Archive for the ‘*Device*’ Category

Want to add a bit of bling to your iPhone 4?  CAZE’s BlingFrame case features over 500 Swarovski crystals, entirely covering the sides of the iPhone 4 with glittery goodness.  Each crystal is glued to the case with “Super Glue Gel,” and the case also includes an extra 20 crystal beads and a repair kit if some of your crystals happen to fall off the case.

We’re not even sure how to pronounce “Swarovski,” but we have to admit, the BlingFrame does sound pretty fancy.  And those 500 crystals will only put you back $99.  You can pick one up here in black, blue, pink or white.

Ever wonder what your iGear would look like covered in the hide of a diseased reptile?  Michael Kors knows…and now you can too, thanks to the company’s line of python cases for the Apple iPhone and iPad.

Both cases are handcrafted from “Napa leather in python” and feature Michael Kors golden accents.  The iPad case costs $130, while the iPhone case, which works with the iPhone 3G, 3G S and 4, costs $80.  Sadly, California residents won’t be able to get their hands on either case due to a state ban on python products.

So you bought an iPad and still have a bunch of cash left over?  Why not pick up a case from Louis Vuitton.  These designer cases, above, feature trademark Louis Vuitton patterns and a micro fiber interior, all for a cool £240…that’s nearly $400.

This isn’t the first designer iPad case that costs nearly as much as an iPad, and we’re sure it’s not the last, either.  You can pick one up in Louis Vuitton’s UK stores.

Here’s an innovative take on the standard iPhone 4 case.  Case-Mate’s Quartet case for the iPhone 4 is made of four separate pieces of plastic that snap together to form a case.  Each Quartet case comes with six colorful plastic pieces that can be mixed and matched to create a customized pattern of colors.

The Quartet case costs $35, and will be available soon directly from Case-Mate.

We were eager to take a look at Sony Ericsson’s LiveView Micro Display when the device was first announced last month.  The tiny device can display all sorts of useful information from your Android phone, including text messages, calendar data, and Facebook and Twitter updates on its 1.3” OLED screen.  This allows users to keep their phone in a pocket or bag, while viewing updates on the LiveView’s screen – a compelling proposition especially for users of larger Android devices.

Unboxing

The LiveView box contains the LiveView display itself, a wall charger, two bezels, a wrist strap and user guide.  In our case, we received a European wall charger, although we had no trouble charging the device with a standard micro USB cable connected to our PC.

There are two ways to use the LiveView.  The device can be worn on your clothing with the included clip bezel, which does a good job of securely attaching to the LiveView and clipping the device to a piece of clothing.  The LiveView is surprisingly comfortable to wear, and at 15 grams you barely notice the device’s weight.

The LiveView can also be worn as a watch with the included watch bezel and wrist strap.  The wrist strap has a nylon band with a velcro clasp – not impressive from a fashion standpoint, but functional and secure.  The watch bezel attaches to the wrist strap, and does a good job of holding the LiveView device in place.  However, you do need to remove the LiveView from the strap for charging.

The front of the LiveView is consumed by the device’s 1.3” screen.  There are two physical buttons on the left and right of the device’s top edge.  There are also four capacitive buttons that are placed on the right, left, top and bottom of the LiveView’s screen.  The LiveView has a cheap plastic construction, which makes us wonder how well the device will hold up over time, especially when worn as a watch.

LiveView App

Before using the LiveView, you need to first download the free LiveView app from the Android market.  This app allows you to define what “tiles” are shown on the LiveView’s screen.  You can select Text Messages, Missed Calls, Calendar data and RSS feeds.  The app also allows users to input Facebook and Twitter user ID data, which enables the LiveView to display updates from these social networking sites.

In the future, you will also be able to use Plug-Ins with the LiveView.  These aren’t available yet, but we hope that third party developers use Plug-Ins to further enhance the functionality of the LiveView.

Usability

Our biggest complaint with the LiveView is the process of connecting the device to our Android phone.  In our testing, we used the LiveView with an HTC EVO 4G and had frequent problems with the LiveView disconnecting from the phone and then failing to reconnect.  This is especially problematic since the LiveView relies on this connection to display all of its data – even the current time and date – so when the LiveView is not connected to your phone it serves no purpose whatsoever.

Once we did get the LiveView device connected to our phone, we did enjoy seeing updates on the device’s screen.  It was convenient to read text messages, RSS feeds, and Facebook/Twitter updates on the device.  The LiveView’s 1.3” screen is a bit small for reading long messages, and the screen doesn’t do a great job of displaying color, but the coolness factor of having this information on your wrist makes up for the display’s limitations.

The LiveView is also supposed to be able to control the music player on an Android device, but in our testing we weren’t able to get this feature to work.  The LiveView was able to control the volume on our phone, but it was not able to skip through tracks or display artist/song data.  We’re not sure if this feature only works with Sony Ericsson phones or with a particular music player, but we were very disappointed that we couldn’t get this feature to work.

The LiveView also has a “Find Phone” button that, when pressed, instructs your phone to send out an audible alert.  This is a helpful feature if you happen to misplace your phone, but it only works when your phone is within range of the LiveView display.

