Let’s face it – Custom is nice. You know there won’t be any issues of compatibility and that everything will fit perfectly – but then again, Universal is great as well.  I just posted 9 new Custom Blackberry Storm car mounts on my ExtremePDA site.  They fit the Blackberry Storm and Storm 2 like a charm – better than a charm – like a glove.  Just snap your Storm into the mount and off you go.

But let’s say you have a silicone skon cover on your Blackberry Storm.  What then?  A lot of customers purchase the custom mount thinking that it will fit even with a case on it.  it won’t.  Custom mounts are designed to the exact profile and contour of the cell phone it is being customized for.  Add anything to that profile and it just ain’t gonna fit.  But there are plenty of people who don’t like covers or cases on their phones – and for them, the custom Blackberry Storm 2 9550 car mount is perfect.

For those who want a little extra protection on their Blackberry devices, then the universal mount is the way to go.  At ExtremePDA, we do everything possible to make sure that the universal mount we choose for a particular device leaves the charging jack avilable.  Becuase what’s the use of having a car mount if you can’t plug in your charger while it’s in the holder?

Motorola has had some great success since the release of it’s very first android smartphone, The Motorola Droid.  Since then, they have went on to create the Motorola Droid 2 and Droid X.  Their very latest release is the Motorola Droid Pro.  We have gathered a nice variety of Motorola Droid Pro Accessories for you to choose from.

Besides the usual, top-notch micro-USB charger selection we have – we also gathered a nice variety of custom Motorola Droid Pro silicone skin covers and some Droid Pro leather cases.  But the most popular Droid Pro accessory are the Motorola Droid Pro car mounts.  We made sure that the car mounts fit without blocking the charging jack – as well as keeping the volume and other buttons free and accessible.  What’s the use of having a Droid Pro car mount if a.) you can’t charge it while it is in the holder and b.) inhibits the functionality of the phone.

Swing on by and check out the selection of accessories we have for the Droid Pro.  We are sure you will find something you like.  Remember – Droid Does – and so do we.

Since I got the word that the shopping cart platform ExtremePDA was living on was no longer going to be PCI Compliant – I had to make a decision.  Should I stay where I was and upgrade to the latest version?  Or move?  Well, upgrading to the latest version was my first choice.  The shopping cart had been on a a Miva 4.24 platform – the most stable version of the cart system software.  But it was no longer compliant with the new credit card rules and regulations for security.  The only choice was to move to Miva 5 – which I dreaded.  I had heard that it wasn’t as stable – and that, what I knew of the system language (code), was going to be foreign to me.

But they waived the $500 upgrade fee – so I jumped in.

I worked with the new version for approximately 2 weeks.  It was absolutely ponderous.  I’m sure it would have been easy for someone who eats, sleeps and (I won’t say it) code – but that was not me.  Plus the fact that I would have to reinvest in EVERY single module, not including the One-Page Checkout that I had purchased for $750 – it became a no brianer – it was time to jump ship.

So I researched some of the “ready-to-go” shopping carts that are becoming very popular nowadays.  I found 2.  Signed up for the 15 Day free trial that both of them offered.  I must say that I was very, no – extremely surprised at the ease of use, functionality and robustness (if that’s even a word) of both systems.  I won’t tell you which one I chose (I don’t do free advertising for anyone – you can write me to inquire) – but I am very happy with my decision.

So after 6 months of working into the wee hours of the morning – the new ExtremePDA Smartphone Accessories site launched the first week of the new year 2011.  The new site is sleek, modern and fast loading – with tons of functionality that the old site never had such as wishlists, gift-registry, waiting lists and customer support ticket system.  This is just to name a few. 

I hope you like the new look and added functionality as much as I do – and remember – once your have bought your new Blackberry, iPhone or Droid – make sure to swing by and get the very latest accessories to help power, protect and personalize them.  Happy shopping!

In our latest video we show how easy it is to assemble and install one of our most popular selling car phone holders – the Cigarette Lighter auto mount.  The cigarette lighter cell phone holder is by far one of the most versatile mounts available, providing a variety of viewing angles for your cell phone, smartphone, PDA or GPS device.  We take you from the simple assembly of the mount itself to the installation in your vehicle.  If you find yourself in your car often, be it for your job or any other reason – then you should have a hands-free solution like the cigarette lighter cell phone holder.  It will not only save you from getting a ticket – but it may very well save your life.

