Clutching The Power Of A Purse

Clutchette Power with the author's iPhone MATTHEW FLICKINGER PHOTO

Clutchette Power with the author’s iPhone MATTHEW FLICKINGER PHOTO

Most people are surprised when I tell them I haven’t upgraded my phone in a while and I’m still using my good ol’ iPhone 5S. If you own one of these, you’re well aware of how long the battery doesn’t last. When I’m on the road, I usually have it plugged into the car or into a battery pack.

The Chic Buds Cluchette Power lets you do this in a more elegant manner, as the battery pack is built into a clutch purse. It has a 2600 mAh capacity, so it easily gives my iPhone (1900 mAh) a full charge, along with more than enough leftover to charge my Bluetooth headphones a few times if I need to. The Clutchette Power is stylish enough to be carried alone for a night out on the town and small enough to throw into your regular purse. There’s more than enough space to carry your keys, lipstick, pen, headphones and other essentials.

Unlike other travel chargers, you don’t need to keep track of an extra cord. The actual battery stays inside the purse so it’s always right where you need it. There are IN and OUT cables so you don’t get them mixed up. The OUT cable is where you plug your phone’s charging cable, and the IN cable is what you use to recharge your purse battery.

I’ve been using my Clutchette Power now for the past two weeks and will not leave home without it. A-plus for functionality and fashion combined. You can find it in various colors for $50 from chicbuds.com.


Click Chick’s Mobile App of the Week: iSmoothRun

Since completing the Great Aloha Run last week and Honolulu Marathon in December, people have asked me what I use to track my runs. Other than my GPS watch, the answer is iSmoothRun. I’ve been using this app for a few years now, and it continually improves. To me, this is the best running app out there since it’s solely running centric.

It tracks your actual running time, total time, distance, pace, speed, calories and cadence. You can have it auto-pause if you stop for a bathroom break (so you can get actual running time), and the voice will tell you how far you’ve gone every mile and if you need to speed up or slow down based on your goal. Additionally, it will tell you how many steps you took, the elevation, how much you ascended/descended and what the temperature was. iSmoothRun is one of the most advanced run-tracking apps out there, as it not only tracks your runs, but also looks at your interval training and helps you schedule a workout plan to meet your goals. You can set it for running, trail running or walking. It supports all Bluetooth sensors and ANT+ hardware, which makes it a great choice for serious runners.

It’s a little pricey for an app, but well worth the $5.99 price (iOS and Android). Something to consider if you’re training for a near-future race.

clickchick@outlook.com