Is Heathcliff the cat’s meow for iPhone users?

An iPhone app delivers the side-splitting antics of America’s favorite cartoon cat to your iPhone or iPod touch. And we don’t mean Garfield.

Review: OtterBox Defender Series for iPhone 3G

If you don’t know OtterBox, you should. They make high-quality, high-grade cases for the iPhone 3G that offer first-class protection. The OtterBox Defender Series for iPhone 3G ($49.95) is one of the most comprehensive cases ever designed for the iPhone 3G.

We had already taken a look at the OtterBox Defender Series for the Original iPhone, how does the updated version for the iPhone 3G hold up? Does it offer great protection? Is it just another case?

Read on for the rest of the review!

Design

The OtterBox comes in 4 different parts—each serving a purpose to cradle and protect the iPhone 3G. The base layer is a hard plastic shell (front and back). The second layer is a thick yet still soft layer of silicone that wraps around the aforementioned hard plastic shell. And finally, the last piece is a plastic cradle that adds another layer of protection but also doubles as a belt clip.

A thin sheet of plastic protects the screen, camera port, and Apple Logo while the headphone port, volume buttons, and sleep/wake ringer switch are protected via rubber caps. A thin cloth also covers the speakers.

Overall, the design of the OtterBox is carefully thought out and provides a perfect fit for every little nook, switch, and button on the iPhone 3G. Using a hard shell base layer with a silicone skin offers great protection while providing for even greater textile feel.

 

Usability

Obviously, the OtterBox Defender Series serves to a specific niche and those who have no need for such a rugged case would assume the case is in excess. But judging it from a pure protective stance—there are few options better. I have full confidence that the OtterBox case will protect my iPhone 3G in almost any likely scenario—a fall down the stairs, skidding across a hiking trail, and even a drop on concrete.

But because of its intricate design, care and exactness is needed when applying the case. The OtterBox is not an ordinary case that can be easily slipped off and on, you’ll have to fix the silicone to wrap around the intricacies of the plastic shell. Furthermore, the plastic shell seems to have a lot of clips and snaps that need to be put together. It’s a process to be sure, but after you’re done, this is protection at its finest.

Even more amazing is how the OtterBox maintains the iPhone 3G’s sensitivity and allows access to all its ports, buttons, and features. The touchscreen maintains the same sensitivity, I had absolutely no problem playing games and surfing the web with the OtterBox applied.

The buttons can be easily pressed except for the Home button. For some reason OtterBox decided to make a Home Button that cuts off the top of the circle. The plastic cover for the touchscreen can also get problematic if you leave some air space between it and the iPhone’s screen. Unsightly air bubbles would appear but I found this to be hit or miss and not particularly damaging.

The included belt clip is made from the same tough plastic as the hard shell and it locks the iPhone into it quite well. In fact, I often times had trouble pulling the iPhone out of the clip—the fit was that secure. The belt clip is able to rotate 360 degrees and the iPhone can be placed either be open faced or face backwards.

OtterBox has certainly improved on the deficiencies in the original iPhone, namely two issues that I had problems with are now fixed. The ringer switch is now accessible and the home button can be pressed when inserted into the belt clip. Bravo to OtterBox for listening to my complaints!

In all, the OtterBox offers as close to complete protection and coverage of every part of the iPhone. If you’re looking for superb protection or live an outdoor lifestyle, this case is truly one of the best available.

 

Final Thoughts

I’m a huge fan of OtterBox products because they put care into their design and they execute extremely well. The silicone seems to be of higher grade than basic silicone cases—offering better texture, thicker protection, and doesn’t seem to stretch as much. I definitely feel like OtterBox succeeded in creating a case that can offer maximum protection without sacrificing usability.

The one downfall is obviously price. At $49.95 it is a fairly steep cost to pay for an iPhone case. But compared with other cases priced near the Defender, the Defender offers an infinite amount more protection. Though it does add considerable amount of thickness, if you’re looking for a case that protects your iPhone from the elements—thickness should be expected.

