iSkin Solo FX Review

iSkin Solo FX Review

Finding an iPhone case that’s attractive and utilitarian isn’t always easy. It is now. The iSkin Solo FX is a totally swank iPhone case that will have onlookers gawking uncontrollably at what they think is an absolutely unknown phone.

Compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3Gs, the Solo FX is a two part ultra-thin compact case that feels great in your hand as well as in your pocket. The protective film that covers the front of the iPhone is a chromed out mirror that adds a super sweet aesthetic to your phone that you have definitely never seen before.

It’s touch screen friendly so you’ll have no problem accessing the controls like you normally would. Seeing through the mirror looks pretty cool on most occasions, but you will notice some extra glare. You will find a slight bit of resistance between the screen cover and your finger but it’s nothing you won’t be able to instantly adjust to.

The mirror screen collects smudges like it ain’t nobody’s business but it wipes clean just like the iPhone does. So far I’ve accumulated some scratches on the face of the mirror but nothing that takes away from the shine or polish of this radiant accessory.

The case itself has a sticky but not too sticky plastic resin that really feels nice to hold and stays firm in a pair of jeans. The weight of the case is fairly light and doesn’t add much bulk to your iPhone which is always a welcome feature among protective cases. There’s a circular pattern embedded on the backside to add some visual flair and will sort of remind you of those jelly bracelets and shoes the kids used to wear.

Through taking the case on and off of my phone several times, the elasticity held up much better than the InCase ones from a few years back. The button ports didn’t always match up exactly but no big deal.

What I did find was that some of the controls were difficult to access through the plastic case. The power button and the volume controls are covered really tight by the case and required a concerted effort to activate. Probably the biggest drawback to the case because you really have to concentrate to press these buttons, and it can get annoying.

The case isn’t at all ‘dockable’ so for those of you who swear by that scenario be warned. Other than that, this case has been a huge surprise as I had no idea how cool it would be. Tons of people commented ‘What is that’, or ‘Is that your iPhone?’, and it got a lot of positive attention.

From watching your back, to checking your grill piece at the club, the Solo FX is a must check out if not must buy iPhone accessory. While you may find it a bit pricey ($35), you really won’t want a new case after you tote this thing around for a while.

Pros:

• Absolutely pimp aesthetic


• Easy upkeep


• Feels great and is lightweight

Cons:

• Buttons hard to press


• Collects grime and smudges


• Mirror film retains scratches

(Via Gadget Review.)

Listen To Music On The Go With Logic3 iStationGo

Listen To Music On The Go With Logic3 iStationGo

Logic3 today unveiled its new line of portable speakers namely the iStationGo. Available in pink, blue, silver and black, the speaker comes with a protective case and 4 AAA batteries, which will provide 15-hours of operation time. You can connect the iStationGo with most of MP3 players that have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Each purchase comes with a cradle to place the iPod Touch, iPod Nano and iPhone either vertically or horizontally. You can pick up the iStationGo from Logic3 for £19.99 or around $33.

(Via The Apple iPod and MP3 Players Blog.)

Fancy Ball-shaped iPod Speaker

Fancy Ball-shaped iPod Speaker

The miSoccer from Speakal is a soccer ball-shaped iPod speaker that supports all generations of iPods and iPhones. Available in red, blue, and black, the 2.1 Stereo speaker system also features Bass Reflex technology, a 15W Subwoofer, a total output of 25+ Watts, and a 3.5mm AUX input jack to connect a TV or gaming console. The Speakal miSoccer will be available soon. There is no word on pricing or availability at this time.

[Speakal]

Review: Klipsch iGroove SXT Speaker System for iPhone and iPod

Review: Klipsch iGroove SXT Speaker System for iPhone and iPod

Short Version: You want to listen to Fergie in the kitchen. Don’t worry, I understand. Fergie and cooking eggs just go together well. If you’ll be piping Fergie off an iPhone or iPod, you’ll probably want a compatible speaker system.

Like anything in the audio world, the price tag on dedicated speaker systems for the iPhone or iPod can be surprisingly cheap ($30-40 bucks), or mind-blowingly expensive ($500+, like the Bose SoundDock 10). Most tend to work their way into a comfort zone of $129-$159.99 - and at an MSRP of $149.99, that’s exactly where you’ll find the Klipsch iGroove SXT. Originally released in 2007, the SXT has just been re-released with improved sound quality and compatibility with the latest iPhones and iPods. It’s not perfect, but with dual 2.5-inch subwoofers, it packs a good amount of boom for your buck.

Features:

• Dual 2.5-inch woofers in ported enclosure and dual 0.75-inch horn-loaded tweeters


• Features 3.5-mm auxiliary input


• Remote Control

Pros:

• The sound quality matches the price perfectly. It’s not going to blow away $200+ systems - but of any speaker I’ve heard under $150, this one takes the cake


• It looks great


• S-Video output for video/slideshow playback on compatible iPods

Cons:

• No volume indicator


• No FM radio

Review:

There I was in the kitchen, still rockin’ my pajama pants from the night before. Half a dozen eggs were left in the carton, the pan was just beginning to smoke, and the Klipsch SXT was just begging for me to hit the play button. I shot the go-ahead signal across the room with the remote control right as the first egg splashed down.

