Now you can know if your dog's been barking while you're away.

It's the Bark & Activity Counter.  How much barking and running around does your dog do when you’re away from home? This diagnostic tool can distinguish between abnormal or inappropriate behavior and normal barking. Worn around the dog's collar and can store up to 3,000 sessions (99 minutes each). After each session, the unit is connected to a computer detailed charts are provided, showing the time of day and the duration of each barking occurrence. Be aware that the dog wearing the unit should not be in close proximity of other dogs during sessions as it can interfere with results. And it’s not for use with dogs under 10 lbs, recommended for indoor use only. $71.00.

http://www.petsafe.net/products/bark-control/ultrasonic-deterrents/bark-activity-counter

A different kind of case for the iPhone5, it improves the WiFi.

Looking for better WiFi reception on your iPhone5?

At the “Moms, Dads and Grads” Pepcom event, I saw an awful lot of gizmos and gadgets that I saw earlier at CES in January. The difference is that now most of them are available in the marketplace, or will be in the next month or so. But there was one brand new name (at least to me) at the event, the Linkase. It’s billed as a signal enhancer for iPhone5. On many of the iPhone5 forums there are major complaints about its WiFi reception. And that’s what the Linkase, from Absolute Technology, is offering as a possible solution. A spokesperson at the booth said that smaller, thinner phones with larger screens are great, but something has got to go. And that something is often the signal antenna, which gets shrunk. And if your hand blocks the antenna, you are really making it difficult for your phone to lock onto a WiFi signal. The Linkase solves that problem with a slide-out antenna cleverly built into a handsome protective phone case. Using something the company calls electromagnetic waveguide technology, the external antenna works with the antenna inside your iPhone to boost WiFi reception. There is not need for a physical connection. As a matter of fact, I don’t own an iPhone5, but I tried the Linkase with my iPod Touch. It did indeed boost the WiFi signal by one bar when I walked down the hall from apartment and had two closed doors between my router and me. Absolute Technology says that their Linkase can boost wireless reception by up to 50 percent. The case itself is handsome. It’s made from a polycarbonate back, with a shock absorbent rubber shield to protect the screen. A non-slip leather coating provides a smooth, but not slippery, touch. The slide-out antennas, called EMW elements, are interchangeable – and right inside the package with each Linkase, is an extra element in a contrasting color. (Linkase comes in black, grey, white, blue, and red.) If you like, you can buy other color elements eparately. Price is $49.95 and for now, the Linkase is only being made for the iPhone 5.

http://www.absolute.com.tw/products.html

More about this iPhone case is on this edition of The Giz Wiz with Leo Laporte and Dick De:

www.twit.tv/giz1412

The Glove Handset Sounds Like A Joke, But They Exist & They Work.

I really thought this gadget was a Think Geek April Fool’s joke. It’s the Glove Handset. So I called Think Geek to check. They said, “Are you kidding? It’s for real and it works great. We’ll send you one to try.” I’ll report my experience with the gloves, but first here’s some (shortened) info from their website:

Call me!  There are a few fairly universal pantomimes that everybody in the civilized world understands, regardless of culture. Shake your head for 'no,' scribbling in mid-air for 'check-please,' thumb-and-pinky held up to the ear for 'call-me.' Now that universally recognized gesture has been turned into an actual working way to talk on the phone. Behold the telephone of the future, built right into your gloves! Warm knit gloves woven with conductive fibers let you operate those touch-screen phones like Androids, iPhones, Windowsphone, and Blackberries - but with extra-added Bluetooth capabilities! In the left glove's thumb is a tiny speaker, and in the pinky is a wee microphone. By extending them both in the usual hand-gesture, you can chat with your friends for up to 20 hours on a charge! Gone are the days where talking into mid-air will brand you a crazy-person! Now you can show the world that you can actually talk to the hand, and with excellent sound-quality! Features and Specifications. Bluetooth handset built into the left glove / Conductive-fiber allows smartphone operation / Operating range: 12 meters / Battery life: standby 10 days - conversation 20 hours / Sizes:Men's and Women's sizes / Colors: Black and Grey /    Composition: 95% polyacrylonitrile, 3% cotton, 2% polyester / Charges over micro-usb / Tested and works with iOS, Android, Windowsphone, Blackberry. Dry-clean only, read all instructions before use. 