Also, it cannot be fully submerged under water, a definite shortcoming considering its target market. However, with all things considered, the Otterbox Defender for iPhone 3G is great implementation of protection without compromise. All of the iPhone’s features are present with an unparalleled level of protection. I would consider this a buy for anyone who’s lifestyle is rugged, planning an outdoor trip, or is looking for the ultimate protection for their iPhone.

 

PROS

• Superb Protection
• Soft Silicone Feel
• Everything Protected, Every Feature Still Usable

CONS

• Bulky
• Pricey

FINAL RATING:

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Review: OtterBox Defender Series for iPhone 3G

Expo: Eye-Fi unveils iPhone app

Eye-Fi, whose memory cards let digital camera users send files over Wi-Fi, is developing an iPhone organization and transfer app.

Eye-Fi functionality comes to iPhone via new application

We'd be fibbing just a wee bit if we said that Eye-Fi functionality for the iPhone has always been imminent, but now that it's real, we suppose we aren't too surprised. Announced today at Macworld, the Eye-Fi application will enable iPhone owners (that just so happen to also own an Eye-Fi card) to upload images taken on their handset to their computer and the web. Reportedly, the app will allow users to aggregate all of their photos from both the iPhone and a digital camera into "organized folders on a computer and to one of 25 online photo sharing and social networking websites." The app is also said to support geotagging just like the Eye-Fi Explore, though two crucial bits of info are sorely missing. First off, what happens with folks that don't own an Eye-Fi card? And second, when is this app even coming out?

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras

Eye-Fi functionality comes to iPhone via new application originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Jobs: I’m Okay, Enjoy Macworld

While the recent coverage of Steve Jobs and his health has ranged from the respectful to downright tabloid blogism, Apple and their CEO have remained their usual utterly-silent selves. Until now. In one of his rare open letters — and the first ever on personal matters — Steve Jobs says:

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

The letter does not directly say he dropped out of Macworld for health reasons, and therefore technically should not vindicate some of the more disturbing speculation we’ve seen lately. Jobs concludes by reaffirming his goal of always putting Apple first, and hopes the Apple community supports him in his recovery. Apple’s Board of Directors put out a simultaneous release re-stating their support as well.

For TiPb’s part, we hope everyone joins us in wishing Steve Jobs a quick and complete recovery, and a healthy and happy 2009.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Steve Jobs: I’m Okay, Enjoy Macworld

Steve Jobs Recovering From Hormone Imbalance, To Remain CEO

Apple has published a letter today from Apple CEO Steve Jobs that addresses speculation surrounding his health. Steve Jobs reveals that he has been recovering from a hormone imbalance that has been causing an unhealthy weight loss.

D...

Steve Jobs Missing Macworld Due To Health

Apple has published a letter today from Apple CEO Steve Jobs that confirms speculation that Steve Jobs is missing Macworld due to health issues: specifically recovering from a hormone imbalance that has been causing unhealthy weight loss.<p class="qu...

Keepin’ it real fake, part CLXXVI: iPhone Air jockeys for “best ripoff ever” award

For those with a whiteboard full of Apple rumors, you'll been keenly aware of the fact that the whole iPhone Air terminology has been tossed around before in a joking manner. This, however, is not a joke. In fact, it's a very real KIRF, and it's possibly one of the most awesome we've ever seen. We mean, who'd ever want an iPhone nano when one could have -- wait for it -- the iPhone Air. Aside from clean, beautiful, streamlined edges, those fortunate enough to procure one from China will also find dual SIM card slots, an FM radio, Bluetooth, a multimedia player and a built-in camera. The KIRF game just got stepped up good fashion, and we love it.

