Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 5, 2011

SharkEye iPhone Case Review and Video

Is it really possible to use a rugged iPhone 4 case everyday? For me, the downside of cases which offer almost complete protection for your phone is the additional size and bulk – I just don't want to carry them around. I always knew there would be a sweet spot, where the phone is kept safe without sacrificing its portability, and I think the SharkEye may have found it.

The SharkEye comes in three pieces, with a top and bottom section encapsulating the device and a third, central part containing a clever screen protector. This is where the SharkEye gets its name, as it works like the protective membrane that slides over a shark's eye in moments of danger.Before we get into the way it works, we need to assemble the case and identify how it protects your phone. Inside the very top and bottom sections of the case is a soft elastomer lining, which is anything up to 5mm thick in some places, acting as an absorbent cushion and protecting the corners of the phone.

You slot the iPhone 4 into the base first, then slide the screen protector assembly on, before finally adding the large top section and clicking it all into place. It's actually a bit fiddly as the screen protector has a tendency to get caught on the casing, but once the phone is inside and you've given it a squeeze, it's securely held together by a big clip.

The elastomer lining covers the volume buttons, Home button and sleep/wake key, plus there are flaps for the 30-pin connector and the headphone jack. Only the speakers and the mute switch are uncovered, but are deep inside the body of the case itself. The case is made from stiff, textured plastic which adds grip, but perhaps doesn't feel as pleasing to the touch as glossy polycarbonate can.

The SharkEye's party piece is the retractable cover of the screen. By using a slider in the rear of the case you can open and close the 'garage door' over the top of the screen. The motion is clean and smooth, and if you've got big enough hands it's easy to close the cover using one hand; however opening it really requires two.

SharkEye has demonstrated that the cover can protect the screen from a steel ball being dropped on it from nearly 40″, so although it doesn't look all that tough, in reality it is! The same goes for the rest of the SharkEye, as it feels very sturdy in the hand, and knowing about that soft lining adds considerable peace of mind.

For me though, what made the SharkEye the best rugged case I've used was how little it added to the size and weight of the phone. An iPhone 4 wrapped up inside the SharkEye weighs 196 grams, up from 137 grams, and the case adds only around 10mm to each of its dimensions. Considering the level of protection the SharkEye provides, keeping it pocketable is quite an achievement.

I've been using the SharkEye for a little over a week now, and have enjoyed the security it offers my phone, plus I've not once wanted to swap it over for a smaller, lighter case; as it just hasn't felt intrusive. The look has grown on me too, although its uninteresting shape won't appeal to everyone. Using the SharkEye's screen cover has become second nature, and this clever system is far more preferable than a built-in screen protector seen on other tough cases.

The only time I found the SharkEye a pain was when using the very edges of the phone's screen, as it's quite deep inside the case and the lip around the edge is not only quite big, but a bit sharp too. I noticed this while playing some games – Angry Birds, DrawRace and Speedball 2: Evolution were particular standouts – and when typing quickly. For typing I just took some more care, but for longer periods of gaming, it was better to take it out.

When considering my final thoughts on the SharkEye, I realized why I liked it more than others, and it's because it doesn't really feel like a super-tough rugged case. Instead of looking like it belongs on the dashboard of a Humvee, the SharkEye looks at home on the table at your local coffee shop, plus it's easily slipped into your pocket when you leave. Considering the protection the SharkEye does offer, this is a great achievement and a huge recommendation.

Ten Reasons Why The iOS Is Better Than Android, And Will Toshiba’s New 4″ Display Show Up In iPhone 5?

Ten Reasons Why The iOS Is Better Than Android, And Will Toshiba's New 4″ Display Show Up In iPhone 5?

Read Charles Moore's new report on how Apple may be putting Toshiba's new 4″ screen into the iPhone 5, plus 10 reasons why iOS still rules over Android.

Perhaps you're one of a growing number of prospective smartphone buyers or upgraders who's considering going with an Android handset instead of waiting for the iPhone5. If so, you might thank yourself for taking a look at a new column by LifeHacker's Adam Dachis, entitled "Top 10 Ways iOS Outdoes Android," before making the leap.

Adam isn't an Android-basher or Apple partisan, declaring that he loves both of these mobile operating systems and their corresponding hardware, and affirming that both operating systems have their respective strengths and weaknesses, but that in some areas he's convinced that the iOS outdoes Android. Worth checking to see whether they're ones that resonate with your needs and tastes.

In summary they are:
10. The iTunes Media Store
9. AirPlay
8. Find My iPhone
7. A Better Support System
6. Better Battery Life and Management
5. iTunes and Tethered Syncing
4. No Crapware
3. A Bigger and Better Variety of Apps
2. A Well-Designed, Intuitive User Interface
1. Consistency

If these ten reason why iOS still outshines Android sound like advantages that would be important to you, check out the complete discussion and explanation of why they are included on this list here, and let us know what you think.