And now back to me. Unbelievably, the Glove Handset really does work. Set up is easy. Charge the glove, (only the left glove has electronics in it, but you get the matching right glove) and pair it with your Bluetooth enabled phone. I paired it easily with the Samsung Galaxy 3. Then when the phone rings, just push the multi-purpose button once, and you’re connected. Pushing the button twice disconnects you. Voice quality is good, but not as good as when you’re talking directly on the phone. But if you like offbeat gadgets, this is one of the most unique. $70. And yes, you will look strange using it on the street. Right now – and I don’t know for how long – it’s half price at Think Geek. (As of 4/5/13) Normally $70, right now $34.99, plus S&H.  

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f2c9/?pfm=Search&t=glove%20handset

I join about 6500 others to watch the launch of the Samsung Galaxy IV!

I was at the introduction of the much anticipated Samsung Galaxy IV at Music City Music Hall, along with some 6500 other folks. Fortunately I got play with the new Galaxy IV for a couple of minutes, and I was very impressed. It has a crystal-clear 5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display with 441 pixels per inch. The reporter next to me was watching a  basketball game on his Galaxy IV and the fast action was blur-free and brought lots of "wows!" from everyone looking over his shoulder. The US version of the Galaxy IV uses a 1.9 GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor. Overseas they'll be getting the Exynos 5 Octa eight-core processor! The S IV ships with 2 GB of RAM and they'll be a choice of 16, 32 or 64 GB of memory. If that's not enough, you can add in to 64 GB via a microSD card. As a very nice gesture, our parting gift was the Samsung Press Kit on a 64GB microSD card. (No, no new phones left the building (that I know of.) Photos shot with the front facing phone were also amazing. The 13 megapixel camera also shoots 1080p video. There's also a 2 megapixel rear-facing camera. That's even a feature that lets you shoot using both cameras at once so even the photographer can be in the picture. The S IV’s battery is higher capacity (2600 mAh) and yes, it's replaceable! Whew! I feel better - I LOVE having a phone with a replaceable battery. Since I use the Galaxy 3, I got to compare them side by side. The IV does have a bigger screen, but the case isn't that much bigger. The bezel on the IV is narrower. The IV is also thinner, but not by much. It will available in either a black or white polycarbonite case. Price was not announced, but it will be available later next month (April), with no specific date given. It will be available via all the major carriers.

Leo Laporte and gang followed the Samsung event live from the Brick TWiT House:

http://twit.tv/show/twit-live-specials/155

A new way to charge (some) cell phones.

It's all done with magnets...almost!

The easiest way to charge a cell phone these days is to just drop it on a charging pad. (Once your device is in the necessary charging case. That will be changing soon though.) I prefer it when you don’t even have to physically connect a single cable to your device to start the charging cycle. PowerMat does that quite well, but now there’s a new device on the market called Magnetyze. And it adds a few features that I like better than the PowerMat. Developed by BuQuTech, the Magnetyze family of magnetic charging accessories, are available for iPhones and for the Samsung Android Galaxy 3. As the name implies it uses their patent-pending magnetic technology to keep smartphones charged and ready to go. If the power cable is plugged into a computer it will also synchronize the device. There is no physical cable connection the phone. The reason I like it better than my PowerMat is the way Magnetyze holds your phone. Instead of it lying flat, it stands up so you can easily view the screen. You can also rotate the phone 360 degrees while it’s still charging. And when it’s time ot get a new smartphone, you only need to replace the Magnetyze case. In addition to the desk stand, the kit comes with a magnetic charging cable for use in the office or on the go. And there are other Magnetyze accessories too which will work with any available Magnetyze smartphone case – Android or iPhone. Kits range in price from $59.99 to $69.99

Company website: www.BuQuTech.com/Magnetyze.