[Thanks, David]

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXVI: iPhone Air jockeys for "best ripoff ever" award originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beejive IM updated to 2.0, includes audio messaging

Filed under: Reviews, iPhone, App Store

Beejive IM [iTunes link], the Swiss army knife of instant messaging on the iPhone, was recently updated to version 2.0. Beejive allows you to connect with many different instant messaging services including: AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN/Live, Myspace IM, and Yahoo messenger. This application was already top-notch in the previous versions and this new version just makes things a lot better. Let's take a look at each of the changes to Beejive.

You are now able to send photos directly from your iPhone and have them show up in-line with the body of the chat. In addition, you can now easily see photos sent to your iPhone. Probably one of the coolest new features is the ability to record and send voice notes to your fellow chatters. Tapping on the toolbar at the top, which lists the current chat name, gets you four options. One of those options is a small microphone; tapping this icon makes your iPhone show a recording view, and instantly start recording audio. When you tap the stop button, your recording will be saved. You can play or record your voice note over again; if you want to send the voice note, tap the "Send" button and your voice note will be directly transferred to the current chat.

In addition to being able to send/receive audio on your iPhone or iPod touch using Beejive 2.0, you can also receive and open multiple types of files, including:

- Most image, audio, and video files
- PDFs
- Word documents
- Excel spreadsheets
- PowerPoint documents

I found that once you receive these types of files, you can also forward them to another person on your buddy list. Once you accept the file transfer, you will get a small blue button that will give you more details about the file that you just received; when you are in this view, you will be able to tap the forward button and find another person to forward it to.

By default, Beejive will use the default sounds for incoming/outgoing messages. These sounds are very similar to the sounds that iChat ships with; however, if you get tired of them, there is an option for you in this new version. You are now able to change the sounds in the Beejive section of Settings.app. Under "Sounds," you are able to change between default, AIM, and Yahoo sounds.

I found that there were two settings for transferring files, and both are useful. Under the "File Transfer" section of Settings.app > Beejive, you are able to choose between two ways of sending files: post a link or direct send preferred.

In my testing, version 2.0 of Beejive seemed extremely stable, and included features that made a big difference. I especially liked the ability to send/receive files right from the device. Beejive is available from the iTunes App Store for $15.99. While the price is high, this application is definitely worth it when you consider all of the capabilities you gain.

Beejive IM updated to 2.0, includes audio messaging originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Beejive IM updated to 2.0, includes audio messaging originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone Blog Week in Review for January 5, 2009

Every week I will be bringing you what I think are the week’s biggest stories and articles. Let’s get started, after the break!

Vaja to have iPhone Nano case?

These pesky iPhone rumors! However, what might give some credibility to the rumor is Vaja, a prominent case maker, lists the iPhone Nano on their website. Things that make you go hmm?

Use Twitter instead of SMS on your iPhone

Rene posted an excellent article by Dieter (LOL) about why you might want to use Twitter instead of SMS. I am a believer! The trick is getting people to use Twitter. I have to admit though, it works. Rene (our editor) live in Canada, so I can “txt” him with Twitter and it works great!

iPhone “Pro” slider concept

Do you want one? I don’t. I just want screen rotation available for the apps that I want. Can’t Apple just build that into Settings?

iTablet coming in late 2009?

Man, I hope this is true? Rumors around the Internets are saying so. TechCrunch says they have a few people that have held the device, etc. Perhaps it will be announced at Macworld 2009?

MobileFiles Pro brings Excel edit functionality to iPhone

Man, I saw this the other day and said to my self, the dawn of office apps is upon us (hey, maybe Microsoft will announce their app at Macword?)! Bummer though, it is just for Excel, no Word or PowerPoint functionality… yet… I already use the free app. i am debating if I should get the Pro version.

2008 TiPby Awards

Well, we have started our annual awards. What did we pick this year? Read on to find out!

iPhone 101: The silent swtich

In our continuing series for iPhone 101, we discuss how the silent switch works on your iPhone.

Apple apps to become web-i-fied?

