Beantown Review

Boston's Digital Lifestyle & Consumer Tech Site

  • Technology
    • For the Home
    • Computing
      • Hardware
      • Software
    • Automotive Tech
  • Sight & Sound
    • HDTV, 4K & Beyond
      • For Your Eyes Only
    • Hear This
      • Headphones
      • Speakers
    • Lights, Camera
  • Mobility
    • Apps
    • Phones & Phablets
    • Case Protection
    • Laptops
    • Wearables
    • Apparel & Bags
  • Beantown Gaming
    • Consoles
    • Gaming Hardware
    • Game Reviews
  • Entertainment
    • The Interviews
    • Blu-Ray Releases
    • Film Reviews
    • Digital Hollywood
      • Cable TV
      • Network TV
      • Streaming Services
    • Kool Stuff
    • Ping Pong Time
    • Toying Around
  • Lifestyle
    • Clothing
  • Giveaways
You are here: Home / Archives for Mobility / Wearables

Review: Best Touchscreen Gloves — Moshi Digits

03/20/2017 By Hakan Can

best touchscreen gloves

Today is the Vernal Equinox. For those of you who don’t know what this means, it’s the first day of Spring. If you live here in New England, you wouldn’t know it was Spring. You probably think it’s still Winter with all the snow around. With that said, when an opportunity came along to test what could be the best touchscreen gloves for cold weather, I replied “There’s such a thing?” The short answer is Yes, there is such a product. So without further delay, let’s take a closer look at one particular pair of touchscreen gloves in this Moshi Digits review.

best touchscreen gloves

Read:   Moshi Avanti Headphones Review

Are Moshi Digits the Best Touchscreen Gloves available today?

Fall and Winter present challenges to a tech-mobile lifestyle. Most of us are addicted to texting, some more so than others. Even as the temperatures get colder, we continue to text, regardless of our surroundings.

Picture this scenario. You’re outdoors in Cold City, USA. I happen to live just outside of Boston. Feel free to insert your city: Chicago, Minneapolis, Missoula, etc.

You would prefer not to text in 20-degree weather, but you just received a text, and you’re compelled to respond. We already established the addiction.

You receive a text, remove your gloves, respond to the text, maybe send another or two, put the gloves back on, and repeat the cycle over and over again. At some point, this removing and putting back on your gloves gets tiresome. Maybe, you decide to keep them off altogether and brave the elements. Now you’re just asking for trouble, i.e. frostbite.

What if there was a smartphone/tablet touchscreen glove for the cold times of the year? It turns out there are, with many choices available. This is where Moshi Digits come into play.

Read:   Moshi Vortex Air Headphones Review

Moshi Digits

Made by a collective of elves, dwarfs, and the last surviving descendants of the Salem witches, these gloves are woven from long-forgotten mystical fabrics enchanted with Pixie dust.

Some of you are shaking your heads wondering ‘What did he just say?’ You may have even said that thought out loud.

If you believe what I just wrote, just know that none of it is true. I mean, come on. Everyone knows that North America’s last community of elves and dwarfs died in the great San Francisco Fire of 1906. And there are no descendants of the witches of Salem, having been snuffed out since 1693.

Instead, Moshi Digits are dual-layered gloves. The polyester outer layer fingertips have conductive fiber with a micro fleece inner layer. To say these touchscreen gloves are soft and comfortable may be an understatement.

They also have this feature called GripTrak™. You see a pattern of dots and lines across the inside of the gloves. This feature adds a level of grip to prevent you from dropping your mobile device. Not all of us use shatterproof cases, so GripTrak™ comes in handy.

best touchscreen gloves
best touchscreen gloves

Two of us tested the Moshi Digits touchscreen gloves. We both found the gloves function as advertised. My niece enjoyed the gloves more than I, and she’s in a slightly colder environment. In her case, best use of the smartphone gloves is in the commute between college buildings.

My situation is a bit different. The accuracy of your texts with touchscreen gloves is dependent on how well you actually text. I say this because I don’t text very well. I’m a bit clumsy with the fingers. In my testing, the accuracy of the texts was no better with or without the gloves on. Either way, my texts survive with the use of the AutoCorrect feature.