Battery

Battery life on the LiveView display was disappointing.  In our testing, we couldn’t get a full day out of a single charge, which is a big downside if you’re using the device as a watch.  Of course, battery life will vary based on how frequently you use the LiveView, and we do admit that we used it pretty heavily in our testing, but we think that most users would need at least a full day of life out of the device’s battery, no questions asked.

Overall

We love Sony Ericsson’s effort and ingenuity with the LiveView, but unfortunately the device falls short in a few key areas.  Bluetooth connection issues with the LiveView were a frequent annoyance for us that decreased the device’s usability substantially.  The inability to use the device’s music player controls was also frustrating.  We’re not sure if these issues are due to the LiveView, the LiveView app, or our HTC EVO 4G, but we’d suggest that users wait for the LiveView to receive a few updates before purchasing the device.

Battery life was also a key limitation of the LiveView.  We hope the future iterations of the device offer at least a solid full day of battery life.  As is, you need to recharge the LiveView during the day, which is particularly inconvenient when using the device as a watch.

Overall, we can’t recommend the LiveView at this point.  There are just too many bugs and limitations that need to be worked out.  With that said, the LiveView platform holds tons of potential, and Sony Ericsson has done a lot of good work here, but for now we suggest that users wait for the next version of the LiveView – or at least for a few software updates – before investing in the LiveView platform.

Does the Apple iPhone 4 need a physical keypad?  BoxWave thinks so.  The company’s Keyboard Buddy case features a horizontally sliding QWERTY keypad that hides under the iPhone 4 when not in use.

BoxWave announced the Keyboard Buddy yesterday, and today the device won approval from the FCC thanks to a filing by OEM Shenzhen Ctech Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd.  FCC filings include a bunch of pictures of the device, as well as some details about how the device will work.

The Keyboard Buddy contains a 500 mAh battery that will last in standby mode for 45 days.  The device charges in 4 hours via mini USB cable.  The case does not charge the iPhone 4 however, which could lead to some cramped cable work if both devices are charged at the same time.

The case also has a peculiar Bluetooth button that must be activated with “a little stick,” according to the device’s user manual.  This process only needs to be done once, however – the iPhone 4 should automatically connect to the keyboard after the initial pairing.

So far, the Keyboard Buddy does appear promising.  We like the keyboard’s construction and silver accents, which match the iPhone 4’s design nicely.

Check out the gallery below for more pics of the Keyboard Buddy.  The case is expected to ship next month for $70.

[View with PicLens]

Speck’s popular line of CandyShell cases for the Apple iPhone 4 is getting an upgrade.  The company’s new CandyShell Flip case is similar in appearance to the previous CandyShell model, with one big exception – the CandyShell Flip will fit in Apple’s iPhone 4 dock.

As you can see above, the bottom of the CandyShell Flip can fold open, thereby allowing the iPhone 4 to fit in standard docks.  Once the phone is removed from the dock, the bottom of the case snaps back into place around the bottom of the device.

It’s a simple, yet useful design change that will be a big relief for users who need to constantly install and remove their iPhone 4 cases when docking the device.  You can pick up a CandyShell Flip directly from Speck for $35.

Want a classy, yet functional case to protect your iPad?  Take a look at one of Powis’ premium leather cases for the iPad.  The book cover case has an attractive exterior reminiscent of an old school hardcover book.  But once opened, the case doubles as a flexible stand that can display the iPad in 9 different positions.

Powis offers a host of options for the iCase, including genuine Spanish leather in a variety of colors, alligator skin and a host of colorful animal and floral patterns.  Pricing for the iCase ranges between $50 and $80, depending on the case’s material.  You can pick one up now here, directly from Powis.

This isn’t the first iPad-to-netbook case that we’ve seen, but it is the first case that’s backed by electronic retailer giant Best Buy.  Known as the iCapsule, the case will be made by Best Buy’s subsidiary, RocketFish.

The iCapsule features a clamshell form factor that can hold the iPad either horizontally or vertically.  The case provides users with a spacious Bluetooth keyboard that has a few convenient shortcut keys for controlling media playback, copy/cut/paste and search.  When closed, the back of the iCapsule has a large handle, allowing users to carry the device like a briefcase.

The only rub that we can see on the iCapsule at this point is the case’s reliance on standard AA batteries.  Many of the other Bluetooth keyboard cases that we’ve seen use a battery that can recharge via USB.

There’s no word how much the iCapsule will cost, or when the case will be released.  But the case did make an appearance on the FCC today, making a launch before the holidays very likely.

Looking for a truly one-of-a-kind case for your iPhone or iPad?  Take a look at Zazzle’s new case customization service.  Developed through a partnership with Speck, Zazzle’s new service allows users to print their own designs on Speck’s popular line of Speck Fitted cases for the iPhone and iPad.

Zazzle provides users with an easy-to-use web-based design tool that allows users to upload a design, image or photo.  Each case is produced and shipped within 24 hours, and your case is delivered within a matter of days.  Zazzle offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee as well, so you don’t have to worry about getting stuck with an awful looking case, even if you did design it yourself.

Zazzle’s custom cases are available for the iPhone 3G, 3G S and 4, as well as the iPad.  Pricing for custom iPhone cases starts at $40, while pricing for custom iPad cases starts at $50.  You can check out the service here to try out your own case designs.