Well, that is what people are sayin’. iWork web client and maybe even iLife? I say it is possible for MobileMe subscribers. I can easily envision a “basic” client added to MobileMe. Will it happen when the current iteration of MobileMe is not perfected? We will have to see.

iGloves patent

If you have ever tired to use your iPhone with gloves on, it doesn’t work since the iPhone’s touchscreen works off of electric feedback from your fingers. Curiously, this patent was applied for back before the first iPhone launched in June 2007. 

Google App Easter Eggs

I love the Google App for iPhone, even if it is not 100% accurate, it is still cool. So for Google to announce extra features, makes chadman very happy! What does it give you? Different colors and the ability to keep webpages inside the Google app among some others. Very cool Google! Now where is my native Google Docs app…

TiPb at Macword 2009

Oh yeah, we are there. You can follow our editor @reneritchie and editor-in-chief @backlon on Twitter! WE apologize in advance if we get a little off schedule next week, at least you know why!

The Phone Different Podcast 32 is now up!

Listen to our latest podcast for all the weeks news and info!

AT&T making EDGE even slower?

Well, for 2G iPhone owners, this rumor might be troublesome. As you may know, poor AT&T’s network is a little over burdened with the number of iPhone 3G’s requesting service. To compensate, the rumormill is saying that they are moving EDGE bandwidth to another spectrum to allow better connections for iPhone 3G. What does that mean for iPhone 2G users? Read on to find out!

Managing your iPhone’s music

It is all about playlists in iTunes! Brian gives us some great examples of how to get the music you want to your iPhone!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

The iPhone Blog Week in Review for January 5, 2009

Rumor watch: AT&T tethering plans may be announced this week

Filed under: Rumors, Internet, iPhone

It's been under the rumor banner for some time now, but we've been told by a trusted source that the long-awaited AT&T iPhone-as-modem tethering plans (preliminary details in MacBlogz' post from November: 5 GB data cap, $30/month supplementary cost) may be ready for prime time during Macworld Expo this week. The tethering announcement might not rise to a keynote-worthy level; it could simply be publicized as a press release during the show.

While $30 is a steep charge on top of an iPhone data plan, it's still cheaper than the $60 you'd pay for an EV-DO card plan for mobile data; for some users it may make more sense than a standalone device. Granted, you can already tether a jailbroken iPhone, but that may get you stomped on by the traffic cops rather promptly.

Another tidbit from our source lends credence to the MegiPod rumor (a larger form factor for an iPod touch device) floated by TechCrunch last week. No timeframes were discussed, so the late 2009 on-sale date is still in play. It's not clear how the hypothetical unit would achieve this feat, but the suggestion is that it would have "full application compatibility" with currently available iPod touch apps ... puzzling, as it implies either resolution-independence for the apps or some pretty impressive scaling tricks to accommodate the larger screen size.

Rumor watch: AT&T tethering plans may be announced this week originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rumor watch: AT&T tethering plans may be announced this week originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Serv O’Beer pours when iPhone accelerometer tells it to

Now that the holiday season is officially over (CES notwithstanding), there's officially no better time to get inebriated and wash away the sorrows of not having another government-recognized holiday for like, ever. After you've drug that dead tree out to the roadside and filled a few buckets with tears, why not try constructing your very Serv O'Beer in order to bring just a sliver of that joy back into your heart? Put simply, the project pictured above utilized Construx as the mechanical platform, a servo driving the action and ioBridge controlling the system; a so-called "perfect pour" was executed by linking an iPhone accelerometer to the system and turning it up. Have a look at the demonstration vid just past the break -- dollars to donuts it'll make you smile.

[Thanks, Hans]

Continue reading Serv O'Beer pours when iPhone accelerometer tells it to

Filed under: Cellphones, Household

Serv O'Beer pours when iPhone accelerometer tells it to originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Fring for iPhone

Fring integrates your buddy lists from various chat and communication platforms into one interface; it also brings Voice over IP to the iPhone and iPod touch. It’s a good app, with a few notable drawbacks that are barriers to greatness.

