Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Want to give your iPhone 4 a natural look and feel?  Check out Trunket’s new lineup of American Rosewood covers.

Each of the company’s covers are handcrafted from actual Rosewood, so no two look exactly alike.  The company also offers a variety of color washes, including sea blue, hickory, jet black, orange, blood red and violet.

Trunket’s covers attach to the back of the iPhone 4 with an adhesive.  The covers can be removed and reapplied, although Trunket does not recommend frequent removal and reapplication.

You can purchase Trunket’s covers here for $24.  We’ll try to get one of these in for review soon.

Today, accessory-maker Kensington unveiled a case for the Apple iPad that features an integrated Bluetooth keyboard.  Kensington’s iPad keyboard case is actually the same Bluetooth Keyboard Silicone case that our sister site, Wireless Goodness, spotted on the FCC back in August.  The Bluetooth Keyboard Silicone case has already been released for sale in Europe, and it appears that Kensington secured US distribution and branding rights for the case.

The keyboard case features a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that will last up to 3 months on a single charge.  The case charges with a standard Apple 13-pin charger, and takes 4.5 to reach a full charge.

Kensington will start selling the keyboard case in October for $99.  But if you don’t want to wait until next month, you can purchase one now from UK-based GearZap.com for £59.95.

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Targus continued to add to its line of iPad accessories today with the introduction of the Zierra Case, above, a mini messenger bag, mobile charger and stylus.  The Zierra Case features a hard shell to protect the iPad, and provides lots of storage for business cards and other wallet-friendly items.  The Zierra Case has a top grain leather exterior, and will retail for $55.

The Targus Stylus for the iPad, left, is a classy-looking input device for the iPad.  The Stylus has a rubber tip that allows users to easily write notes, draw or type on the iPad’s screen.  Like other pen-input devices for the iPad, the Targus Stylus doesn’t require any power to operate and is designed to be used on the iPad’s screen without scratching.  The Targus Stylus will retail for $15.

The Targus Stylus is already available, while the company’s Zierra Case and Spruce Mini Messenger bag are coming soon.

Today we posted our first round of reviews of Droid 2 cases.  While most cases performed well, we did notice that all cases for the device do make it a bit difficult to press the top row of keys on the Droid 2’s keypad.

Without a case, there is only a couple of millimeters of space between the Droid 2’s screen and the keypad, as you can see in the image above.  This leaves enough space to fit your fingers over the top row of keys on the device’s keypad, making typing comfortable for the most part.

However, when a case is installed around the Droid 2’s screen the side of the case sits right next to, if not slightly over the top row of keys on the device’s keypad.  This makes it difficult to press the keys naturally, since most fingers will be too large to fit over the key.  Instead, you are forced to peck at the top row of keys – not a horrible experience, but definitely not preferable, especially if you have large fingers.

This problem was evident with all of the cases that we reviewed for the Droid 2.  We’ve provided a few examples below:  the Body Glove Snap On Cover, below left, the Verizon Kickstand Snap-On Hard Cover, below middle, and the Verizon Shell/Holster Combo, below right, all have the same issue.

As you can see, the Body Glove Snap On Cover and Verizon Shell/Holster Combo sit right next to the edge of the keys, while the Verizon Kickstand actually sits slightly over the top row of keys.  In our testing, all of these cases really had the same effect on typing – the proximity of the case’s side to the top row of keys forced us to peck at the top row.

This problem isn’t unique to the Droid 2 – some users of the original Droid complained about the same issue.  Still, we do wish that case manufacturers would take into account the added thickness that cases will add to a device, and design accordingly.

iSkin, a Canadian developer of mobile device accessories, recently unveiled their lineup of cases for the Apple iPhone 4.  The company’s Revo4 case, pictured above, is a two-toned plastic and silicone case that features comprehensive protection for the iPhone 4, including a handy snap-on screen protector called the VISOR.

iSkin’s Solo case, pictured below, is a transparent plastic case for the iPhone 4 that’s designed to provide a secure grip on the device.

The Revo4 case costs $40, while the Solo case costs $30.  Both cases are currently available for purchase here.

All of iSkin’s cases are backed by a 30 day return policy and a lifetime warranty.

Apple held a press conference today to address the iPhone 4’s reception issues.  In the conference, Steve Jobs maintained that most cell phones suffer from similar “death grip” issues.  Additionally, Jobs reported that only 0.55% of iPhone 4 users have called AppleCare to report reception issues.

Interestingly, Jobs actually confirmed that the iPhone 4 does drop slightly more calls than the iPhone 3G S.  According to data from AT&T, the iPhone 4 drops less than one more call than the 3G S, for every 100 calls made.  While Apple tried to spin this stat in the iPhone 4’s favor, it does confirm that the iPhone 4 does drop more calls than the 3G S.

