ClipSee: Hands-free Speakerphone for iPhone {Review and Giveaway}

Even though Father's Day was this past weekend, I am still on the lookout for the perfect gift for my husband..why?  Well, because I am notorious for buying gifts after the occasion and Father's Day is no different...sadly.  If you're like me and still have no clue what to get the man in your life, have no fear, I'm here to help!

My husband spends nearly 3 hours, every day driving back and forth to work and he usually spends a good deal of his car ride home hanging out on the phone with me (yeah, he's sweet like that) and that's great, but he's completely anti-Bluetooth headset (he says they are for old people) so that means he spends all of that time holding the phone, which is both annoying and a little dangerous.  Of course, holding the phone isn't nearly as dangerous as his habit of texting and driving (which I HATE), so I'm always trying to keep him on the phone rather than having him text me and it's a challenge!  Given his long commute, I am always trying to find products that help make keeping us connected during that time a little easier, so when I received an email for a product called ClipSee (a handfree, speakerphone for iPhone) I just had to check it out!

About ClipSee...

The ClipSee speakerphone for iPhone®  is a new hands-free option for your car.  It provides secure and convenient positioning for your iPhone® 4 or 5 - easily clipping onto your shoulder belt - and it works with most standard-sized iPhone® cases too!

The ClipSee is also designed to amplify the speaker sound by up to 3x and direct it toward your ears, so you are more likely to hear the voice on the other end even with significant road and wind noise.  What's more, when the ClipSee is attached to your shoulder belt, the top microphone of the iPhone® is just inches from your mouth, greatly improving your voice clarity on the other end.

 Product Features:

	Amplifies speaker sound up to 3x so you can hear better
	Places top microphone just inches from your mouth, assuring your voice is transmitted clearly to the other end
	Provides a secure and conveniently accessible holder for your iPhone
	Sturdy seat belt clip holds ClipSee firmly on shoulder harness, while still allowing easy and quick attachment and removal
	Compatible with all versions of iPhone 4 and 5, including with most standard-sized cases*
	Finger guides and easy Home button access allow hands-free, voice-activated operation while keeping eyes on the road
	Height adjustment in back assures your phone will align appropriately with the Home button and in-call menu screen

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Pretty cool...right?!?!  If you know anything about me and how I like to test products around here, then you probably already know that I am truly a fan of the whole "seeing is believing" thing, so naturally, I decided to hop in my car with my camera and try the ClipSee out for myself...check it out!

 

While I have to be honest and it admit that it didn't blow me away as being the absolute best iPhone accessory on the market, I was impressed by how well it worked!   The phone call was clear and definitely louder than normal thanks to the design of the device and I can see it being something that I would use to make calls while on the go (I do so dislike having to hold the phone to my ear...can we say messed up makeup? and using the speakerphone in a car full of very loud kids is just usually not ideal).  The one thing I did dislike about the ClipSee is that if the phone is in the device, it's sort of at an awkward angle to answer the phone and then place the call on speakerphone (as you can see in the video), but those things aside, I do think it makes taking and receiving phone calls on the go so much easier than Bluetooth headsets and I can definitely see my husband using the ClipSee on his long drives to and from work!  You can pickup a ClipSee here for less than $30! 

If you're looking for something unique for the man in your life and you kinda, sorta didn't get him a Father's Day gift (I'm not pointing any fingers y'all) then I'd definitely check out ClipSee!  I also have great news for one of my amazing readers...one of y'all is going to win a ClipSee of your own!  If you would like to enter the giveaway, check out the Rafflecopter widget below!  

WIN IT!

One MIBR reader is going to win a ClipSee on his/her own. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Disclosure:  I received a ClipSee to facilitate my review, all opinions are my own.  Fulfillment of giveaway is being handled by sponsor. 

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More iPhone Accessories That Rock: the iG1 iPhone Handset from Good Call!

It’s no secret that I love my iPhone and it’s definitely no secret that I also adore iPhone accessories, so I always get extremely giddy when I get a pitch to review something cool for my iPhone.



A couple of weeks ago I received a pitch from Good Call for a Bluetooth handset for my iPhone and I was immediately intrigued.  While I really do love my iPhone 4, it’s not the easiest phone to have a long conversation on simply because of the design.  I know some people may disagree with that statement, but for me personally, if I’m not using a Bluetooth headset while having a conversation on my phone, then I usually try to cut the conversations short, sad, but true.  Though I’ve tried several Bluetooth headsets, I’ve never used a Bluetooth handset, but I was excited about the possibility of being able to use my phone without being annoyed.

If you’ve never heard of Good Call, here’s a little more about the company and their seriously cool product…


The iG1 Bluetooth iPhone Handset, is a wireless handset that allows you to pick up a call (and then hang up a call) without having to wear an earpiece, the ergonomic design allows you to comfortably cradle the handset between your ear and your shoulder for optimal comfort during call, yes, even the long ones.  You can even use Siri to make calls even easier and even more hands free by simply picking up the handset and telling Siri to call anyone on your contact with ease.  One of the coolest features of Good Call is the fact that your iPhone doesn’t need to be docked to make a call on the handset, you can even take the handset with you almost anywhere as long as your iPhone and handset are within general Bluetooth range!  I also really like that with the Good Call iG1, you can sync and charge your iPhone while making a call, which is great for those long talks with friends!  Finally, another of my favorite features of the Good Call iG1, is that you don’t have to worry about staying in areas of your home with the best reception, you simply leave your iPhone where you have the best reception and you can walk around your home or office with ease—pretty cool if I do say so myself! 
As I mentioned above, I like to talk on my phone—a lot, but talking on my iPhone for long periods, can sometimes be a pain, that’s why I was super psyched when the iG1 by Good Call was as awesome IRL as it sounded online.  Since I definitely believe that seeing is believing, here’s a little video that the big kids and I put together to show the iG1 in action.