Listen up ya’ll, cause this is it. The beat that I’m banging is de-lic-ious.

Yep! I was listening to Fergie. Do I like Fergie? Oh hells nah. In fact, she drives me absolutely bat shit insane - but that’s exactly why I’d picked her for this test. If a stereo could make Fergie’s sinus-backed voice sound good, I’d give it a thumbs up. And sure enough, Fergie sounded pretty damn good. The sound was filling the room better than I’d expected out of the tiny box, with a decent amount of bass pounding out of the dual 2.5″ subs.

I dug around for a few speaker systems for the sake of comparison, and, from a sound quality standpoint, the Klipsch SXT seems to fit exactly where they’ve priced it. It blows away the $80-$90 iHome clock radios we had laying around the office, and sounds quite a bit better than the almost identically priced JBL On Stage 200ID. It fell a bit short against the JBL On Stage 400 series — but considering that that 400 series costs nearly $100 more, that’s pretty much what was expected.

Dedicated iPod speakers tend to be ugly chunks of black plastic, but that’s not the case here. The SXT is essentially one big glorious speaker grill, accented with a bit of silver plastic around the edges. It manages to be color neutral without looking cheap, so it ought to fit well in just about any room you throw it in.

Snap back to the kitchen - pajama pants, eggs, etc. No one was home (and thus, no one was around to make fun of my music selection) - might as well crank it up, right? I hit the volume up button - it got louder. I hit it again - it got louder again. So far, so good. The volume level was hurts-so-good loud at this point, but there wasn’t even a hint of distortion yet. I hit the button again and… nothing. I’d capped out the volume, but had no way of knowing as there isn’t any sort of volume indicator.

There also isn’t any FM radio. Considering that most people would presumably use this in rooms where they don’t otherwise have an audio system — and that it’s almost standard amongst lower-end systems — this is a bit disappointing. Alas, FM radio almost always gets abandoned once the price tag goes up, presumably because FM radio is the last thing you want (besides AM radio) when you want to be pushing quality sound.

If you’re looking for an iPod/iPhone speaker set that smokes the sub-$100 sets and the majority of stuff available around the same $150 price tag, the Klipsch iGroove SXT ought to fit the bill.

(Via CrunchGear.)

Wireless Dynamics brings the joys of inventory management to the iPhone with the iCarte RFID reader

Wireless Dynamics brings the joys of inventory management to the iPhone with the iCarte RFID reader

'You know, that pallet of overpriced skin cream isn't going to stock itself. Maybe if you'd stop playing Bingo Bonanza you'd have done that already. Oh, you say you're scanning their RFIDs to add them to our system? Whatever, you're fired.' It's a scenario we see playing itself out at warehouses all around the world thanks to the iCarte from Wireless Dynamics, a device enabling iPods and iPhones to read from and write to RFID tags. It clips on the bottom and sports a mini-USB port so that you can still sync, but can also use the phone's wireless mechanisms to communicate with various systems, updating inventory or tracking purchases. As far as we know it will not prevent your phone from playing games, but we won't tell your boss about that. Nor will we tell him how much these will cost or when he can order them, since we don't know ourselves.



Update: Wireless Dynamics asked that we clarify that this device is indeed consumer-oriented, able to scan the RFID tags in your credit cards, transport badges, and probably even that chip you had implanted into your dog's head. So, this means you would be able to make MasterCard PayPass and similar RFID transactions without even reaching for your wallet -- which sounds as convenient as it does disconcerting. Being able to verify that your dog hasn't been replaced by an evil clone while you were at work? Priceless.

(Via Engadget Mobile.)

Tunewear VisualDock AV For iPod And iPhone

Tunewear VisualDock AV For iPod And iPhone

Tunewear has rolled out the VisualDock AV that allows you to enjoy viewing movies, photos and listening to music stored in your iPhone and iPod on a TV. The gadget connects to a TV or a home theater system via S-Video or RCA/line output. The VisualDock AV features a ‘3D’ sound processing with a button on the front to toggle it on and off, and a rear USB port with a switch for choosing between sync and charge or charge only functionality. If you are interested, you can buy the Tunewear VisualDock AV for $79.95. Each purchase comes with a USB wall charger, S-Video and RCA cables, and a remote control with menu navigation capabilities. [Tunewear]

Sony MHC-GZR33i arrives in Europe

Sony MHC-GZR33i arrives in Europe

At first glance, the Sony MHC-GZR33i might seem extremely familiar to many of us Stateside, as it also known as the Muteki Shelf System LBT-LCD7Di. The US model comes with a tang orange color scheme on the speakers and light, while the European version which we're talking about offers a more subdued look, boasting a 7' LCD display, a 3-disc DVD/CD player and an iPod dock. It pumps out 360 watts of power with GROOVE and Z-GROOVE bass boost, while a karaoke feature helps you bring the house down (or complaints from the neighbors to turn things down a notch). While it retails for $499, anyone wants to make a guess on how much it'll cost in Europe?

(Via UberGizmo, the Gadgets News Blog.)