iPhone Cases – Choose One to Fit Your Lifestyle

Carrying an expensive yet cool gadget is a tough responsibility, especially if that gadget happens to be your iPhone. the first accessory that comes to mind is an iPhone case to protect your smart phone from damage or scratches. Looking for an iPhone holder is very simple, as there are many types of them available in various designs and materials. However, choosing the right one depends on your personal needs and usage. Basically iPhone cases are available in four types of materials: leather, rubber, metal and plastic. You should review each type closely in order to choose the case that best suites you.

If accidental drops and bumps are your major concern, then a silicone iPhone case (rubber case) should be your priority. These cases are not only lightweight but provide a good grip as well. the only drawback is the fact that these rubber cases tend to grasp more dirt on the surface over time. therefore, you should remember to clean your rubber case occasionally if you buy one.

If you are a person that goes for style and quality more than anything, then a leather iPhone holder is what you should be going for. They typically last longer than the other types of cases. However, these are quite expensive, if made of genuine leather. One has to be aware of the low quality leather holders and know how to differentiate between an imitation one and a genuine leather one.

Hard, plastic iPhone cases are the choice of the younger generation, as per a survey. You can find these cases with many designs in a variety of styles. Although plastic cases can look very attractive and are accessible in many different colors, these provide little protection against falls and hits your iPhone is sure to endure. These are ideal for people looking for inexpensive cases and for those who like to change their iPhone cases regularly.

Last but not least; let’s review the metal iPhone cases. These win when it comes to extreme protection. Metal cases are ideal for people who lead a very vigorous life and can cause damage to their iPhones easily. These cases not only add bulk to your smart phone but are also quite stylish. Lately these types of cases are being manufactured in various attractive metallic colors.

Overall, when making a decision about iPhone case, compare the case models according to several factors like Price, Material, Style, Color and durability. Choose the option that would best shield your smart phone from damage.

One More Thing: Star Wars Land

Can’t quote, too excited – Disneyland Paris may be getting its very own STAR WARS LAND. That is just one short hop skip and jump across the channel, you guys! It’s rumoured to have an updated Star Tours feature and a real life Mos Eisley Cantina!!! and breathe. [SlashFilm]

Wake up boo – Is RIM behind the not very cool Wake Up Apple store stunt? an ID tag in the source code of the associated website seems to be something to do with RIM Australia. look, all we want to know is whose terrible idea it was, and whether Samsung will ever forgive us. [Slashgear]

Overachiever of the day – When we were six, we were making potions, excavating worms and trying to master cycling without stabilisers. We were not programming, downloading emulators and petitioning Guinness to enter the record books as world’s youngest computer expert. Hey, Wasik Farhan-Roopkotha – want to come out and play before tea? [BBC]

Super duper – Super Smash Bros for Wii U is going to come with Nintendo 3DS support. Creator Masahiro Sakurai envisages the Wii U/3DS link as being central to the game. It’s either going to revitalise 3DS sales or kill Super Smash Bros dead. Good luck and godspeed, Nintendo. [Slashgear]

Afrikindle – Lovely sounding charity Worldreader gave 600 Kindles to kids in Ghana and, would you believe it, they took to them like ducks to water, despite 43 per cent of them never having used a computer before. Sadly, 243 of them broke due to fragile screens but a few rugged cases ought to sort that out. Warm fuzzies. [GigaOm]

Die as hard as possible – Panasonic is trying to entice you into picking up one of its Blu-ray players with a trio of free titles. now, simmer down cinephiles – all you’re getting is Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Die Hard 4.0 and Ice Age 3 (yes, that’s a prequel and two sequels) but still. Free’s free. [PR]

Facetime – Everybody’s favourite person whose surname is Cumberbatch, Benedict Cumberbatch, landed the part of the baddie in the new Star Trek film with a last-minute casting video shot on his iPhone. Or by being in the crazy-successful second series of Sherlock at the right time. one of the two. [Disruptomatic]

