The iPhone 5 is the new big boy in town, but what if you aren’t quite ready to give up on your iPhone 4S just yet? The iExpander might be a great choice for you. It can make the iPhone 4 or 4S bigger, faster and stronger than ever before.

This accessory gives you double the battery life over the normal iPhone 4S, a microSD slot that can take up to 64GB cards, and an extra LED flash on the back of the iExpander that automatically fires each time the iPhone’s built-in flash does. This means better low-light photos and videos.

Now, when we said bigger, faster, stronger— we did mean bigger. The iExpander adds a little bit of bulk, at 6.3mm. Still, what it adds is probably worth the extra size and weight. Admittedly, the iPhone 4 and 4S don’t look nearly as sexy when wearing the bulky iExpander- but it still might be worth it for those that want/need more storage space.

A commitment of $70 on Kickstarter is all it takes to secure your white or black iExpander. Interested in getting into the iExpander action with your upcoming iPhone 5? The iExpander team plans to release a version for the iPhone 5 down the road. It’s also worth noting that the model in the pictures is a prototype, so it could become sleeker and less bulky in the official incarnation. Here’s hoping.

As the iExpander currently stands, what do you think?

The post iExpander Makes Your iPhone 4 and 4S Bigger and Better than Ever appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

I used to be a stickler for the physical keyboard. That’s why I got the HTC Legend, the Nokia E71, and the Palm Pre 2. They all had physical keyboards, because I didn’t want to wrap my head around a virtual keyboard. That’s changed now, but there are still people out there who like the physical feel of keys. And for those people, there is the QWERTY-packing Spike case for iPhone.

Designed by SoloMatrix, the Spike case is a protective case for the iPhone, except it comes with a clever bonus. The bottom half contains a QWERTY keyboard that can swing out to the front when you need it, and swing around to the back when you don’t. There are two similar designs–the Spike1 and the Spike2–the key difference being that the Spike2 allows the keyboard to flip a full 180-degrees to the back. With the Spike 1, the keyboard only swings out to the side for removal.

What’s great is that neither case requires a Bluetooth connection or external power, so your battery life should be better than the wireless alternatives. The initial run will call for versions in Pitch Black and Ice White. Solomatrix is currently seeking funding by way of a Kickstarter project. If the plan goes ahead, the expected retail will be $35 for the Spike1 and $60 for the Spike2. The current designs are for the iPhone 4/4S, but there are plans for an iPhone 5 version by January.

[Source]

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To make things even more interesting, Cricket Wireless is getting really competitive with its $55 monthly plan. This is an unlimited plan with as many minutes and text messages as you’d like to use. They say it comes with unlimited data, but their definition of unlimited is limited to 2.3GB of “fair use.”

Apple commented on the announcement: “By making iPhone available on pre-paid plans through Cricket Wireless, we are making the best smartphone more accessible to an even broader market in the US,” Apple representative Natalie Harrison told The Loop.

The non-contract prepaid price for the iPhone is roughly on par with the unlocked model that you can get in other markets, if not slightly cheaper. You can get the 16GB iPhone 4S for $499.99 or, if you want to save a hundred bucks, the regular 8GB iPhone 4 can be had for $399.99 outright.

[Source]

The post Cricket To Offer Prepaid iPhone 4S with $55 Unlimited Plan appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Your iPhone certainly allows you to take some good photos and you can take some great shots, but having a way to mount your iPhone would even give you greater opportunities for the perfect shot. That’s exactly where the new Stickable Resin guard for the iPhone 4 or 4S comes in. This unique case offers a way to protect your phone for scratches and also mount it onto any glass surface for handsfree functionality or photography stabilization.

The new Resin line from Uguard.me is available in a variety of candy, matte, and metallic colors, and, according to the makers, is made with top-quality, durable, and anti-UV materials for ensuring superior protection. All you have to do is apply the skin to each side of the device (not the screen, of course) and press the phone’s backside onto a glassy surface to keep it mounted. Mounting should be done only after making sure that both the surface of the case and glass are clean.

