Posted December 5th, 2008
by admin
Notice in the title of the article I didn’t say “want”, or “desire”. That’s because you really do need these iPhone Apps. Trust me, once you have them downloaded you’ll never know how you got along without them.
Here is a list of of those apps:
QuickVoice Recorder: Having the ability to make quick voice recordings is such a convenience. Up until this app, you had to carry around a digital voice recorder that would take up valuable pocket space.
If you download the extra PC software with QuickVoice, you can also have the option of transferring your recorded audio files to your PC.
SportsTap: SportsTap is the best free way to keep up with sports scores on your iPhone or iPod Touch. I’m pretty sure every professional sport in the entire world is available through SportsTap. There’s detailed box scores with player stats, and in-depth season statistics.
If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, and happen to be a sports nut, then this app is a definite must.
WritingPad: Taking notes, and sending emails is really nothing new if you use the iPhone, or iPod Touch. Writing Pad does all of those things, only with a little twist. Instead of using key inputs, you draw the shape of letters.
Some people aren’t the fastest typers in the world, so this is a cool app to make writing things out a little easier.
Pandora Radio: If you’ve never visited Pandora, you’ve really got to check it out. It’s pretty much a personalized radio station that you listen to over your computer. You don’t get to hand pick songs, but you put in an artist or song and it will feed back similar artists and tunes. With Pandora Radio, you can experience this same thing on your iPhone. I’ve found Pandora to be a great way to find new music you’ve never heard, and discover new bands.
fring: Instant Messaging has now become a very common way for people to keep in touch with one another. fring is a great instant messenger to have because it encompasses all of the popular instant messaging services (AIM, Yahoo, Twitter, MSN, Skype).
Another cool feature with fring is the ability for VoIP communication. So, if you have an iPod Touch instead of an iPhone you can use it as a phone over a WiFi connection.
Tags: apps, free, fring, instant messenging, iPhone, pad, Pandora, QuickVoice, radio, record, sports, VoiP, writing Posted in iPhone
Posted August 23rd, 2008
by admin
If you’re looking for a bargain on a screen cover for your iPhone 3G and you have 4 friends who want in, its darn near impossible to beat the deal that DLO is offering on their Surface Shield screen protectors.
For a grand total of $14.99, you get a 5 pack of anti-glare screen protectors. A little mathematics brings us to the conclusion that you’re going to be running $3 per screen if you break the pack up. Money isn’t the only factor in play though, its just the beginning - the Surface Shield is actually an excellent product - even if it cost $15 for just one. The application process is very easy (comes with adhesive backing so you just place it on) and if you’re not quite on with the screen positioning, you can pull it off and adjust it without any consequence - it stays sticky. Just make sure your screen is clean and you don’t get any dust or hairs while you’re putting it on and it goes on great.
They’re anti glare shields - and they live up to their name. In direct window light, they cut down on bright shiny reflections, big time.
Some people prefer the unskinned, glossy surface of the naked iPhone but I personally love the texture and look that the anti-glare skin gives. It cuts down on the saturation a tiny bit, but it still looks great and in most cases, better than without the shield because you can actually see it when you’ve got sun or bright light overhead.
I recommend the DLO Surface Shield on the basis of cost and quality. Price to performance relationship is unbeatable and its an excellent product to begin with. If you can round up a couple buddies to split the bulk pack up with, it costs almost nothing but even if you’re just keeping them as spares, its an excellent value.
Tags: dlo surface shield, iphone 3g screen protector, iphone 3g shield, iphone 3g skin Posted in Photography, Testing, iPhone
Posted August 2nd, 2008
by admin
When it comes to iPhone 3G skins, there is a veritable sea of choices. Pretty much every company that makes protective skins has thrown its hat into the ring, and it takes something special to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Some, like BestSkinsEver, compete on price. Others, like InvisibleShield, rely on market share and retail store availability. That brings us to the most recent skin I’ve tried, the NLU Bodyguardz.
The Bodyguardz name first came up in a discussion about another skin product, and I was surprised by the number of positive remarks. My curiosity piqued, I decided to see what the hubbub was about.
When the skin arrived, my first reaction was to the attention in the packaging. BestSkinsEver cuts costs by shipping in a plain letter envelope with no packaging or instructions whatsoever, but that is not the case here. Similar to the more elaborate InvisibleShield, the Bodyguardz comes in a full size box with application solution in a spray bottle and a small plastic square for squeegeeing excess spray from under the skin.