In the following video tutorial, I show how to assemble and install on of our most popular car phone holders – the Air Vent Mount.  One of the easiest mounts to install, the Air Vent cell phone car holder keeps your new smartphone within reach – without blocking your view.  With new laws being put into affect everyday, good “hands-free” solutions are always welcomed for people who find themselves in their cars a lot.

Traveling at 55mph doesn’t mean that you can’t communicate on your phone – but it would be a great idea, especially for those driving around you, to not have your phone in your hand.  I’m just saying…

Thanks to Nick, who has his own YouTube Channel for the following review of the iPhone 3Gs Wicked Silicone Skin Cover.  Nick has a loyal base of followers.  We will be periodically sending him our hot products for his unbiased review.  This first video is the unboxing of the product ExtremePDA sent Nick for review. 

An “unboxing” video consists of the reviewers first thoughts of a particular product when they first receive and unbox (or in this case – un-enevlope) it.  The follow up video is usually taken a few days or weeks later, when the reviewer has had a chance to actually use the product.  So sit back, relax and enjoy the video review of the iPhone 3Gs Wicked Silicone Skin Cover.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple – at this very moment – is developing two new iPhones. One that is slated for release this summer (2010) for AT&T customers – and the other, which features CDMA capability, is for non other than – you guessed it – Verizon. I can hear Verizon customers screaming for joy as I write this – but lets not get ahead of ourselves. This is just a rumor.

Rumors of the iPhone going to Verizon have been floating around since 2008. But there is a problem. Apple’s exclusivity contract with the good people at AT&T has never been fully revealed. Unconfirmed reports say that the contract runs out at the end of the year 2010 – but like I said – that’s unconfirmed. Other reports of the contract ending say the opposite and suggested that the launch of the iPad most likely included an extension of that same exclusivity contract.

This being said – the rumors will probably have an adverse effect on Apple competitor sales as those who beleive in the rumors will wait – instead of picking up new phones now.

While I’m here, let me explain the difference between the network standards. Almost all of today’s mobile phones, cell phones and smart phones use one of the two cellular network standards: CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) which is used by both Verizon and Sprint – and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) which is used by AT&T and T-Mobile. GSM is the global standard for cellular networks.

Talking on a phone while driving is turning into a big deal. A lot of states have banned it and you can get pulled over and ticketed for using the phone while on the road. This does not mean that you cannot communicate to the outside world while driving in your car – you just need the right tools for the job. 

Unless you drive for a living, or spend most of your time in your car, then you really don’t have to spend a lot of money.  A basic car phone holder and bluetooth headset will do the trick.  Car phone holders are one of ExtremePDA’s specialties.  We sell about 8 different types of mounts including Air Vent, Cigarette Lighter, Gooseneck Windshield and Weighted Friction Dashboard mounts.  Depending on what type of vehicle you drive could be the determining factor in choosing a mount.

In a few states, (California for example) it is against the law to have anything stuck to your windshield.  This includes radar detectors, GPS units – and you guessed it – car phone holders.  I’m pretty sure this law was passed to stop people from using their radar detectors – but hey, I could be wrong (but I’m probably not).  In  these areas the Air Vent Phone Holder or Cigarette Lighter Phone Holder are very popular.  An Air Vent holder attaches to the slats or louvres in your vents.  They attach via 2 clips and are held steady by a stabilizer leg.   The cigarette lighter mount fits into any standard cigarette lighter port and tightens in place.  The gooseneck can then be positioned to any viewing angel that is comfortable to you.

Note:  The other day I received an email from a customer who said that the cigarette lighter holder was too long for the port and that only about half of it would actually make it inside the port.  I found this strange as I have never had a problem with that particular mount.  Upon further investigation, I found out that the customer was installing the mount in a power port – and not the regular cigarette lighter port.  Unbeknownst to me – the power port in some vehicles is shorter than your average cigarette lighter port – so make sure you take this into consideration when choosing this type of mount.

The next thing you will need is a headset for your phone.  It can be a wireless bluetooth headset – or if you dont want to incur the cost, a cheapy wired headset.  To be fair – Bluetooth headsets have come WAY down in price.  You can still find the expensive ones out there that will run you upwards of $100 – but you can find a reasonably priced one if you take the time to look.   I don’t want to sound biased – but the best bluetooth headsets I have used ( and I have used them all ) are the Motorola branded ones.  Anything in the “H” series will work very well.  People will scream “What about the Jawbone” and my response would be “What about it?”  I’ll stop there.  Well, maybe I won’t.  I’ve had the Jawbone – and it is a good headset – but in my opinion ( I can have one of those, can’t I? ) I think Motorola is superior in both comfort and sound quality.