Besides providing anti-scratch protection, the case adds an extra grip, but we are not sure how much it will protect the device from falls, it would be better if it was thicker. If you want to remove it, they say that it will come off easily without leaving residue. The best feature of this case is without a doubt, it’s ability to stick to surfaces, although it promises just temporary mounts. Of course, no one would want their iPhone to stick to a surface permanently. According to Uguard.me, it won’t stay mounted for “hours or days”, so this is just a temporary mount for a few photos, plain and simple.

The case could be helpful when traveling in a car, when you can’t roll the window down but need to take pictures or videos. You can mount the device on the window and this way you will also avoid window glares (and this will work well with the new app). Or you can stick your device onto the microwave in your kitchen for a quick app use. Check out the video for more uses.

Head here if you are interested in the product. It comes with a price tag of €15.50 (around $20).

The post Stickable Resin Skin For Your iPhone (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

We’ve seen products from companies like Lensbaby that let you take more interesting pictures with your iPhone, but this Magnifi case is so much more versatile. It can be adapted to work with even higher end optical instruments, including giant telescopes.

The Magnifi is comprised of two parts. The first part is the case that wraps around your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. The second part is a detachable bayonet mount. This aligns with the iPhone’s camera and then it can snatch onto the eyepiece of the optical instrument you wish to use. This can work with telescopes, microscopes, binoculars and more, giving you a true optical view of whatever you’d normally see with these instruments. That could make for some very interesting photographic opportunities. The key is the detachable bayonet mount, because it precisely align’s the iPhone camera with the optical axis of the eyepiece.

This is a fairly universal adapter, but there are some caveats. The optical eyepiece has to be at least one-inch long and between 1-1.5 inches in diameter. This is because the bayonet mount has to wrap around it. This may also mean that you may have to remove the rubber seals on the eyepiece.

The Magnifi project is currently up on Kickstarter, seeking $10,000 in seed funding for an initial production run. Pledge $60 or more to get yourself one Magnifi.

[Source]

The post iPhone Camera Mount Connects With Binoculars, Telescopes, and Microscopes appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

In the midst of constant drama regarding possible overheating issues for the new iPad, we report something a little different. This time its the iPhone 4 acting up again. A few months back there was a case of an iPhone 4 that basically overheated and exploded in flight over Australia, but this time we have a report of spontaneous iPhone combustion that comes from within the US.

The phone was sitting innocently on its charger, just a foot or so away from the sleeping woman who wishes to remain anonymous. She woke up to the smoke and smell that was coming from the nightstand where her 4-year-old iPhone 4 was laying and she reacted immediately. Using her laptop case she grabbed the phone and made her way to the hotel room that she was staying at.

She decided to share the story with Mashable because she was getting nowhere with Apple and felt it was important to share this occurrence with others, so they know that while it isn’t a common thing, it can happen.

Alright, maybe this isn’t the most important take away, but has anyone noticed that almost all of these problems happen to travelers? On a plane, or at a hotel… apparently the iPhone 4 is getting old and just wants to stay home and relax. Let it grow old in peace and it won’t give you any problem, at least that’s my theory.

All jokes aside, it’s just further proof that Apple would rather hide and cover up potential phone problems than come clean and let their costumers know that problems with their products aren’t that common, but that they can in fact happen. Is this kind of cover-up behavior something unique to Apple? I’d wager just about every business out there does these kinds of things, but that doesn’t make it right.

[ source ]

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We know that you all love the camera on your iPhone 4S, but what if the device could also look and feel like a classic camera. The Gizmon iCA Military Edition case developed by Four Corner Store for the iPhone 4 and 4S will take you back to the era of military photographers and their Leica range finders.

The iCA Military Edition, which is a new variant of the Gizmon iCA iPhone case introduced last year, comes with a real optical viewfinder and a top mounted shutter button. It is made up of 23 durable polycarbonate pieces, which give it the Leica look while offering good protection from the occasional bumps and the case will allow you to attach a macro lens ($45) or a fisheye lens ($55) onto it for creating new effects. It also comes with a detachable tripod mount on the bottom.