Gonna have ourselves a time – South Park Studios is a new catch-up service for South Park fans offering 50 of the funniest episodes (as voted for by fans) with new episodes coming online within 24 hours of transmission. It’ll set you back £2 for 24-hours or £3 for a week’s access. OMG they killed etc. You whatever. [South Park Studios]

Dubious Facebook marketing stunt of the day – Budweiser’s writing a song and it’s crowdsourcing the lyrics from you, Facebookers. Make your mark on Facebook.com/BudweiserUK if you’re over 18. presumably it’s looking for something a little more cerebral than whasssssssuuuuuup. [PR]

The internet hero we need – no one clicks on banner ads, right? Wrong. this guy does. He’s single-handedly keeping us all in our ad-funded jobs. a brilliant read from McSweeney’s, as usual. [via Gizmodo]

Bonus tech video of the day – and then we dropped the Panasonic Eluga into a glass of water for lolz.

First Looks: SuperTooth Crystal Bluetooth Handsfree Kit

SuperTooth Crystal Bluetooth Handsfree Kit

Based substantially upon the design of last year’s Buddy, SuperTooth’s new Crystal ($69) is another visor-mounted speakerphone accessory for iPhone users, sporting some considerable new improvements. unlike the plasticky Buddy, Crystal’s top surface is now brushed metal, with laser-cut buttons and a very unique speaker grille made from increasingly large pill-shaped holes, changes that make the new model feel less entry-level than before. their back sides are nearly identical, however, with a micro-USB charging port and a magnetic surface for attachment of an included visor clip. other changes aren’t as obvious: SuperTooth’s new car charger for Crystal is smaller than before, using the shotgun shell-sized flush designs of modern power adapters, and the Bluetooth 2.1 chip has been upgraded to Bluetooth 3.0, with the same 20 hours of active use or 40 days of standby use. the new chip adds stereo music streaming, automatic reconnection upon car entry, and GPS instruction announcement support; it also features eight-device multipoint pairing with two-device active monitoring.

Apple Reveals New Whiz-Bang No-Code Content Authoring Tool – Patently Apple

Apple's Patent Background on Today's Inadequate Web Authoring Tools

In many instances, computer-programming languages are a hindrance to electronic content creation and, ultimately, delivery to content consumers. Often content creators and designers simply lack the skill and the knowledge to publish their mental creations to share with the world.

To begin to bridge this gap, content creators can use some electronic-content-development tools which allow content creators to interact with a graphical user interface to design the content while an electronic-content-development tool puts the computer-programming code in place to represent the electronic content on a user's computer.

One type of such tool is a web page development tool, which allows a user to create webpages with basic features by designing the webpage graphically within the electronic-content-development tool. however, in most instances, such tools can only assist users with basic features. Users wanting customized elements must still have knowledge of one or more computer-programming languages. For example, while some web-content development tools can assist with the creation of basic hyper-text markup language (html) content, these tools have even more limited capabilities to edit cascading style sheet (CSS) elements. Often variables within the CSS code must be adjusted directly in the code. Such adjustments require knowledge of computer-programming languages, which again, many content creators lack.

Another challenge in the creation and delivery of electronic content is that the capabilities of user terminals for receiving and displaying electronic content vary greatly. even if a content creator successfully creates his electronic content, it is unlikely that the content is optimally configured for each device on which the user will view the content. Originally, digital content was created without having to account for device capabilities. The digital content was going to be viewed on a computer or television having a display of at least a certain size, with at least a certain resolution, if not multiple resolutions. accordingly, it was possible to generate only one version of the electronic content and that version could be expected to be presented properly by the user's device. however, more recently, smaller displays with fixed resolutions, paltry computing resources, inferior browser technologies, and inconsistent network connectivity such as associated with handheld communication devices have made it so that electronic content isn't always adequately displayed on every device for which a user is expected to view it.