Basically what we are trying to accomplish is this – being able to make a call, take a call and end a call – all without having to grab your phone, or taking your eyes off the road.  With the phone mounted, we don’t have to worry about it sliding across the console or off the seat and onto the floor – and with the bluetooth headset, all we have to do is touch our ear and press a button to answer or, do the same thing and issue a voice comand to make a call.  When the call is over – simply press the button in your ear and say goodbye.

There certainly seems to be a lot of Droids out there these days. First you had the Motorola Droid, then the HTC Droid Eris and now the HTC Droid Incredible (this is just to name a few). So you might be asking yourself – why are all these phones called Droids? Well, it’s because of Google. With the likes of iPhone and Blackberry dominating the scene – both with their own OS (operating systems), Google decided to take a piece of the action, developing their own OS which they called Android. Well, developed is kind of a strong word – more like they bought out the guys (Android Inc.) who developed it.

The first phone ever released that ran on the new Android OS was the T-Mobile G1, released around October of 2008.  Accessories for the T-Mobile G1 can also be found at ExtremePDA.  As of 2010, more than 34 different handhelds now use the Android OS.  In February, Google announced that over 60,000 cell phones, smart phones and PDAs with the Android OS are being sold every day.  That’s a lot of phones.

The reason why the Android OS is so popular is because it is open source.  This means that developers have full access to OS code so they can build bigger and better apps that run seamlessly on any Droid smart phone – making it a good thing for you, the end user who ultimately purchases the phones.

As of May 14, 2010 – Android has now taken the #2 spot in the OS arena with Blackberry still at #1 and the iPhone coming in at #3.

Yup. You couldn’t have a smartphone blog without the iPhone being one of the featured phones. Last I checked, the latest rumor, as of May of 2010, that Apple has sold over 50 million iPhones since its inception back in 2007. That’s a lot of money. It’s been through a couple of revisions since then; the 3G and then the 3GS. I bought one for pics and images for ExtremePDA – then gave it to my wife. Didn’t really work out since we had to switch from Verizon to AT&T – and we really didn’t know how bad their service was up here in northern NY. It was practically non-existent. I had to get at least 30 miles away from my home to get any kind of reception. So now she uses it as a glorified iPod – but it was still a very cool phone.

iPhone Touch Screen – How Does it Work?
The iPhones touch screen is different than other touch screen you’ve come in contact with.  Older touch screen were simple.  Capacitive touch screen use 2 layers of transparent conductive material and by touching the screen you change the amount of charge at a specific point on the screen.  But, when you touch 2 areas at the same time – the results can be erratic.

The iPhone screen is a multi-touch interface – simply meaning that some of the iPhones applications require you to touch multiple points on the screen at the same time.  Just like other touch screens, the iPhones screen includes a layer of capacitive material – but the capacitors are arrange in a coordinate system.  It’s circuitry can sense touches at several points along the capacitive grid.

Because the iPhone relies on capacitive material, the phone only works when you touch it with your finger – yet, with current technology, styli have been developed that work on the touch screen as well.

They go by different names, car mounts, car kits, auto mounts, car phone holders, car phone cradles – but they all do the same thing:  They hold your Blackberry, iPhone or the  latest Droid cell phone safely and securely while you are driving. They hold it so you dont have to.

You seen it before; the car in front of you swerving, hard braking, doing whatever but basically driving like a moron. You pull up along side and there they are – one hand on the wheel and the other holding a cell phone to their ear.  Annoying?  You bet.  Against the law – not in every state, yet.

If you find yourself on the road more often than not – then you should invest in an auto mount.  Auto mounts range in price anywhere from $19.95 to more expensive models which have built-in FM transmitters (so you can hear the caller over the radio).  Most (or all) smart phones, cell phones or PDAs come with a built in speaker phone which can be used as is while in the car mount.  Even more exspensive mounts have speakers built right into them. 

Even more popular would be the use of a Bluetooth headset.  A bluetooth headset is a wireless headphone combined with a microphone that allows you to answer calls, make calls or listen to music (yes, just like an iPod) on your phone.  The point being is that you can have your phone in the car mount, the bluetooth headset in your ear – and both hands on the wheel.