Will Toshiba's New 4″ Smartphone Display Find Its Way Into The iPhone 5?

At the 2011 Society for Information Display (SID) conference held in in Los Angeles last week, Toshiba unveiled new high-resolution LTPS (Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) smartphone displays, featuring up to 367ppi (pixels per inch) resolution density, in physical sizes ranging from 3.3-inch to 4.0-inch diagonal and supporting resolution formats ranging from Wide VGA (480 x 864) to HD (720 x 1280). Additionally, these displays will demonstrate advanced technologies such as high-contrast (up to 1,500:1), high-color (up to 92% NTSC), and wide viewing angle (up to H/V 176/176).

Toshiba's SID announcements of course beg the question of whether these new display technologies and particularly 4″-sized screens might find their way into a future iPhone version — perhaps even the iPhone 5g, although it's highly doubtful the rumored iPhone 4S, if that turns out to be the next iPhone 5 release later this year, will get a 4″ display.

Here's more on the iPhone5 news

iPhone 5 Will Be Thinner and Smaller Says Orange CEO

Ah the continuing speculation over what the next generation iPhone will look like carries on today, this time in regards to the earlier rumour of Apple working on a smaller SIM card for their Apple gear and apparently whilst chatting in an interview the CEO of France Telecom/Orange made mention of the iPhone 5 being smaller and thinner.

According to an article over on 9to5 Mac, Stephane Richard, CEO of Orange in an interview with AllthingsD, apparently stated that the next generation iPhone would be smaller and thinner, although the CEO didn't say the iPhone5, he actually referred to the device as the next iPhone.

But as the "next iPhone" is presumed to be the iPhone 5g or iPhone 4S that's being bandied about one can assume he was referring to the iPhone 5 apple, but he didn't say how much smaller and thinner the iOS smartphone would be.

Although this latest rumour does give credence to the possibility of a smaller SIM card, a rumour that came about because Apple wants to make future iPhones thinner and needs the space. Having said that, the only people who really know what Apple is up to is Apple so as usual this should be taken with a pinch of salt.

So what do our readers think, would you like the iPhone 5 to be smaller and thinner, or do you feel Apple shouldn't make the iPhone smaller when others are making their handsets larger?

Here's more on the iPhone 5 news

iPhone 5 fire impact up in air as iPad 2, iPhone 4 availability steady

The impact on the iPhone 5 release date, initial availability, and even feature set from this week's factory fire is still up in the air, but the mishap has yet to impact availability of Apple's existing iOS 4 products including the iPad 2 review, iPhone 4, and iPod touch 4. With observers having spent all of 2011 scratching their heads as to just what Apple has up its sleeve for the iPhone 5 after watching the company uncharacteristically release a Verizon iPhone 4 and then a white iPhone 4 precariously close to what most thought would be the calendar end of the iPhone 4 era, the factory fire adds another level of intrigue. By all accounts, Apple has not yet begun manufacturing the iPhone 5, which dovetails with the common-sense assumption that the end-of-April white iPhone 4 means the iPhone 5 is more likely to be a fall than a summer 2011 product. But while factories don't rebuild themselves overnight, Apple's considerable financial resources suggest that it can find another way to get the iPhone 5 to market when it's ready to. Then again, this is the same company which couldn't deliver the original iPhone 4 or the iPad 2 to market in quantity during their respective launches, as evidenced by the fact that the iPad 2 is still up to two weeks backordered after its launch in March.For those who believe that the last minute white iPhone 4 means that the iPhone 5 isn't coming until the fall, easy logic says that Apple plans for the iPhone 5 to be a total revamp; if it were to merely be an unchallenging iPhone 4S, it would have been ready by summer and thus there would have been no April white iPhone 4. In that scenario, does this fire impact Apple's iPhone 5 plans? Doubtful. Apple is going to need a factory to manufacture the next iPhone in regardless, so it's not as if suddenly switching to a less-revolutionary iPhone 5 design would change those prospects. On the other hand, for those who still believe that Apple is about to recklessly launch an "iPhone 5g″ or an "iPhone 4S" at next week's WWDC conference, a mere six weeks after launching the white iPhone 4, the fire would make a bigger impact in that scenario. But common sense says that scenario went away the minute the white iPhone 4 surfaced anyway. So what's the real impact of the mishap on inventory? Keep an eye on iPhone 4 and iPad 2 availability on apple.com in the next few weeks. As of yet their lead times have held steady, as the store burns through in-house inventory. If those numbers begin to slip after existing inventory has been exhausted, then that says that the fire has had a major impact on Apple's ability to get product out the door – and would suggest that Apple will need to find alternate avenues for ramping up for the iPhone5 in the fall if the factory hasn't been repaired by then. But if those ship dates never do slip, then that'll imply that Apple had a Plan B in place already and there's little to worry about. Here's more on the iPhone 5.