Regardless, the gloves, and I do mean all ten fingers and thumbs, yield accurate results on the mobile screen. Some of us just need to focus more than others on what we’re actually typing.

I used the gloves while shoveling snow from the driveway and while driving. If you think the slip-free feature works well on a mobile phone, try it on a shovel handle or a steering wheel. It works too well.

A Few Drawbacks

While these gloves are manufactured for outdoor use, they aren’t meant for all day use, especially when it’s truly cold outside. In fact, I would limit wearing up to 30 minutes at any stretch when it’s below freezing temperature. Woven fabrics will keep your hands warm, but only for so long. The material is not ideal for blocking the wind, especially a cold wind. This is why I carry two pairs of gloves, one for texting and one for longer outdoor exposure.

As these gloves are fabric-woven, they aren’t water-resistant so don’t go making snowballs. I doubt you want to text with soak-and-wet gloves. On the flip-side, they are hand-washable. You can feel good about that.

Also, keep them away from Velcro, which is the enemy of fabric-woven products everywhere. A lot of Winter clothing have Velcro straps, so be mindful before making contact between the two materials. One material will fray the other.

Moshi Digits weigh in at 2.43 ounces and are available in two sizes/colors: dark gray (L/XL) and light gray (S/M).

Read:   Moshi Mythro Air Earphones Review

Conclusion

In our testing, Moshi’s Digits performed quite well. They happened to be super-comfortable too. In fact, these gloves are quite comfortable even after many hours of continuous use. Just be mindful of the outdoor conditions especially when you plan to be out for a lengthy period. At $29.95, these touchscreen gloves are well-priced in the marketplace in addition to outperforming much of competition within its category.

Do you think Digits are the best touchscreen gloves available today? Have you tried or currently own a pair of Moshi’s Digits? Let us know if you agree or disagree with our analysis via social media or in the comment section below. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

• Follow Moshi on Twitter
• Follow Moshi on Facebook
• Follow Moshi on Instagram

• Follow Beantown on Twitter
• Follow Beantown on Facebook
• Follow Beantown on Instagram

Don’t hesitate to head over to the Moshi’s Press Page to see their latest announcements, and please check out our previous Moshi product reviews. We believe you’ll find them most useful.

FTC Disclosure: Moshi provided Beantown LLC with two (2) sample pairs of Digits smartphone gloves, one in each color. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Beantown LLC © 2017-2019.

Read:   Moshi Vacanza Weekend Travel Bag Review

Filed Under: Wearables Tagged With: Digits, Moshi, touchscreen gloves 12/05/2018

Can your smart watch start a BMW? Introducing the BMW i3 Apple Watch App.

04/28/2015 By Hakan Can

Apple Watch BMW iRemote Status

If you own the BMW i3 or i8 premium electric car, then the answer is Yes. Introducing the BMW i3 Apple Watch App.

Move over Tesla, you’ve just been upped. Launched on the same day as the Apple Watch comes the BMW i3 Apple Watch app, also available for use with the BMW i8.  This free downloadable app is able to make the driver’s user experience all the better. Learning and navigating through the app is a synch. And of course, it is available at the iTunes Store.

An upward swipe across the Apple Watch takes you to the BMW iRemote app start screen. Here you can access the following features:

  • The vehicle’s current battery charge status
  • The vehicle’s available range
  • Doors are locked/unlocked
  • Sunroof is open/closed
  • Timing of updates, i.e. brake fluid change, service alerts
  • Time of day (of course, it is a watch after all)

A swipe to the right takes you to Remote Services. From here you can adjust climate control as well as remote control for the horn. The latter is for locating one’s car in the event you cannot find it in a crowded parking lot.

A swipe to the left takes you to intermodal route planning. Now this just might be the coolest feature of the iRemote app. This helps you navigate through slow traffic and congestion to get you to where you’re going, all the quicker and more efficiently.

[soliloquy id="2768"]

Per the BMW Press Release dated April 24, 2015:

BMW ConnectedDrive and BMW i Remote app. World premiere: Apple Watch controls functions of BMW i models.