Due to such diverse devices having such diverse capabilities, content must now be created not only once, but often several times so that it can be configured for multiple device types. this development has introduced a new barrier to content creation and delivery. To reduce this barrier, an early technology could create mobile versions of web content by converting a web page intended for viewing on a desktop computer or laptop. Such technology is not suitable for most purposes, because the content creator does not get to see the finished product before it is severed to the mobile device. another problem is that such technology uses a lowest-common denominator approach, wherein the content is converted so that it can be displayed on any mobile device, despite the fact that many mobile devices can display greatly enhanced content.

A further difficulty in creation of electronic content is that assets can frequently overlap each other when developing an application's interface that includes even rudimentary animation. since the assets can overlap, it is often difficult to work with assets, to view them unobstructed by other objects, and/or to select the assets to work with.

Accordingly, the existing solutions are not adequate to eliminate barriers between content creators and the presentation of high quality electronic content on a variety of platforms.

Apple's Advanced Content Authoring Tool Solution

Apple's invention provides technology relating to a digital content authoring tool for amateur and professional content developers alike, without the need to understand or access any computer code. Additionally, the authoring tool is further equipped with the ability to manage digital assets and configure them for distribution and viewing on a variety of electronic devices – many of which have diverse hardware capabilities. accordingly, the presently described technology eliminates many barriers to creating and publishing deliverable electronic content.

Authoring Tool Templates

Apple's authoring tool receives a collection of assets and other files collectively making up deliverable electronic content. in some instances, the authoring tool provides one or more templates, such as a menu navigation template or one of the pre-defined objects referenced above, as starting points for the creation of electronic content. The templates can include containers configured to receive digital assets so a content creator can modify the templates according to his or her vision. in some embodiments, the authoring tool is configured to receive digital assets by importing those assets into the authoring tools asset library. The assets can be imported through a menu interface or through drag and drop functionality. The assets then may be added to the templates by, for example, dragging the asset onto the desired container on the template or through a menu interface.

Inspector Widget for Modifying CSS

In addition to assets, Apple states that the finished content is created by modifying formatting elements using a widget such as an inspector for modifying Cascading Style Sheet variables and by applying JavaScript elements from a JavaScript library. Custom styles and JavaScript elements can also be created as plug-ins to create highly customized content.

Relating Actions to a Time Axis

Apple further states that the assets can also be modified with animation. each animation can be controlled by an action, and the actions can be tied to a time axis for execution. in some embodiments the actions associated with the assets can be visibly displayed in a menu; in some embodiments the menu can be a sidebar though any graphical user interface element for displaying the actions should be considered within the scope of the present technology. The action can be displayed along a visible time axis, however, throughout this description a time axis can refer to both a visual time axis, or time axis maintained by a computing device and used to relate the relative start and stop times of the associated actions. by relating actions to a time axis, animations based on the actions can be more easily viewed and reviewed.

Easier to Focus on the Design of a Single Element or Asset

In some embodiments, Apple states that the system can clear a page of all but a selected asset so that it may be more easily worked with. this can be true in embodiments wherein many assets overlap during the duration of the full time axis needed to portray all animations associated with all assets on a given page. in such embodiments, all assets except for the selected asset can be hidden so that the user can more easily view or work with the selected asset. in some embodiments, not all assets need be hidden, for example, a background asset might remain visible along with the selected asset.

A Graphical User Interface Inspector Tool

Apple's technology utilizes an additional layer of abstraction between the graphical elements represented in the graphical user interface and the code that represents them. Specifically, the present technology utilizes a common scheme to identify variables and to modify those variables using a widget such as a graphical user interface inspector rather than having to modify the variables in the underlying code. The present technology additionally utilizes a JavaScript library to implement additional code to perform a variety of features including alternate implementations of an object, event handling behaviors, error handling, etc.

