Accessories

Japanese launch $1,000 samurai iPhone cases

What if samurai had owned cell phones?

That's the concept behind Softbank's five new Japan Texture cases for the iPhone 3GS/3G. The gorgeously lacquered cases, handcrafted with gold dust highlights, are intended to blend traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern IT tools.

Great warriors like Oda Nobunaga vied for supremacy around the time of Japan's Warring States period (1467-1568). They were ruthless military commanders who commanded absolute loyalty from their legions of samurai.

Today, they can be bling in your pocket. Softbank is selling the cases for the paltry sum of $1,000 apiece.

Samurai were very … Read more

iPhone steering wheel, for those who take racing apps too seriously

I'm not what you'd call a fan of chintzy, plastic, snap-on video game peripherals. I've got enough plastic guitars and controllers cluttering up my living room already without taking up more space with snap-on shells that make my Wii Remote look like the world's shortest golf club. However, I take my racing sims seriously, even on the iPhone. Which is why the CTA Digital Steering Wheel for iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch is interesting to me.

CTA's wheel is basically a plastic shell that snaps onto your iPhone, iPhone 3GS, or first- or second-generation iPod Touch to make the devices feel like a small steering wheel. The design doesn't block the screen, so you can still access virtual buttons for braking, nitro, and such. CTA offers two versions of the wheel, one with a suction cup mount and one without.

I think this is a cool idea for two basic reasons. Firstly, the bigger radius of the wheel's grip can help ease hand cramping caused by prolonged playing for people with big hands. Additionally, the suction cup mount means that iPhone racing games can be played with one hand, which is great because, well, I'm lazy like that.

I haven't been able to find pricing on CTA's Web site, but expect the iPhone wheel to be priced similarly to the company's $19.99 steering wheel for Wii.

This definitely isn't a product for everyone and I can't see myself busting this wheel out on the train as I commute to work. However, if you've ever spent more than an hour at a time racking up points playing Need for Speed: Undercover or Ferrari Challenge, then check the cheesy video after the jump to see the CTA Digital iPhone steering wheel in action.… Read more

Portable power for your iPhone: $9.99 shipped

Update: Looks like this is sold out already. You can find what looks to be an identical battery (in black) for $17.99 from HandHelditems--where you'll also find some very positive user reviews.

Until Apple sees fit to outfit iPhones and iPods with user-replaceable batteries (meaning never), travelers have no choice but to pack battery packs.

After all, the last thing you want in the middle of your playlist, movie, game, e-book, or audiobook is a dead battery. (It's not real convenient when you need to make a call, either.)

Meritline has a Mobile Power Station Battery for iPhone and iPod for $9.99. … Read more

iPhone-friendly Klipsch Image S2m is a great value

There's nothing like good, old competition to keep tech prices in check. Case in point: earphones. The headphone market is heavily saturated, and that's why there are so many worthy earbud contenders in the sub-$100 price range. Klipsch is one company in particular that has impressed us with earphones in this price range, and its latest entry is no exception. The Image S2m is a stereo headset with an integrated mic and call button that sells for a very reasonable $60. Like its Editors' Choice award-winning sibling, the Image S4, these 'phones offer impressive sound for the … Read more

An iLuv for all Apple audio devices

I've always been reluctant to buy accessories for my iPhone 3G. This is because most of them are designed for a specific model of the phone (or the iPod) and would be useless when I move on to another. However, now there's something that will fit almost all Apple's handheld products.

On Wednesday, iPhone and iPod accessories maker iLuv unveiled its newest audio solution, the iMM9400. This product belongs to the company's next generation of Vertical CD/MP3 accessories for the home environment.

The iMM9400 is sleek and modern. What I like the most about it, … Read more

Three cheap alternatives to $40 iPhone stands

Whether you're watching a movie on an airplane or interacting with your iPhone while it's charging on your desk, some kind of stand is essential. That's why I read David's Mobile Xtand review with great interest.

Pretty cool product--but $40? That's way too rich for my Cheapskate blood. Fortunately, there are iPhone stands that cost significantly less--and some that cost nothing at all. Here's a look at three way-cheaper alternatives:

The business-card stand Far and away my all-time favorite, this 60-second Instructables project turns any business card (the thicker, the better) into a perfect … Read more

Energizer AP1500 powers, recharges iPhones on the run

Planning a long trip? iPhone battery not lasting as long as it used to? Want backup power for emergencies? Whatever the situation, you need a battery pack.

Energizer's Energi To Go AP1500, which I tested on a recent trip, promises to double your iPhone battery life. I have a few minor quibbles with it, but I'll never again leave home without it.

Slimmer and sleeker than Energizer's original Energi To Go for iPhone and more case-like than products like the iPWE SuperPack, the AP1500 cradles your iPhone on the bottom and backside, with textured grippers on either … Read more

Why is there no iPhone Bluetooth keyboard?

I got an e-mail over the weekend from a reader who read my earlier post, "Does the iPhone need a real keyboard?"

Ed writes:

What I would like to see is a portable keyboard for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This would be very helpful in meetings and/or traveling.

For what's essentially a minicomputer, a compact external keyboard would seem like a simple and logical accessory and would be especially appealing to those who haven't mastered--or aren't comfortable--typing on the iPhone's virtual keyboard, as good as it is. Travel-friendly, fold-up keyboards are available for the old Palm Pilots and Treos, but a quick search on Google reveals precious little on iPhone keyboards.

Way back in January 2008, Macworld wrote up some notes from the now-defunct Macworld Expo under the headline, "A Bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone?" The article referenced the small MacAlly BTKeyMini Bluetooth keyboard ($100). At the time, MacAlly reps claimed that when the BTKeyMini arrived in March of 2008, it would be compatible with the iPhone. But alas, Apple has never provided Bluetooth keyboard drivers for the iPhone and the BTKeyMini has never shipped. A note on the Web site AValive, which sells the BTKeyMini, says:

The BTKey Mini for the Apple iPhone will not ship until Apple updates the iPhone to accept Bluetooth input. No date has been given as of yet. THE iPhone 3.0 UPDATE DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS PRODUCT.

Of course, the lack of Apple support hasn't stopped hackers from getting Bluetooth keyboards to work with the iPhone. Back in January of this year, Ars Technica had a report on the Bluetooth keyboard hacking efforts of iPhone expert Ralf Ackermann. And more recently, in March of this year, a couple engineers at Perceptive Development managed to connect an infrared keyboard to an iPhone using a 1,200-baud modem via the headphone port. iPhone Central called it, "One of the most unnecessarily complicated hacks in iPhone history." Ars Technica described it as "clever," partially because it didn't require a jailbroken iPhone.

So, there you have it, Ed. Yes, it would be nice if there was an external keyboard option for the iPhone--wireless or wired--but it looks like you're going to have to wait for Apple to decide it's ready to supply the drivers for it.… Read more

Speaker dock, subwoofer for iPod, iPhone: $79.99

Most iPod/iPhone speaker docks come up short in the bass department. If you like your tunes thumpin', I've got just the solution: Buy.com has the Philips Docking Entertainment System DC912 for $79.99 shipped. Normal price? $179.99.

Before I get into the details, I need to point out the big "but." No, it's not, "but there's a rebate." And, no, it's not, "but it's a refurb." (It's new.)

The DC912 is $79.99, but you need to pay with PayPal to get that price. For … Read more