What we were all waiting for, however, was Apple’s solution to the iPhone 4’s reception issues.  The answer?  Free cases.  Jobs promised a free case for every iPhone 4 purchased through September 30th.

Better yet, Jobs said that Apple won’t be able to produce enough Bumpers, so they will provide users with a “choice of cases.”  No word exactly what those cases will be, but the company will have a free case application on their website starting late next week.

Don’t like this solution?  Jobs also mentioned that you can return the iPhone 4 within 30 days of purchase, without a restocking fee.

The good folks at ColorWare have been coloring various devices since 2000, and recently the company announced coloring services for the iPhone 4.  The company offers comprehensive coloring services for the iPhone 4, including coloring the device’s back, front frame, front button, earbuds, and SIM card tray.

Tired of waiting for a white iPhone 4?  ColorWare can get you one.  But why stop there?  The company offers a wide variety of colors for the iPhone 4, or you can create a custom color for your device.

At this time, ColorWare only offers a “send in” option for the iPhone 4, which means you’ll have to ship your iPhone 4 to the company and wait for about 3 weeks while they color the device and ship it back.  The company’s services don’t come cheap either, basic coloring services cost $250, while custom color options will tack on another $250.

You can check out what your iPhone 4 will look like in a variety of colors on ColorWare’s website, here.

Incase just released some preview pics of its upcoming lineup of cases for the Apple iPhone 4, and at first glance things are looking good.  The company showed off four cases designs, including a slim Slider case for the iPhone 4, above, and a Perforated Snap Case for the device, below.

We’re fans of the company’s lineup of iPhone 3G S cases, and it looks like the company is doing a good job of bringing back its popular 3G S designs to the iPhone 4.

Incase’s iPhone 4 lineup will be available at the end of this month.  No word yet on pricing.  Check out the company’s iPhone 4 preview pics for yourself, here.

Yes, the dreaded iPhone 4 death grip is still plaguing users, but who wants to shell out $29 for an Apple Bumper?  Enter Agent 18.

The company’s ShockBand case for the iPhone 4 protects the sides of the iPhone 4, while providing full access to the device’s ports and buttons.  The case’s raised rim prevents the iPhone 4’s screen from coming into contact with surfaces below.  The ShockBand even comes in a clear version, which protects your iPhone 4 while remaining virtually invisible.

Best of all, the ShockBand costs only $20, making it a cost effective alterative to Apple’s iPhone 4 Bumper case.

You can preorder the ShockBand here.  We’ll try to get a review unit in soon, so we can give you our thoughts on the case.

We often write about cases that are made of silicone, plastic or rubber.  And while those materials provide great protection for our iGear, they aren’t exactly great for the environment.

Enter Brenthaven.  The company has found a unique way to both protect your Apple iPad and the environment with their Bill-Fold iPad Sleeve.

In their search for a material that’s both environmentally friendly and sturdy enough to protect the iPad, Brenthaven’s designers really just had to look up.  In the United States, approximately 450,000 billboards are placed around roads and buildings, and the advertisements on these billboards are frequently changed as new advertisers buy up ad space.  Movie billboards, for example, are usually only up for a couple months.

Once these billboards are taken down, they go straight to your local landfill.  And they stay there.  For a long time.  The polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material that most billboards are made of take 50 years or longer to decompose.

Brenthaven uses the PVC material of billboards to create the exterior of their Bill-Fold iPad Sleeve.  The company sent us a unit, and we were impressed by the durability of the recycled billboard material.  This makes sense though, billboards must resist rain, snow and dirt, not to mention constant sunlight – all excellent attributes for iPad protection.

The use of recycled billboard materials also means that each Bill-Fold iPad Sleeve is unique.  Some of the sleeves are shiny, while others show parts of images or patterns.

Brenthaven’s suppliers don’t allow the company to specify what billboards have been used in their cases, but we’ve seen a few units that show parts of a logo or brand.  Who knows, your Bill-Fold iPad Sleeve could be made of an Apple iPad billboard.  Cavs fans, however, might want to make use of Brenthaven’s 100% lifetime guarantee if a certain infamous billboard ends up on their Bill-Fold.

The interior of the Bill-Fold Sleeve is made of soft faux suede that does a great job of protecting the iPad’s screen and back.  Both sides of the Bill-Fold are closed with velcro, allowing users to insert or remove the iPad from either side of the case.  The case also has large corners which protect the sides of the iPad from drops and falls.

Each Bill-Fold Sleeve is made entirely in the United States, and comes with a lifetime guarantee.  The sleeve’s marketing materials are also made of 100% recycled materials.

The Bill-Fold Sleeve costs $35, and is available directly from Brenthaven here.  If you pick up a Bill-Fold, send us some pics of the sleeve and we’ll post them, so readers can get an idea of the wide range of colors and patterns that the sleeve comes in.

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