September iPhone 5 release date: odds of 4G, redesign, white, colors

Don't expect the iPhone 5 to see a release date prior to September, as the recent arrival of the white iPhone 4 means Apple doesn't expect to have a new iPhone generation ready to go quite as soon as this summer. But the longer the iPhone 5 takes to arrive, the better the odds of certain features coming along for the ride. Here are the odds of various iPhone 5 potential features making the cut if September 2011 indeed ends up being the official release date.

4G: This is tricky because the two current iPhone carriers, Verizon and AT&T, both barely have any 4G rollout to speak of. For Apple to add 4G networking hardware to the iPhone 5, it would have to be confident that one or both carriers will have far more 4G LTE in place by the end of the iPhone 5 era than at the beginning of it. The odds of Apple including it are reasonable, but not great.

Redesign: Here's where the odds get better. Apple has used the current iPhone 4 body styling three times: first with the original iPhone 4, then with the Verizon iPhone 4, and now with the white iPhone 4. Sure, it's all been less than a year in the making. But Apple has used the styling one too many times (arguably two too many times) to be using it yet again, particularly at a time when many or most are expecting a full revamp for the iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 white : The iPhone 4 will stick around as the bargain bin model in the iPhone 5 era. The fact that Apple has released a white iPhone 5 at all means that both the black and white iPhone 4 models are likely to stick around in the iPhone 5 era. And while Apple could blow up the blueprint with an exposed brushed metal iPhone 5 design or some such, it's difficult to picture there being a white iPhone 4 but not a white iPhone 5. So the odds are strong, to say the least, that there will be a white iPhone 5.

Colors: The more colors Apple adds to the iPhone lineup, the more retail SKUs there are to deal with and the more inventory snafus (witness the current eighteen iPad 2 models, and that's for just two colors). But if the iPhone 5g is indeed to be a hybrid device which works on both carriers, that would mean a mere four SKUs total: 16 and 32 GB models in a choice of black or white. That would give Apple room to add colors to the mix, as a way to differentiate the iPhone5 both from the cheaper iPhone 4 and from competitors who have over-fixated on the color white. Here's more on the iPhone 5 news.

iPhone 5 era sees AT&T in pole, Verizon close, T-Mobile hanging

The race to dominate the iPhone 5 era is already underway in earnest despite the fact that the iPhone 5 has yet to gain a release date or a single official feature. Whether it be longtime hanger-on AT&T, shiny new partner Verizon, existence-pending T-Mobile, or even outsider Sprint, the carriers are already jockeying for position to see who's going to be in the pole when it comes time for Apple to launch the iPhone 5 this year. As of today, here are the prospects for the four major U.S. carriers in terms of the position they'll be in at the time the iPhone 5 is ready to reach your hands.

AT&T in pole position: This of course has little to do with who offers the best network or service. At the time the iPhone 5 launches it'll assuredly be available on both AT&T and Verizon. But AT&T has tens of millions of iPhone users already locked into contracts who would have to pay a financial penalty in order to switch to Verizon for their iPhone 5. Some will, but most won't. It's a temporary hold (and a different landscape altogether by the iPhone 6 era), but consider the iPhone 5 release to be AT&T's last hurrah from a position of pure leverage.

Verizon closing in: Verizon is generally perceived to have a superior network to AT&T. But part of Verizon's iPhone 5 problem is that with so many Verizon customers opting for the just-launched Verizon iPhone 4 now, relatively few of them will turn around and replace it with a Verizon iPhone 5. So Verizon is counting on its existing customers switching over from phones like Android or BlackBerry, as well as AT&T defectors – but again, the latter is still an expensive proposition until those two-year contracts begin expiring. Still, the iPhone 5 will bring Verizon closer to parity on the iPhone front than it is currently.

T-Mobile in the balance: Now that T-Mobile is about to become part of AT&T, questions abound as to whether this means T-Mobile will automatically get the iPhone 5 at launch or whether the two will still be sufficiently separate carriers by then such that T-Mobile would need to make a separate deal with Apple. And if it's the latter, would doing so make sense with T-Mobile about to eventually become part of AT&T anyway?

Sprint on the backstretch: On the one hand, Sprint is about to become both the smallest U.S. carrier and the only one without the iPhone – not an ideal combination. But whether that'll motivate Sprint to push Apple for an iPhone 5 deal could depend on Apple's willingness to embrace Sprint's 4G network, which is a core part of the carrier's marketing efforts.

Here's more on the iPhone5.

Ten Reasons Why The iOS Is Better Than Android, And Will Toshiba’s New 4″ Display Show Up In iPhone 5?

Ten Reasons Why The iOS Is Better Than Android, And Will Toshiba's New 4″ Display Show Up In iPhone 5?

Read Charles Moore's new report on how Apple may be putting Toshiba's new 4″ screen into the iPhone 5, plus 10 reasons why iOS still rules over Android.

Will Toshiba's New 4″ Smartphone Display Find Its Way Into The iPhone 5?

Here's more on the iPhone5 news