The BMW i3 electric carBMW is pressing its claim to automotive brand leadership in the world of mobile vehicle connectivity through its BMW ConnectedDrive technology. As the BMW i Remote app confirms, nowhere else is the link-up of driver, car and outside world raised to such an advanced level. The app can already be used to remotely check and control functions of BMW i models. It is an application that customers will also be able to use from day one on the new Apple Watch, due for imminent release. Apple Watch uses the BMW i Remote app – which can be downloaded free from the Apple iTunes Store – to keep users updated on the car’s current battery status, for example, and alert them when the high-voltage unit is fully charged. In addition, Apple Watch can continue the navigation instructions from the BMW i3 to the user’s final destination after the car has been parked as well as guiding them back to the car if required. And it also allows the interior temperature to be pre-conditioned. The new smart watch features an innovative glance screen for applications which groups together the most important information provided by the app so that it can be viewed at a single glance. As well as the car’s battery charge, the available range and the timing of updates, the glance screen also shows BMW i Remote app users whether the car doors are locked.

The faster, more direct way to enjoy electric mobility.

The BMW i8 electric carApple Watch wraps around the user’s wrist like a traditional wristwatch and acts as a clever extension of a linked Apple iPhone. It can connect the driver with their BMW i3 or BMW i8 at any time – remotely, if required – and allows users to check or control important functions directly via BMW i Remote app, without having to take their smartphone out of their pocket, unlock a screen or enter a code. Many of us already view digital services as an integral part of our everyday lives, and smart watches are set to give this trend even greater momentum. They also make using electric mobility a faster and more direct experience.
Apple Watch is controlled by pressing or swiping its touch-sensitive surface, as has become second nature with smartphones and tablets. An upward swipe of the glance screen reveals the BMW i Remote app start screen – the central navigation point of the app´s Apple Watch version.
Here, users can access the app’s other menus. The start screen presents the car linked up to the smart watch in the classy style that is the hallmark of BMW i. Also displayed here are the car’s charge status and available range, as well as the time of day. Scrolling further up the start screen reveals a new menu through which users can check a host of other vehicle information, such as whether the doors are locked, the sunroof is still open or the boot is closed. Service alerts are also flashed up – e.g. if a brake fluid change or service is due. This list can be hidden by swiping the screen or turning the Digital Crown, Apple Watch’s central control tool.

Cooling or heating during a charge.

A right swipe of the start screen takes users to the BMW i Remote app’s Remote Services, allowing them to adjust the car’s climate control system, for example. Here, users can cool or heat the interior of their BMW i car while it is being charged from the power supply. That way no energy needs to be drawn from the high-voltage battery to pre-condition the climate control system, thus helping to maximize the car’s electric range. Another swipe to the right leads to the remote control feature for the horn, which can be activated to help owners find their BMW i3 or BMW i8 easily, even in large car parks – and if someone else has parked the car. A touch of the display is all that is required to activate the relevant functions.

Continue intermodal route planning with Apple Watch.

One of the numerous innovations on board the BMW i3, the first premium electric car to be launched, is intermodal route planning. In slow traffic and congestion, for example, this ingenious function incorporates other modes of transport into the route planning process alongside the user’s own car if this will help them reach their destination more efficiently. This type of route guidance function is unique among carmakers and also benefits from location services when using Apple Watch. These extend the navigation system’s instructions from the parked car to the user’s final destination and also guide them back to the parking space if required. Apple Watch owners can access these location services with a left swipe on the start screen. Together, these functions significantly enhance mobility, especially in urban areas.

BMW ConnectedDrive boasts impressive speed of innovation.

With their embedded SIM cards, BMW i3 and BMW i8 are optimized for connectivity, while the BMW i Remote app creates a close link between the car, driver and outside world. The BMW i Remote app for Apple Watch slots in alongside solutions for mobile devices running Android operating systems, further corroborating how quickly BMW is able to respond to the rapid pace of “connected car” innovations with intelligent solutions such as services and apps from BMW ConnectedDrive.

All photos are the property of BMW Group.

Filed Under: Wearables Tagged With: Apple Watch, BMW, ConnectedDrive, i Remote app, smartwatch, wearable 04/28/2015

FOLLOW BEANTOWN

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tweets by @BeantownReview

Amazon Deals and Promos


Copyright © 2023 Beantown LLC - All Rights Reserved