Whether a particular code element (written in HMTL, CSS, JavaScript, etc.) is provided by way of a template within the authoring tool, or is created by the user, the code element conforms to the common scheme within the layer of abstraction. Variable elements can be defined, and identified, either within the code or within a related properties file, which associates the defined variable elements with adjustable user interface elements in an inspector. The type of user interface element, the range of possible values for the defined variable are all identified in the code or properties file accompanying the basic code element. Because of the common scheme, even a custom created element can be adjusted within the user interface because the custom created element also identifies variable elements, the accepted values for the variable elements, and the type of inspector needed to appropriately adjust the variable elements. Further because the extra code defining the ability to modify the variable elements conforms to the common scheme it can easily be identified and removed once it is no longer needed, i.e., after the content is created and ready for upload to a server.

Apple's JavaScript Library

Apple's authoring tool also leverages a JavaScript library running in the background to enhance the code elements, by writing additional code that facilitates the smooth functioning of the objects defined by the code elements, even when those objects are implemented on diverse devices. The JavaScript library instantiates the objects specified by the user using the authoring tool and generates additional code (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) as needed to display the content. this allows the authoring tool to substitute alternate implementations for various situations, such as diverse devices, as needed.

As an example of the functioning of this abstraction layer, a code for a "Button" defines its user-modifiable parameters (size, position, color, etc.), and required parameters that may be managed by the system without the users knowledge (event handling behaviors, error handling, etc.). The application outputs the information required to construct a "Button", and simulates this in the application user-interface, possibly using the same implementation that will be used at runtime, but there is a possibility that a modified or entirely different implementation will be provided at runtime.

Because the code defining the object meets the common scheme defining user-modifiable objects in the authoring tool, this extra functionality required only at authoring time (user input validation, special handling of authoring environment preview functionality, etc.) is removed when the content is published.

Additionally, the JavaScript library can determine, that graphics processor dependent functionality such as shadows, gradients, reflections are not supported on the device and should be ignored and replaced with less processor intensive UI even if the author specified them.

Apple's patent FIGS. 9A and 9B presented above illustrate a menu of JavaScript elements. Apple states that it's highly desirable to allow content-creators to introduce and adjust their content as much as possible within the user interface. As such, Apple's technology makes use of a JavaScript library listing JavaScript elements such as those presented in the JavaScript menu which is noted in the graphic as patent point #450. The JavaScript library can include primitive elements such as buttons, sliders, and switches that are used standalone; and more complex "composite" elements such as carousels, scroll views, and lists that have multiple "cells" that may contain primitives and other composite elements.

As illustrated, a user has selected the Carousel element #452 and dragged and dropped the Carousel element onto the menu page. Such action transforms the listing of links on the menu page into a rotatable 3-D Carousel as illustrated in FIG. 9B.

In some embodiments, widgets or inspectors can also be provided for adjusting known variables within the JavaScript code. For example, in the case of the rotatable 3-D Carousel, the shape of the menu items, the speed and direction of rotation, spacing, number of containers on the menu can be adjusted using an inspector. Additionally, the number of containers can be increased by just dragging additional assets onto the carousel.

Apple's JavaScript Library Includes Complex "Composite" Elements

According to Apple, their JavaScript library can include complex "composite" elements. As noted in patent FIG. 15A below, we see a perspective wall JavaScript element. The perspective wall JavaScript element is a virtual wall with one or more rows (#806) of files or items (#808), where the wall is set at an angle from a user such that the row or rows stretch into the distance. The items can be pictures, logos, text, etc.

Above the wall, there can be pictures or logos (#802) and text (#840) for informational, descriptive, branding, etc. purposes. Below the wall, there can be intriguing visual effects, such as virtual mirror reflections (#810) of the row or rows, or descriptive text (#812) on wall "floor. A user can use a swiping gesture to "scroll" and navigate along the wall to different files or items. furthermore, the row or rows can optionally wrap around to form a virtual infinite loop of items for the user to scroll through.

