lives in more than a dozen major wars and so many others most of us can't even name. In some parts of the country commemorations continue to take place but the reason for our Monday off goes mostly unquestioned. Even Washington, D.C. took a 60 year break from hosting a Memorial Day Parade. So to remind us what this Monday is about or hopefully even cast a little light on this holiday here's a bit of Memorial Day history.


Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. Close to the end of the Civil War organized groups of women in the south began decorating the graves of Confederate Soldiers as tribute. Families would also congregate at the burial sites of their recently deceased and have a potluck on the grass. The "First Decoration Day" is said to have been in Charleston, South Carolina on the 1st of May, 1865. On this day almost ten thousand people gathered at the Charleston Race Course to commemorate the more than 250 Union Soldiers who perished on these grounds when they were held as prisoners of war. Most of the attendees were Freedmen, freed slaves, who wanted to commemorate the Union Soldiers who died and were buried in a mass grave on the grounds. Decoration Day was observed nationwide for the first time on May 30, 1868 after a proclamation issued by General John A. Logan, then Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic. The first use of Memorial Day wasn't until 1882 and it didn't gain popularity until after World War II. In 1967 Memorial Day was declared as the official name by Federal law. The day of remembrance became a 3-day weekend on June 28, 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which served to move Memorial Day and four other Federal holidays to a specified Monday to create a three-day weekend. Some feel that this is the point in history where the observation of Memorial Day shifted from a national day of remembrance to a marker for the start of summer making it more of a national day of BBQs. Still there are wonderful events that take place each year and serve as a reminder. Since 1951 the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis have been gathering at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery and placing flags on each and every one of the 150,000 graves. For about as long every Thursday before Memorial Day 1,200 soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry place flags at every single one of the 260,000 graves at Arlington National Cemetery and patrol the site the entire weekend to make sure that all the flags remain standing.

Whether you celebrate the holiday hanging poolside, at a family barbeque or at the beach listening to some good tunes, take a moment to remember and honor the men and women that fought for our freedom and in turn our free day.

Today will go down in infamy....nah.

Today is a day that will go down in some niche of history. On this day, the 18th day of May 2012, Facebook went public. This morning's trading was opened when Mark Zuckerberg, outfitted in his finest trademark hoodie, rang the bell. The hype surrounding today had the public seeing visions of chaos and madness with the opening day price booming into the stratosphere. But that is not what happened, not at all. First of all trading began late due to technical difficulties on the NASDAQ's part. Add to that GM pulling $10 million worth of ads from Facebook this Tuesday claiming that it didn't work. This along with an overall wariness for the performance of Social Media stock made Facebook's opening day look more like a couple of kids running around the lawn with sparklers as opposed to the fireworks spectacular most were expecting.

The reason for the anticipated hype was not unwarranted. In 2004, just 8 years ago, Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook out of his Harvard dorm room. What was originally intended to be an exclusive site for Harvard students to meet, communicate and share has now become the world's largest social networking site. What was once exclusive territory of Harvard students is now home to 901 million users worldwide. About 200 million of those users are in the U.S., which translates to approximately 2/3 of the country's population.

Facebook not only made its way into the majority of the population's daily lives, it also changed the way we communicate and interact. Even a simple word like "Friend" has taken on a new meaning. For many, Facebook became a revolutionary means of communicating and sharing with loved ones and friends around the globe. The ability to post and comment along with photo-sharing seemed to make distance non-existent. For some, like the 70 million U.S. users that had left Facebook by 2011, the social networking site seems to work like a false interaction. The immediate and usually edited online communication allows for a lesser need for direct communication therefore increasing antisocial tendencies.

Now with its improved mobile application and its purchase of Instagram users will be spending even more time sharing photos, updating their status, and posting on the go from their smartphones or tablets.

But for those of us who decided not to purchase Facebook stock, at least not yet, here are a couple of items that you could have for $38.00 (or less). All of which can help keep your smartphone going for those emergency posts and status updates.

1- A ReVIVE Series Solar ReStore 15 mAh USB Charging External Battery Pack to charge your phone with free sunlight.

2- A GOgroove SolaceAIR Bluetooth Wireless Headset so you can post and talk at the same time!

You can check out this hilarious list by the clever minds at Gizmodo.com to see more things you could buy instead of FB shares.