Need a car mount?  ExtremePDA has one of the largest selections of car mounts, auto mounts, car kits and car phone holders and cradles available. 

Ever buy a car charger for your smart phone? If you have, you’ve probably run accross this question – does your phone have a mini or micro USB connection? These are the 2 major connection types for many of the smart phones and cell phones sold today. Mini-USB connections are pretty much everywhere – from MP3 players, GPS units, Cell Phones, Smart Phones and PDAs. Even some of my kids toys have mini-usb connections.

Early Blackberry smart phones also utilized the mini-usb connection type. From the old Blackberry 6700 series to today’s Blackberry Curve 8330. Even now, a lot of the new releases by HTC use the mini-usb, like the HTC Droid Eris and Imagio.

Today’s recent trend has moved to the Micro-USB connection types.  New Blackberry models such as the Blackberry Tour 9630, Blackberry Curve 8530 and the new Blackberry Storm 2 all use the micro connection.  The new HTC smart phones like the HTC Droid Incredible and the EVO 4G have started using this connection type as well.

The Difference?
In the late 1990′s, manufacturers were looking for a simpler way to connect computer peripherals.  Drawing upon the old RS-232 standards (serial cables – remember those?) which were popular with modems and other network type equipment.  By the early 2000s, almost every portable electronic device had a USB connection.

Blackberry, HTC and other popular cell phone manufacturers started using the mini-USB as a standard.  They combined the interface to both transfer data as well as recharging the device (the sync and charge cable was born).

In 2007, mobile electronic manufacturers and International Standards Organization came together and proposed a smaller, more durable design now known as the micro-USB connection type.   The micro-USB connection is being adpoted by more and more cell phone manufacturers like Samsung and Motorola – whos latest releases like the Motorola Backflip and Devours both use the micro-USB type connection.

Yep. If your near or around water and you have your cell phone with you, chances are they are going to meet – whether you want them to or not. There are a lot of waterproof and water resistant cell phone solutions out there. I’ll show you some of the best.

One of the best selling accessories we carry at ExtremePDA are waterproof cases and pouches for smartphones.  The 3 main products are the OtterBox series cases, Aquapac and DryPak.  Let’s start with the OtterBox since this is quite possibly the toughest, most rugged, water-resistant case available for today’s smartphone devices.  The 2 main OtterBox products available are the 2601 series, which is a universal waterproof, airtight case – and then the Defender Series case – my favorite.

The OtterBox 2601
This was the first Otterbox product sold by ExtremePDA back in 2003.

If you are in the market for a protective cover for your new smartphone – and don’t want to spend a lot of money or add a lot of extra bulk to your phone  – then there is no better choice than silicone.  Why silicone you ask?  Well, first, it’s durable.  It can be put on and taken off without a hassle.  It can be cleaned with simple soap and water.  It comes in every color of the rainbow – and there is one available for almost every new smartphone and cell phone out there.

I recently added the new silicone skin covers for the HTC Droid Eris to ExtremePDA.com.  These have been an instant favorite of Droid Eris users.  They add an outer layer of protection to the body of the phone.  They also add a little shock-absorbancy and impact resistance – for those inevitable times you happen to drop your phone.

They also add a grippy feel to that slippery cell phone.  You can text your heart away and never have the phone slip out of your hands.  This is also good for people who throw their phones up on their dashboards before driving – and then have it fly accross the car and smash into the passenger side door as soon a you make a right turn.

Wiki: Silicone
Silicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a wide variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are commonly used in cookware, medical applications, sealants, adhesives, lubricants, insulation, and breast implants. Silicones are polymers that include silicon together with carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and sometimes other chemical elements. Some common forms include silicone oil, silicone grease, silicone rubber, and silicone resin.

This is a video review of the LG Voyager Rubberized Hard Shell Cover – a protective shell case for the very popular LG Voyager smart phone.  This review was done by Marques Brownlee who has a YouTube Channelwhere he does various reviews on different subjects – mainly tech stuff.  ExtremePDA would like to thank Marques for his in-depth review of our product.

An “unboxing” video consists of the reviewers first thoughts of a particular product when they first receive and unbox it.  The follow up video is usually taken a few days or weeks later, when the reviewer has had a chance to actually use the product.  So sit back, relax and enjoy the video review of the LG Voyager Rubberized Hard Shell Cover.