There you have it, Misadventurous Mommy’s thoughts on the iG1 Bluetooth iPhone Handset from Good Call and if you want to check it out so you can get one too, you can find more information, including where to buy it, on the Good Call website—you can also get it in HD!

Disclosure:  I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!

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Finally, an iPhone Accessory that Combines Style and Functionality: BellaVita

While I always try to keep my house, kids and car clean as clean as possible (most of the time it’s a losing battle, but that’s another story), one area of my life where I am all kinds of messy, is my purse—seriously.  My husband and brother-in-law affectionately call my purse “Rumpke”; for those of you not familiar with what Rumpke is, it’s a trash collection company here in southern Ohio, I’m pretty sure that means that it’s worse than pretty bad. 

Try as I might, my purse is always full of, well…everything.  You see, it’s not that I don’t like for my purse to be clean and organized, on the contrary actually, I am much happier when it’s tidy than when it looks like half the contents of my house are crammed inside, it’s just that it seems SO hard to do, and don’t even get me started on how I lose everything inside it, especially my cell phone.  Speaking of cell phones, I’ve mentioned numerous times how much I adore my iPhone 4, so you can understand how constantly searching through my mess of  a purse to find mine, is a little annoying.  Given my purse situation, I try to keep my phone in my hands all the time, but as you can imagine, that too gets real old, real fast.  Imagine my surprise when I found a company who solved both of my issues with one great product—BellaVita.

BellaVita was born out of two business school students’ love of stylish and functional accessories.  When friends Kati Issaians and Julia Leytes saw the need for stylish smart phone accessories to match the constantly evolving devices, they decided to do something about it and that’s when BellaVita was created. 

Bell Vita’s products are meticulously crafted to be stylish and functional, made of fine leather, BellaVita is an accessory whose sophistication and understated elegance are not compromised for the sake of functionality.  BellaVita’s wristlets and wallets are inspired by life and all its beauty; chocolate, roses, blue waves on a white beach, and summertime are just a few of those inspirations.  Bella Vita wristlets are available in several gorgous colors for iPhone 4 /4s and iPhone 5 and Bella Vita Wallets are available for iPhone 4/4s, all for less than $70.   Aside from being super functional and very stylish, BellaVita’s creations are guaranteed for life and that’s why they are, in my opinion, one of the best iPhone accessories I’ve owned.

I recently received the Vita Bacca iPhone 4 leather wristlet from BellaVita to review and though a wristlet was way outside my comfort zone (my youngest child is 4 yet my purse still rivals most diaper bags in size), I decided to give it a shot at becoming my new accessory of choice. 

About the Vita Bacca iPhone 4/4s wristlet…

BellaVita vita bacca collection offers luxurious buttery soft leather, a beautiful hot berry color, and smart design that complement a variety of styles and activities. BellaVita supports the iPhone functionality in style: call, text, take photos, or simply carry your iPhone in an elegant yet protective case.

Features:

• Genuine soft leather in signature “vita bacca” hue
• Elegant and practical design
• Compliments a variety of styles and activities
• Allows for full iPhone 4 functionality
• Comes with a life-time warranty

Upon receiving the Vita Bacca I was instantly impressed with the quality of the wristlet, most wristlets I’ve seen that were even mildly attractive, had been poorly made, making my decision not to own one, that much stronger.  The Vita Bacca is not only very well made, it’s also extremely fashionable, as a matter of fact, I was super excited to trade my heavy, messy purse in while I gave the wristlet a trial run and I definitely didn’t see myself being that excited to give up an accessory I’d been toting around (in one form or another anyway) for 30 years.  One of the things that I love most about my iPhone 4 is the number of cases that are available for them, of course, none of those cases also double as a mini-wallet, but the Vita Bacca does—major score!  In addition to being a super stylish and cute iPhone case (that still allows you to take pictures, make calls, use headphones and charge all while the phone is in the Bella Vita case), the Vita Bacca can also also be used as a wallet, it allows plenty of room for your ID, important credit cards, and even a pocket to keep a little cash on hand—another major selling point for me. 

As with most of the products I review, I like to not only use it in public (to gauge the products appeal on a mass audience),  I also like to ask family and friends for their thoughts and I’m happy to report that nearly everyone who has seen the Vita Bacca wristlet, has commented on how “stylish” and “convenient” it it and I have to agree.  Though I never saw myself as a wristlet kind of girl, old habits die hard and I honestly believed I’d be a purse girl forever, I can’t find too many reasons not to give up old Rumpke for the Vita Bacca.  As a matter or fact, I’ve used my wristlet from Bella Vita for a few weeks now and aside from being slightly annoying when I’m making a phone call (I found the wristlet to be a little awkward to manipulate when I’m using my phone) I can’t find any real good reason to switch back to my purse—color me shocked!  And at the risk of being captain obvious, BellaVita would make a great Valentine’s Day gift idea for the woman (or man) in your life you can even enjoy 15% off your entire purchase plus FREE shipping every day through February 18, 2013. 

Want to try your hand at winning a BellaVita iPhone 4,4S Wristlet or Wallet of your choice?  Then check out the Bella Vita website to find out more and to enter the BellaVita giveaway. 

You can also check out BellaVita on Facebook and Follow @BellaVitaUSA on Twitter for the latest product news and updates! 

Disclosure:  I received the products mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are my own!

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