In Apple's patent FIG. 15B we see how a user can tap or select an item to cause it to "pop out" or "fly out" and enlarge (#814) to show more details (#816) about it. moreover, additional pictures (i.e. album cover art # 818), data (i.e. song titles), or links (i.e. to an online digital content store such as Apple's iTunes) can be provided to give information to the user or to enable the user to directly purchase the file or item without having to go to an online store to search for it.

An example JavaScript Based Pinwheel Menu

In Apple's patent FIG. 16 noted above we see a pinwheel menu JavaScript element. The pinwheel menu JavaScript element is a virtual wheel functioning as a circular menu allowing a user to select from a multitude of items or files. The user can use his/her thumb or finger to rotate the pinwheel until the item he/she wishes to select is at the "selected" position. The "selected" position can be defined by an arrow and can be any position in the pinwheel.

Apple notes that the pinwheel can also be spun, so that a random item is chosen. this allows for an interactive and engaging way for the user to choose a random item. there can also be a detail portion on the screen that displays more information about the selected item. Tapping the selected item again or pressing a button on the screen can bring the user to a new page with even more detailed information.

Editing Functions for a Multi-Image 3-D Zoetrope

Apple's development tool can also include an interesting editing function for multi-image displays such as a zoetrope. Apple's patent FIG. 33 shown below illustrates an exemplary multi-image display wherein an image of a smart phone is shown being rotated to in a simulator. The 3-D view can be created by displaying multiple views in sequence, just as frames in a movie or a zoetrope.

Apple's patent FIGS. 34a and 34b illustrate exemplary editing embodiments. Patent FIG. 34a illustrates several of the images used by the zoetrope, with the highlighted image being available for editing. each of the images used in the zoetrope can be selected and edited. Additionally we see an embodiment wherein an image can be added or removed from the collection of images used by the zoetrope. FIG. 34b illustrates an additional cell added to the zoetrope wherein an additional image can be added.

Apple's Publishing & Validation Tools

The finished product can be validated for distribution to one or more known devices that are intended targets for the deliverable content. The publishing tool can determine device criteria associated with each of the devices that are intended to receive the deliverable content from a library of devices or known device criteria. in some embodiments, the device criteria comprises of hardware capabilities of a given device. For example, the device criteria can include screen size, resolution, memory, general processing capabilities, graphics processing, etc.

The validation comprising analyzing assets and files for compatibility with the device criteria and, in some instances, expected network connection states, including connection types such as cellular connections or Wi-Fi, connection reliability, and measured connection speeds.

Once validated, the deliverable content that is compatible with the device criteria can be compiled into a content package for delivery to content consumers using one of the known devices.

A Content Delivery Server

And lastly, Apple notes that a content delivery server can store a collection of versions of assets, each being compatible with different device or network criteria. in such embodiments, the content delivery server can be configured to select an appropriate version of the asset based on run-time network conditions and the device criteria associated with the device that is requesting the content from the content delivery server.

Patent Credits & Cover Graphic Information

Apple's patent application was filed in Q4 2011. The inventors include Senior UI Designer Genevieve Garand, UX designer Steve Marmon, Director of Engineering – Apple Online Store Ralph Zazula and Design Manager (Pro Apps) Michael Stern.

Our Cover Graphic includes patent FIG. 17C illustrates an exemplary transition effect on an iPhone while patent FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary menu of potential actions for modifying content.

Notice: Patently Apple presents a detailed summary of patent applications with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application should be read in its entirety for full and accurate details. Revelations found in patent applications shouldn't be interpreted as rumor or fast-tracked according to rumor timetables. Apple's patent applications have provided the Mac community with a clear heads-up on some of Apple's greatest product trends including the iPod, iPhone, iPad, iOS cameras, LED displays, iCloud services for iTunes and more. About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.