So that’s a cool looking case that will feel like a real classic camera in the hands when you are taking snaps. But it appears like the new case won’t be a good fit for your pocket. And as for the lens on the case, it’s fake.

The iCA Military Edition case is currently available for pre-order and it comes with a price tag of $70.00. It will be shipping on March 17^th, which by the way is also St. Patrick’s Day.

The post Gizmon iCA Military Edition Case For The iPhone Is From The Cold War Era appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Your iPhone should be making your life a whole lot easier thanks to all the features that it brings with it. But for accessing all that power while you are driving your car requires complicated docking accessories or different types of cables, or a well trained brain for handling your car and the device simultaneously (not recommended!). But all that will change with the arrival of Dash, a car stereo system custom-made to fit the iPhone 4 and 4S.

As soon as you connect your iPhone to Dash, it starts charging the device and also lets you turn your iDevice into a car audio system of its own. You will be able to place your phone safely into Dash’s faceplate (yes, no more stowing your device in cupholders) and simply access everything via your iPhone’s touchscreen.

The system amplifies the audio and could also be used with GPS and navigation apps. And non iOS users should not feel left out as the company, Colorado based Devium, is reportedly working on faceplates that will fit Android and Windows Phones. But the only problem is that you will have to give up access to your car’s current radio and satellite hook-up, but there are several apps out there as good replacements.

The $300 stereo system is a kickstarter project and it appears like the campaign has raised more than enough money the company needs to manufacture and sell it. But if interested, you can still show your support. Check out the video to know more about Dash.

The post Dash: The iPhone Car Stereo Dock (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

In his interview with Ad Age, McKenna says that people “want attention, but it often hurts startup companies because it sets high expectations.” He also says that getting a good ad doesn’t ensure the future success of a business. Indeed, he “learned in the 70s that the ads won all the awards, but the company went bankrupt.”

And that’s almost what happened to Apple. The “1984″ ad got all sorts of attention and it turned the gaze toward the Mac, but Apple “went into 10 years of decline after that.” McKenna goes on to say that the “ad was more successful than the Mac itself. The Mac was expensive to build, and Apple’s margins went negative in 1986. That conflict led to Steve’s ouster from Apple.” McKenna also says that Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs “was very negative on Steve” and that we shouldn’t believe everything that we read in it.

Here is the original commercial, in case you want a quick refresher.

The post Regis McKenna: 1984 Apple Ad “More Successful Than the Mac Itself.” appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Although many believe that there is no need for a case for the iPhone, we think that’s a really bad idea. That is why we let you know whenever an awesome case is introduced. The new product that you see above is the AQUA TEK S case for iPhone 4 and 4S from Snow Lizard Products, and it does more than just protect your iPhone from falls and hits.

The AQUA TEK S is waterproof and boasts a dirt resistant poly-carbonate ruggedized casing, which promises protection for your iPhone during your roughest treks. You can dive with it up to a depth of 20 ft (6 m) and it will be comfortable in the hands all thanks to the rubber grips.

The new case also features a solar panel on its back that will recharge a built-in battery to ensure that your device has an extended life. Meanwhile, the phone can be recharged and synched by opening the thumb screw at bottom of the case. The case’s battery has not yet been finalized, so the unit’s capacity is not available at the moment. But all that protection will make your device a bit bulky, but that’s always better than a broken iPhone.

And there are the usual cut-outs which will allow you access to the device’s touchscreen, volume buttons, speakers and the camera. The case will be available in nine different colors including Signal Orange, Black Night, Urban Camo, Reggae Camo, Navy Camo, Desert Camo, Jungle Camo, Pink Camo and Leopard.

The AQUA TEK S is a kickstarter project and they are looking to raise $75,000. So far, the project has raised over $10,000, with 23 days to go. If it enters production, the case is expected to retail for $129.99.

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