Application is fairly straightforward. It comes in two pieces, front and back, with 4 folds to cover the chrome edges, top and bottom. The application solution (spray bottle) appears to be the same or similar to the InvisibleShield equivalent and works well enough. One thing I noticed is that while the BestSkinsEver shield slid around easily, allowing for precise positioning, the BodyGuardz was very quick to grip and required a removal and re-spraying on my first attempt. Technique is everything, make sure it is well moistened and apply from bottom to top (or top to bottom, your choice), squeegeeing as you go to remove bubbles and liquid pockets.
When you’ve finished applying it, you’ll be disappointing. Lots of little imperfections, bubbles and such that you couldn’t remove. Don’t fret! This is the nature of these products. I’ve had the same experience with the rest of the shields. Be sure to allocate at least 12, preferably 24 hours or more before you start using the iPhone again. The quality of the application improves with time and after a few weeks, it should look perfect as long as you lined it up reasonably well.
(Right after application)
(24 hours later)
As you can see, just one day really improves the quality of the application. Don’t freak out and reapply if it doesn’t look great. Give it a day, if it still has huge bubbles then try the second one.
Like usual, I will try to keep my conclusion fairly straightforward. The Bodyguardz is a fine product and definitely high quality. While they can’t quite beat the price of the super-cheap and no frills BestSkinsEver, they are definitely a cut above in simplicity and ease of application (less tabs and folds, included application spray). The clarity also looks slightly better in a direct comparison. If you find a friend who needs a skin and is willing to split the cost, you’re looking at about $13 for the Bodyguardz full package. This is only $5 more than the BestSkinsEver, but the double pack’s $25 price tag is enough to make a difference if you aren’t splitting up.
The comparison most are probably looking for is Bodyguardz vs. InvisibleShield, as they are comparable in price and product, and competing for the same marketshare. I can say without hesitation that I recommend the Bodyguardz shield. Zagg has shown themselves as a very poor company in my, and the experiences of others, so I try to avoid them where possible. I removed my iPhone invisibleshield already so I couldn’t judge relative clarity, but I believe them to be negligible in difference. The application process is almost identical and I can’t give a nod in either direction. The clincher? Bodyguardz includes two skins in their $24.99 purchase price, so you’re getting twice the value for the same money.
Tags: bodyguardz iphone 3g review, bodyguardz iphone 3g skin review, bodyguardz iphone review, bodyguardz iphone skin review, iphone 3g skin, iphone 3g skin review, iphone 3g skins review Posted in Testing, iPhone
Posted July 20th, 2008
by admin
With InvisibleShield asking $25 for their full body skin, the $7.99 (was $5.99 when I bought mine) that BestSkinsEver asks seems extremely reasonable. Combined with Zagg’s 2 week shipping delay (reportedly no longer in effect), the choice seems almost obvious. The question now is, are you sacrificing quality for cost?
The first difference I noticed is the three piece construction of the BSE skin. Instead of a single back piece like the Invisible Shield uses, it has two pieces, one for the top half and one for the bottom. I’m entirely unsure why they did this and I really don’t like it. It made application more difficult and made my final product look worse. This is a design flaw as far as I’m concerned.
Application was fairly easy, but not as easy as InvisibleShield. Instead of providing a spray bottle of the solution, you have to make your own. I put water in a saucepan and a thumbnail of soap in, as specified by the instructions. Following all the instructions, things went mostly according to plan. The corners were a real pain, because they didn’t want to stay down, but it shares the same corner design as the Invisibleshield so you aren’t getting out of that one no matter which brand you choose.
My front looks great, but I wish it wasn’t so glossy. That’s a feature, not a flaw, but I prefer the anti-glare/matte screen protectors. I will be purchasing one to replace the Bestskinsever front. The back was not so lucky, with several air bubbles. I attacked them with a credit card but they were persistent. That’s the nature of the product, so be very precise in your application to avoid this.
I will keep the conclusion fairly brief for those who have skimmed to this point. BestSkinsEver are made of the same material as the InvisibleShield and offer the same protection. Where they differ is in the design, presentation and ease of use. BSE requires you to download the application instructions in a PDF from their website and make your own solution, where Zagg sends an elaborate box with instructions, a little squeegee and the application solution.
Are these little perks worth $20 more? Probably not, especially since you’ll be waiting at least a month to get your Invisibleshield with the current delays. If you prefer a seamless back and somewhat easier application, go for the IS. If you’re willing to put in a little more effort to save $20, go with the BSE. They’ll both protect your new phone nicely.
Tags: bestskinsever, invisibleshield, iphone 3g bestskinsever, iphone 3g bestskinsever review, iphone 3g bse review, iphone 3g invisibleshield review Posted in iPhone
