External keyboards are popular accessories with many smartphone users, and we often receive email from people looking for the right keyboard to add to this smartphone or that.  One of the products we’ve recommended for some time, the Freedom Bluetooth Keyboard, remains a popular choice for Windows Mobile users.

But what about Android smartphones?  Is there an external keyboard for the newest members of the smartphone club? 

There are ways to use standard Bluetooth keyboards – whether designed with smartphones in mind or not – with Android devices, but designed-for-Android keyboards are still pretty much no-shows.  But Freedom’s latest mobile keyboard, the Freedom Pro, will be among the first to get Android support, a move which is expected next month.

So if you’ve been pondering adding a fold-out keyboard to your Droid or CLIQ, the wait should be short.

(The Freedom Pro Bluetooth Keyboard already supports Windows Mobile 5.x-6.x devices, BlackBerry OS 4.0+ and Symbian 60 and UIQ3 smartphones.)

Looking for a case that lets you open and tilt your Touch Pro 2’s screen?  The Body Glove Rubberized Shell Case does just that.  While protecting your Touch Pro 2, it also gives you a detachable belt clip / kickstand for using your smartphone or watching video on a flat surface.

The case has openings for volume buttons, speakers, the charging port, the camera lens and, of course, the touchscreen.

Available for Verizon, Sprint & T-Mobile versions.

Body Glove Shell Case for T-Mobile Touch Pro 2

Body Glove Shell Case for Verizon Touch Pro 2

Body Glove Shell Case for Sprint Touch Pro 2

We’ve added new accessories to the Pocket PC Central HTC Droid Eris Smartphone Accessories Center. The following pages have been updated with new accessory listings:

• HTC Droid Eris Sync & Charging Cables
• HTC Droid Eris Car & Truck Accessories
• HTC Droid Eris Cases & Skins
• HTC Droid Eris Batteries
• HTC Droid Eris Screen Protectors
• HTC Droid Eris Chargers & AC Adapters

Learn more about the HTC Droid Eris Android Smartphone…

We’ve added new accessories to the Pocket PC Central Motorola Droid Smartphone Accessories Center.  The following pages have been updated with new accessory listings:

• Motorola Droid Cradles & Docks
• Motorola Droid Car & Truck Accessories
• Motorola Droid Cases & Skins
• Motorola Droid Screen Protectors

Compatibility with 32GB microSD cards has been referenced in countless smartphone spec sheets over the past 18 months or so, but so far we’ve not seen any microSD cards with capacities larger than 16GB.  We’ve waited impatiently for the promised doubling of capacity since the first 32GB mention in 2008.

And it now seems that wait is almost over. 

Samsung has developed a new process for manufacturing higher-capacity memory chips and plans to begin mass production of 32GB microSDHC flash memory cards next month.

“The 32GB microSD card … stacks eight 32Gb NAND components and a card controller. The industry’s highest capacity, production-ready microSD card is enabled by the use of Samsung’s advanced 30-nm class 32Gb NAND flash memory technology.”

Source: Samsung Press Release

We’ve added new accessories to the Pocket PC Central Motorola Droid Smartphone Accessories Center.  The following pages have been updated with new accessory listings:

• Motorola Droid Cradles & Docks
• Motorola Droid Car & Truck Accessories
• Motorola Droid Batteries & Extenders
• Motorola Droid Cases & Skins

The Pocket PC Central Accessories Center has been updated and now includes accessories for the HP iPAQ Glisten smartphone.  There you can find batteries, cases, sync cables, and other accessories for the new iPAQ Glisten Windows Phone.

Visit the Pocket PC Central iPAQ Glisten Accessories Center…

or

Learn more about the HP iPAQ Glisten Windows Phone…

The Pocket PC Central Accessories Center has been updated and now includes accessories for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone.  Here you can find batteries, cases, sync cables, and other accessories for the Bold 9700.

NOTE: The AT&T and T-Mobile versions of the BlackBerry Bold were recently released.  Model-specific accessories are currently limited. We will continue to update the accessories center with new products over the coming weeks.

Visit the Pocket PC Central BlackBerry Bold 9700 Accessories Center…

There are so many gadgets today that charge via USB.  This is great, but it’s also messy.  It got to the point that my computers’ ports were filled with more dangling charging wires than anything else.  Maybe you’re in the same boat, or have different USB charging blocks crammed into a wall sockets all over the house or office. 

Neither of these options is particularly appealing, which is why I recommend picking up a USB charging station. These small adapters plug into a wall outlet and charge multiple devices at once and in one location.  I keep mine in the kitchen.

The Lenmar ACUSB4 is my pick at the moment.  It’s less than $18, can charge up to four USB devices simultaneously, and ships with three international plug adapters.  Plug in a smartphone, a Bluetooth headset, an iPod, and a Kindle – or allow each member of the family to charge his or her phone in one location. 

Another recommended USB charging station is the Belkin mini Surge, which includes three standard sockets and two USB ports.

Those of you already doing early holiday shopping, either of these products would make a nice gift for the gadget wranglers in your life. 

Have an alternative you’d like to recommend?  Post it.

-M. Nichols, Products Editor

There are many in-car smartphone mounts to choose from, but most are either windshield suction mounts or vent mounts.  These are great for some vehicles, but sometimes there’s no good place for either of these solutions in your car or truck – and in some states windshield mounts are even illegal. 

A third alternative is the Weighted Dash Mount.

For some interior configurations, this solution is best.  The Arkon SM212, for example, has received glowing reviews from users on Amazon.com for its universal smartphone compatibility and viewing angle adjustability.  This is an excellent solution for users whose smartphones double as GPS navigation devices as well as those who use their smartphones with Bluetooth headsets or for music playback and while on the road.

The Arkon SM212 Weighted Dash Mount is currently available for $23.27.