Check out our Latest Report on Patent Bolt Titled:

Microsoft Invents Ruggedized Displays for "Surface" Devices

Here are a Few Sites covering our Original Report

MacSurfer, Tech Whirl (About Technical Communications),Twitter, Facebook, Apple Investor News, Google Reader, Macnews, iPhone World Canada, MarketWatch, 9to5 Mac, Mac Life Germany,  Forbes, MacDailyNews, AppleCaffe Italy, TUAW, Macgasm, Techmeme, and more. 

iPhone 4S ads starring Sam Jackson, Zooey Deschanel air

Two new iPhone 4S television commercials have started to air. the commercials, which star Samuel L. Jackson and Zooey Deschanel, feature the stars using Siri to clear calendars, find out about the weather, play music, perform unit conversions, find nearby shops, and find nearby restaurants. while the commercials are shot in a style similar—albeit somewhat slower— to that of prior Siri-focused iPhone 4S commercials, they are notable for being the first Apple commercials in some time to conspicuously feature celebrities. interestingly, it is the second time Deschanel has been featured in an iPhone commercial, as her band She & Him was featured prominently in an ad for the iPhone 3GS. Both commercials are available for viewing on YouTube or in embedded form below.

Cheap iPhone – How to Get an Apple iPhone at Below Market Price

So you want to buy a cheap Apple iPhone?

The huge price tag of above $400 dollars is very prohibitive to most people who are interested in obtaining a Cheap iphone. The good news is these same persons are not aware that there are different places from which they can buy cheap iPhones, and most likely at considerably less than half the retail price.

So what are your options for a cheapest Apple iPhone?

One place where you can get these phones is by shopping internet retail stores. Internet retailers are competing for your click business and they will more likely than not, sell their products at much cheaper prices. do not be fooled by the cheap price of these phones, they are the real thing. these online stores can afford to keep their cheap prices much lower than regular offline retail stores because they do not have the over head cost, which your regular offline retail store would have, so that cost is not included in the price of the phone.

Some of these vendors have been doing business for many years, and this is sure sign that the Mobile products they offer are the real deal and not some knock off product. Some of these vendors carry some very high end, high priced products in their inventory and they have been doing so for many years.

Online companies who sell cheap iPhones and other mobile products, tend to promote a social community like setting. They want to build a rapport with you the buyer, they want to keep you on their mailing list in order to provide you with latest news, or offer you other accessories for your phone. They also serve as a place to meet other phone users and share your experiences. this is why have slashed their prices so low, they will have you as a customer for life in the digital world.

It does not matter where you actually go to buy your phone, if you are getting it for less than the suggested retail price, it is advisable to spend more time ensuring that it is brand new and make sure that you get a warranty in order to protect your purchase in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.

Just remember the cheapest iPhones are not the 3G Models

Best Five Socializing Must Have iPhone Apps

The Meebo app is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch. It is completely free and allows you to aggregate dozens of chat services (Facebook, MySpace, AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and more) and transforms it into one user-friendly app. This application also has an added advantage of ‘push notifications’ that sends you and alert against any new chat or reply and is totally free of cost.

The most renowned computer application ‘Skype’ has gotten a much more genuine reason for being on your iPhone with the addition of front facing camera in iPhone 4 and 4S. It is completely free and by using Skype, it is now possible to call friends on the go while using Skype’s video calling capabilities. Voice and video calling are offered via 3G and Wi-Fi.

Amen, a free iPhone application was introduced in 2011 at TechCrunch with intent of crowd sourcing the best of everything on the planet. You can share your opinion about a person, place, or a thing. Amen is designed for iPhone and any device running iOS 4.0 or higher. For example, investor Ashton Kutcher says that Lean Back is the best manly dance move ever. Do you agree? Now you can Amen or say Hell no to statements from Ashton and others or add your own

With the launch of Google+ social network in 2011, iPhone briskly came up with a Google+ app which is free of cost and one of the best social networking apps available, through which you can view your stream, chats using Huddle, view and upload photos and participate in video chats with hangouts.

