You can't really enter a store or open an email this month and not realize that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. It's fantastic seeing pink ribbons everywhere, and hearing about all of the money - and hopes - being raised to find a cure for the disease. There's a comprehensive list of all of the websites and tech-related items supporting the cause this month on Techlicious.
Three of my favorite tech accessory items with a pink twist are the Otterbox "Strength" Blackberry Curve case , the Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 Susan G. Komen Special Edition and AblePlanet's foldable active noise-canceling headphones with LINX audio.
Ten percent of the price of each Otterbox pink "Strength" case for Blackberry Curve smart phones is being donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. If I had a Blackberry Curve I'd likely pick one up; I'm such a fan of most everything Otterbox makes. (Honestly, I bet we've sold over a dozen of the Otterbox iPad cases just from us using them around the city and people stopping us to see ours and ask where to get it.) For a limited time, Otterbox is including a "pink is strength" bag with each phone sold. Let's be honest, their associated marketing campaign asking people to "show off your curves" is pretty clever too.
The other tech accessory donating 10% of the sale price to Susan G. Komen for the Cure that I love so much I've already purchased one to send to my mom (spoiler alert Mom ;-) ) is Microsoft's special edition Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000. Not only do I love it because it's pink (duh) and supports a cause near and dear to my heart, but because:
It works on multiple surfaces. It moves ever so smoothly with excellent tracking on my wood desk, the dining room table, the coffee table, our hardwood floor, the kitchen counter, even on a white table-clothed table at a recent luncheon I attended in the city. In fact, Microsoft claims that the only surface the BlueTrak technology won't work on is glass or mirrors. This is great for me as I commute and travel so often and it can crimp my hand using my thumb and index finger on the li'l touchpad on my netbook for hours on end.
It packs well. That tiny transceiver fits inside the bottom of the mouse for storage.
It works out of the package. If you're in a bind and want to use the mouse imediately, you don't have to install the software to get the mouse working. Just put the cute li'l nano tranceiver (it's seriously tiny - check out the photo below with it lying next to my SD card) into one of the USB ports on your computer and viola! Start using the mouse. If you skip installing the software on the accompanying CD, you will miss out on the one-click window swapping technology that you gain access to, but for me that's a bonus, and not a necessity when I'm on the move. Install the software when you have a few minutes.
I've been using this wireless mobile mouse for a couple of weeks now and I'm already lamenting the day I misplace it and have to use my old wireless mouse. It's so smooth and accurate - and no mousepad required!
The Susan G. Komen mouse is available now through Sept 1, 2011. I think it'd be a great stocking stuffer for any gal.
My third pink tech accessory recommendation is the XNC230P noise canceling foldable headphones with LINX AUDIO by Able Planet. We fly a lot and always take several noise-canceling headphones. These Able Planet ones work the best for us (no headaches from wearing them either!), and c2cDad and I race to be the first to claim them whenever we fly together. (I usually win, leaving him to choose from our other two noise-canceling headphone sets . . .) Do a search and check out some of the reviews on Able Planet; I know they're a lesser-known brand for most people, but they have a fantastic reputation in the tech community and I don't think you'll be disappointed if you spring for them. I'm sitting here contemplating purchasing this special edition set just so we have two of them in our home. Besides, with two boys in the family, I don't think I'll have competition racing to grab the pink ones. ;-) Able Planet is donating 10% from the sale of these headphones (while they last) to support breast cancer charities.
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