Category: accessories (Page 6 of 7)

Review: Ballistic HC case for the iPhone 4

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I was excited when offered the chance to take a look at AGF’s Ballistic HC case for the iPhone 4. As the website suggests, the Ballistic HC is “Designed to Survive Life,” a great slogan considering I had dumped my phone onto a brick patio just a few nights prior to receiving the review unit. The Ballistic HC is a great case, and though it may not be for everyone, it’s perfect for people who can be rough on their phones.

The first thing you’ll notice is that the Ballistic HC is big. It’s a pretty thick case by itself, and if you want it to get even bigger there’s a bouncy silicon wrap you can put around the case for extra protection. The size is a good thing, though. It allows for all of the padding and space necessary to keep your phone safe in the even that you would drop it or accidentally smash it against something. A rubber inner layer separates your phone from the hard outer, protecting the phone from the case and adding some shock absorption. The hard outer shell also has fixed rubber bumpers for an extra layer of protection. The aforementioned rubber sleeve really takes the phone to indestructible new heights.

The front of the Ballistic HC case has a screen protector that allows your touchscreen to still function perfectly. I was really impressed, because I’ve seen a lot of cases for which the screen protector ruins the browsing experience on the phone. With the Ballistic, you almost don’t notice that the protector is there (unless you drop your phone, of course, in which case you’ll just notice that the screen is in tact).

I only had one issue with the Ballistic case, a problem AGF is both aware of and working actively to fix. As you can see in the picture below, the screen protector can get suctioned onto the screen, creating an oil-spill pattern across the screen. It’s not very noticeable when the screen is lit up, but it kinda sucks when the screen is black.

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As I said, though, Ballistic is working on a fix. The company posted a YouTube video with a simple, temporary fix for the problem while they continue to work on a permanent solution. Really, though, if you need this case, you are probably more interested in the fact that it will keep your phone safe, and less interested in the way your phone will look while tucked safely away inside this beast of a case.

Apply for your free iPhone 4 bumper today

bumper caseApple has officially started to reimburse iPhone 4 owners who purchased a bumper case on their own, and it looks like the rest of us can send away for a free bumper now, too.

Apple is managing the promotion through an app, available now in the App Store. Instructions are pretty simple. You download the app, sign in using your Apple ID, and select your bumper or case. As it stands you can only get one color (black) and you’re looking at a three to five week delivery window. As for time limitations, here’s the official word:

For iPhone 4 purchases made before July 23, 2010, you must apply no later than August 22, 2010; otherwise, you must apply within 30 days of your iPhone 4 purchase. To qualify for this program, you must purchase your iPhone 4 by September 30, 2010.

Remember, you don’t have to get a bumper. You can get any of the approved cases for free as well.

Booq Boa S Nerve Review: The bag of many pockets

Booq Boa S NerveI have never been satisfied with a laptop bag. They tend to be ugly, unwieldy, and either try to pack too many ridiculous features into a tiny package or leave your cords and chargers to fend for themselves in giant pockets seemingly designed to create a tangled mess. When I got the Booq Boa S Nerve (provided to me by the manufacturer) I figured it would fall under the “too many pockets,” umbrella, but I was surprised. Somehow Booq has managed to make a bag with a pocket for everything without it becoming a cluttered mess. I never thought I would use the phrase “intuitive design” about a bag, but that’s really what it boils down to.

Boa S Nerve inside
As you can see, the inside is packed with pockets, and that doesn’t even show another set that lean against the book you can see pictured in the pouch. The great thing is that all of the pockets have expandable profiles, so when they aren’t in use they don’t take up much space. On that lowest tier there is a set of neoprene pockets for pens and a larger neoprene sleeve I like to use for my Magic Mouse. Inside the larger pouch where the included laptop sleeve sits there are some larger utility pockets made of the same ripstop material as the rest of the inner lining. Those are perfect for chargers, cords, and battery packs. The thing is, you would know this without me telling you. It’s not that I think bags should have labels on the pockets, but when I open a bag and immediately know how to compartmentalize my gear (instead of trying to figure out the best way to store all of my cords and hope they won’t get tangled) I’m a happy guy.

The Boa S Nerve is great down to the smallest details, too. There’s a tag on the inside with a serial number that gets associated with the buyer so that, in the event of a lost bag, you can hopefully get your bag back. There’s a secondary strap on the shoulder strap that clips to the side of the bag, cinching it tight against your body for riding on a bike or if you need to run to catch your public transportation of choice. There’s a little piece of covered plastic on the back whose purpose eluded me until I set the bag on my chair the other day to load it up and just grabbed the thing by what I now recognize as a handle. No, it’s not revolutionary, and I probably should have thought of what it was, but I didn’t, and the fact that I instinctively grabbed the bag there shows me just how much thought went into the design. Right under that there’s a little pocket for your mobile device of choice.

On the whole, it’s the thought that went into this product that makes it great. If you aren’t interested in a messenger style bag, Booq has an entire line of products designed for geeks and tech professionals with a sense of style and a need for quality storage. You can find their line of products at Booqbags.com.

Review: Konnet iCrado

konnet_icradoAs with any new Apple release, the iPhone 4 brought along a menagerie of options for the accessorizing individual. Everyone likes to talk about cases, but the thing I look for first is usually a cradle or a dock – something I can set on my nightstand for charging and use with the phone’s alarm clock.

The Konnet iCrado is about as simple a cradle as you’ll find. It’s a curved piece of metal with a slot for you to use your own cable as the actual data dock. There is a little more to it, though. The curve of the device is designed to improve sound quality for use as speakerphone. I have to say, I thought it was a gimmick at first, but it is nice to have the sound directed toward you. It doesn’t really imrpove much, just aims the sound at your face.

Unfortunately, I’m not much of a speakerphone guy. For the most part I’ll use a headset if I need to do some hands free work, so that isn’t a big selling point. I also don’t like that it requires you to provide the cord. The unit comes slotted for the owner’s cord with a small plastic clip that holds the cord in place. Your phone then sits upright, attached by the cord and leaning against the high back of the unit. I would much prefer that they give you a cord or have the cord connected to a jack at the back. The current method is inconvenient for traveling, and if you lose the piece that holds your cord in place, you’ve got a $30 paperweight with an iPhone-cord-shaped slot in it.

Speaking of price, that’s really the biggest setback. I would forgive the smaller flaws if it didn’t cost $30. At $15 this would be a fine little stand, available in whatever color strikes your fancy.

Lots of reviews coming this week

konnet_icradoThings have been a little slow over here as I’ve been working on a few other projects and dealing with some big announcement over on Fearless Gamer, our gaming blog. This week we’ll be back in full swing though, and I’m adding a bunch of reviews to the site.

Later in the week you’ll start to see some of the new iPhone 4 accessories. Over the rest of the summer I’ll be getting a few more, but for now I’ve got at least a dock to show off. I’ll also be covering the Booq line of laptop bags (more specifically the Boa S Nerve) and Warpia’s wireless PC-to-TV broadcast system.

I’ve also been starting to dig around Aperture. I had played with the software a bit when it first launched, but without any high quality images, it wasn’t a piece of software I cared to invest in. Now that I have my shiny new camera, I think it’s time I take a more serious look. I’ll be posting my impressions throughout the week as I get to know the ins and outs of photo management (from what I hear, Aperture is the way it should be done).

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