Whichever side of the line you fall on the reality is that Facebook shifted the way we interact and words such as like, and friend will never be the same. Oh and even though shares closed at $38.23 Mark Zuckerberg is still a billionaire so I'll take that kind of fizzle anyday.

In the spotlight!

We are so excited about the recent media coverage we just had to share. Two of our most popular items were featured on NBC L.A.'s Today in L.A. by their Emmy Award-winning technology reporter Mekahlo Medina. The two items featured on "The Trend" segment were the GOgroove Mama Panda and the GOgroove Panda Pal. These are two of our most popular speakers not just because of the look and quality but because of the cause that they support. Accessory Power has teamed up with Pandas International, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the Giant Panda, in an effort to raise public awareness of this endangered and captivating creature. To further their efforts during the months of June through October 2012 Accessory Power will be donating 5% of the net profit of sales of the GOgroove Panda Pal to Pandas International.

Pandas International was started in 1999 By Suzanne Braden and Diane Rees after a fortunate trip to the Wolong Panda Center in China. The plight of the endangered Giant Panda made such an impression, that upon their return to the U.S. they co-founded Pandas International. As of 2000 Pandas International is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. This organization is exclusively devoted to the preservation and propagation of the Giant Panda. Donations to Pandas International, like the one being provided by Accessory Power, are used to provide medical equipment and supplies to Panda Reserves in China as well as funding public awareness and education of these magnificent creatures.

In 2008 a massive 7.9 earthquake devastated the Sichuan Province of China leaving sheer destruction and loss. Among the areas affected was the land that holds the Wolong Giant Panda Reserve Center and the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center. Pandas International stepped in by providing medicine, food and electrical equipment to the reserves and neighboring communities. They also started the Bamboo Project, an ongoing drive to replant the bamboo and tree cover that was destroyed by the earthquake.

Currently there are about 1,600 Giant Pandas in the wild and about 300 in captivity-- dangerously low numbers, especially for a creature that has been referred to as a living fossil. Let's do our part to ensure that the unmistakably adorable Giant Panda will be around for generations to come. For more information on how you can help ensure the preservation of the Giant Panda please visit www.pandasinternational.org.

A brief history of recorded sound

The earliest known recording of a human voice is a 10 second bit of a French man singing "Au Clair De La Lune" recorded in 1860. The clip was recorded using a then revolutionary recording device called a phonautograph, which was invented by a Parisian printer and inventor named Edouard-Leon Scot de Martinville. This predates Thomas Edison's phonograph recording, once thought to be the oldest, by 28 years. The phonautograph was designed as a mechanical device that would mimic human auditory anatomy. A horn shaped chamber would collect sound which would vibrate within an attached diaphragm. This same vibration would force a bristle to etch the transferred sound as an image on a soot covered sheet that was attached to a hand-cranked cylinder. While this astounding device did in fact record sound it was unable to play any recordings, called phonautograms.

Thomas Edison changed that in 1877 with the invention of the phonograph cylinder, which was a wax cylinder with an audio recording etched on the outside. This cylinder would then be placed on the mandrel of the mechanical phonograph with the audio being amplified through the horn or diaphragm. The phonograph enjoyed a long history taking on different shapes as cylinders turned into discs and phonographs became gramophones. Shortly after World War II vinyl became the recording material of choice--an option still available today. Twenty years later portable record players changed the way people listened to music by allowing them to take their players and records just about anywhere. As practical as these players had become they were far too cumbersome for automobiles, which were soon outfitted with 8-tracks and subsequently cassette tapes.

Speaking of cassettes, remember waiting for your favorite song to play on the radio then hitting the record button on the stereo as soon as you heard the first note? Portable stereos shrank into walkmen which then spun into discmen with CD's. This turned into digital MP3's, which became the intangible notes being played through MP3 players, iPods, and now smartphones. The common threads between all of these incarnations of sound are that you either listened to music out loud or were wired into your device with headphones or earbuds. Remember when it seemed like just about everyone was self-exiled behind those white wired earbuds? Now you don't even need to be connected to your device or alone in a room to enjoy your recordings, or shall I say playlist. Bluetooth connectivity makes it possible to listen to anything on your Bluetooth enabled device wirelessly through Bluetooth capable headphones. Some like the GOgroove SolaceAIR or GOgroove AirBAND allow you to be up to 30ft. from your device so you can take your own private world of sound with you. Music has been a part mankind for thousands of years and we've made leaps and bounds in recordings in just 150 years. Imagine what's next!