The iPhone User Guide

These super hot cases from Element Cases are now available for iPhone and iPhone 3G*, but will probably be availble for iPhone 3G very soon, however, at $99 they are a little on the expensive side.

The ALLOY cases are CNC-machined from high-strength aluminum alloy, with nickel-plated fasteners, a Delrin Polymeric bezel, and a tough Acrylic Flip-Lid. A very tough case that is beautiful and functional.? The BLACK ALLOY case has a dark black anodized aluminum finish.

You can customise your front and back, but personally, I’m not sure I like the idea of having to look through red perspex to see my iPhone… but still a very unique and strong case for all you hardcore iPhone Users!

VERDICT: 85%

Editors Note: These cases are available for both iPhone and iPhone 3G! Apologies for the error there!

We took delivery of our new little portable battery powered dock/speaker kit from Altec Lansing today. Usually we’d take some proper shots, but we were so impressed with the whole device, we just wanted to write about it straight away!

The dock which runs off AC power or battery was extremely pleasing to listen to given the compact size of the unit. Bass reproduction, whilst weaker than we like, was actually very good considering the thiness of the unit. Audio sounded the same on batteries and via AC power, and with a stated 48 hours of playback (!), this unit certainly is the traveller’s sound dock of choice. Whilst not officially stated to work with iPhone, it does work well. If you don’t want buzzing when you get a text or call, simply drop the iPhone in to Airplane Mode.

‘Aux in’ on the back, means this device can also double as a set of speakers for your PC or Mac or another MP3 player. Another nice touch with the $129 unit, is the inclusion of every plug socket adapter in the world. Something Apple should take heed of!

VERDICT: 90% (perfect for travelling music lovers)

iClarified reports: The new Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Tour In-Ear Headphones have appeared for purchase in the Apple Store. The headphones cost $149.99 and have a ship estimate of 1-2 weeks.

Hear what the artist hears and listen to the music the way you should. Beats Tour reveals the full sound of today’s digital music, including sonically demanding hip hop, rock, and R&B.

pocketlint reports:

As well as promising “clean, crisp sound” for £69, the i-Station25 from Logic3 has built-in accelerometers so that you can use it vertically or horizontally.

This means you can watch video content landscape, but the accelerometers will then automatically adjust the speaker output to maintain the correct left/right adio separation.

Logic3 claims that this cuts down on noise distortion.

Also worth a mention is the fact that the speaker dock has a video out function for the iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Nano 3G and 4G, iPod classic and the iPod Touch 1G and 2G, and also stereo line-in.

You also get a remote control, and can power the i-Station25 either using four AA batteries or using an AC adaptor.

It is available this month on the high street.

Visit Logic3’s website for more info

RoadTrip with SmartScan provides a convenient way for music lovers to send music wirelessly from iPhone or iPod to their car’s stereo FM system. RoadTrip uses interchangeable, model-specific cradles for iPhone or iPod securely on a flexible steel neck. RoadTrip plugs into the vehicle’s cigarette lighter or 12-volt accessory socket to charge the user’s iPhone or iPod while it’s playing.

Griffin-exclusive SmartScan technology makes it the simplest-to-use FM transmitter on the market. SmartScan searches the radio dial for the three clearest frequencies and automatically programs them into preset buttons. Built-in RDS technology displays track information on RDS-enabled car radio displays.

• Plays music from iPhone or iPod while charging its battery
• Places track controls within convenient reach for safe driving
• Line Out connects your iPod to your vehicle’s audio / video system
  
• Interchangeable, model-specific cradles provide the look and functionality of a professional installation without the expense or inconvenience
• Compatible with: iPhone 3G, iPhone, iPod touch (2G), iPod touch, iPod nano (4G), iPod nano (3G), iPod classic (80GB/120GB), iPod nano (2G)

Seeing this case takes us back to the days of owning a Blackberry where the little magnet in the case would always turn the phone to ‘lock’ mode as soon as you re-holstered it. Sadly, this case is not as intelligent, however it does give you easy access whilst holding your iPhone safe. As much as we think people with ‘belt holders’ for any device look like douchebags, this is definitely the best option for people wearing suits who don’t want to ruin the lines of their suit with a heavy iPhone.

Get yours from Griffin

Everyone seems to be raving about the new incase protective sleeve with a battery built in to the back of it, however, as nice an idea as that sounds, it pretty much doubles the size of your iPhone, and for those of us who like the look of the iPhone the way the Steve designed it, it’s not an ideal solution…

So what to do, if you’re a heavy user and need some extra juice? Well yesterday we put to test the new Kensington iPhone (and iPod) portable top up charger thingy, and we were so pleased with the results. Whilst not much bigger than a box of matches, the Kensington Mini Battery Pack gave us an extra 3 hours (YES 3 HOURS!) of talktime!

Simply plug it in to your iPhone and the plug the unit in to your Mac as usual, the Mac (or PC) will charge the iPhone and the Mini Charger at the same time. Once charged, the blue LED’s on the front of the Charger will hit 100%, pop it in your pocket and you are good to go. When your iPhone runs out of battery, simply plug in the tiny unit in to the bottom of the iPhone and let it charge up again… on the move! You can still use the iPhone whilst its charging too (although that does look a little silly!).

The device is totally awesome, its our first ‘must have’ accessory for the iPhone.

VERDICT: 95% - Go buy one NOW… $60