Craigsphone puts craigslist classifieds on your phone

The free craigsphone app from Next Mobile Web provides a mobile interface for the popular online classifieds site.

BeeJive IM 2.0 for iPhone

When the original BeeJive IM for the iPhone won our App vs. App Instant Messenger Showdown, Brian thought it was a killer app with some killer features, just a tad shy of IM perfection. We agreed and named it our 2008 TiPby Editors’ Choice Award winner for best Social Networking/IM app. Now that version 2.0 has landed — and Apple’s Push Notification Service still very much hasn’t — can the old best be the newer better? Read on to find out!

What Was

Brian’s original BeeJive review summed things up thusly:

BeejiveIM is simply one of the best applications available in the App Store: it is polished, it is well constructed and it is stable. It overcomes the lack of background apps and push notification on the iPhone by coming up with its own solution. It handles multiple accounts very well and is designed almost perfectly. The BeejiveIM team certainly needs to be commended for such great work. In the end, both IM Clients are great but BeejiveIM is simply in a class by itself.

What Is

The biggest change to BeeJive 2.0 is no more simple nor profound than this: it’s now media aware. Not only can you send plain text, you can send photos and voice notes, and receive and view files (the typical list supported by the iPhone including music, video, MS Office, iWork, etc.) The already super-customizable Settings now lets you tweak the send/receive sounds as well. And integration has stepped up to include hooks into the iPhone contacts list, keeping everything nicely consolidated.

Adding photos and voice notes is managed via a drop down menu. Tap the title bar at the top and the options appear arrayed around the four corners of the menu (other chats, iconified by their pictures, run across the middle for easy switching — easier still if you’ve enabled the geeky shake-to-switch feature in the setting).

Linking a Buddy to an Address Book Card is fairly straight forward: you tap on the Buddy list, tap on the picture of the Buddy you want to link, tap on “Link to Address Book Card” and the contact listings will slide over. From there, tap the “+” sign top left to add a new contact, or choose from an existing one.

What We Hope Will Be

Since the aforementioned Push Notification Service from Apple — where a centralized server sends out sounds, badges, and alerts similar to how calendar events pop up or the Email icon shows how many unread messages you have — is still vaporware at this point, some of our hopes and dreams for BeeJive (and other IM, Twitter, and push-worthy apps) are in stuck in limbo.

Workarounds remain: BeeJive’s server will keep you logged in as long as you like and send you email alerts when you have new messages — which are pushed if you have Exchange ActiveSync or MobileMe set up.

SMS may be desirous to people in the USA, but since I’m not, and most companies can’t afford to send SMS messages outside the USA anymore, it’s not on my radar.

More broadly, as mentioned in last week’s editorial on Twitter, SMS, and how interface is the application, in general we’re still waiting for that one UI to rule them all. Transparently sending and receiving IMs, Tweets, SMS, presence and status, short emails, or whatever pipe you hook up behind them should be the Next Big Thing. If Apple doesn’t build it in, hopefully BeeJive or another player will add it on.

Conclusion

If BeeJive 1.0 was TiPb’s favorite iPhone IM app, then BeeJive 2.0 clearly makes a good thing better. Given the limitations on multitasking inherent in the iPhone SDK, BeeJive has instead focused on improving the media communications experience of IM, something which will no doubt appeal to the types of users using iPhones.

Pricing and Availability

BeeJive IM 2.0 will be (or is, depending on when you read this) available via the iTunes App Store and will run you $15.99. If you want a premium IM experience on your iPhone, it’s definitely worth the premium price.

TiPb Review Rating

(Note, technically I’d give it a 4.75, better than BeeJive 1.0’s 4.5, but still leaving room for the Push Notification enabled version of BeeJive IM we expect… whenever we see the service launched by Apple)

 

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

BeeJive IM 2.0 for iPhone