For all users in the US who use an iPhone, iPod or iPod touch, iPhone has come up with this free app which can give you unlimited access of free texting. TextPlus is perfect for those who have access to Wi-Fi or other wireless networks as this program can search for your friends by looking up their usernames. Friends with SMS can text 60611 and type your username as the message to connect with you. When you create a new message, TextPlus lets you choose one or more of your contacts or enter numbers manually. You cannot send texts if you are not near a Wi-Fi device or your device is malfunctioning.

Social media apps has opened up a door for dating and socializing which people start by sitting in their homes. They don’t need to go to clubs or parties to find their date because iPhone dating apps provides them potential dates in their palm with location-based services.

Camalen Hexa (for iPhone 4/4S)

Camalen’s $59 Hexa for the iPhone 4/4S is a high-end flip-style case constructed from handcrafted leather. Although I found it to be stylish and very well made, one key aspect of the case’s design led to an often-frustrating experience.

There’s no denying that this is a luxury case. the leather has an intoxicating aroma and feels great in hand; the stitching that holds the case together is expertly applied (despite my best efforts, I couldn’t find a single frayed stitch), and the Hexa’s price tag is consistent with that of other high-end leather flip cases.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the Hexa is its ability to act as a kickstand for your iPhone. the case’s flap has two small leather ridges sewn into it, which enable you to prop up the iPhone at two different viewing angles. in addition, the flap—which is attached to the rest of the case at the back—swivels so that the phone can be oriented for either portrait-or-landscape-viewing.

Don’t get me wrong, the kickstand works great—but the rigid back that enables that functionality is the Hexa’s Achilles’ heel. because it extends far beyond the width of the iPhone, I found that I had to awkwardly curl my fingers around the back of the case to reach the volume buttons and the Ring/Silent switch. I initially thought I’d get used to it, but I never did. it was extremely frustrating.

With all that said, the Hexa truly is a beautiful and otherwise functional case. I had no problems taking photos (as long as I used the onscreen shutter button and not the volume button) or charging my phone with the case in place, and I enjoyed using the Hexa as a kickstand. if you can get past the difficulty in accessing the buttons (and switch) along the side of the iPhone, and you’re looking for a high-quality case with an elegant design, the Hexa just might be the case for you.

[Frank Tisellano is a user-interaction designer, born and raised in new York City. When he gets fed up with markup, he plays hockey or writes about technology, politics, and design at his blog.]

IPhone 3G – 8 Gig

I recently made the change to the new iPhone 3g 8gig. I previously had the Palm Treo with Sprint. I have to say that I’m extremely impressed with the iPhone. Sprint tried to talk the company I work for into keeping Sprint and getting the new Blackberry. Sprint said that if you use your phone for business you MUST have a Blackberry. I couldn’t disagree more. Here are the key features I’d say are necessary for a cell phone for business use.

1. Email
2. Internet
3. Storage

The iPhone 3g dominates all of the categories listed above. you can add just about any email account to your phone and be updated in real time when you receive a new email. The internet is so much faster than Sprint’s that it’s not even arguable. and I’m a previous customer so I know from experience. and my last point is storage which is no contest. I have the smaller memory iPhone which is quite a bit more storage that any other phone offered by Sprint other than the Instinct.

Anyone who cares about the stock market would be better off with the new iPhone as well. The iPhone starts you with an icon for stocks but I would recommend the Bloomberg Application which is FREE if you haven’t checked it out you really should. The main page shows you all of the markets in the world along with recent news, plus you can add any stock you want to your own portfolio page.

Now just about anyone who buys an iPhone is interested in music. with 2 options you can hold around 2,000 or 4,000 songs. there are a ton of music applications you can add for free as well. Verizon boasts of their system where you can hold your phone to the radio and you will sent a message of what the song is. The iPhone has a really cool application call Shazam which does the same thing. I absolutely love Pandora radio and listen to it on my laptop all the time. Now you can have it on your iPhone. and thanks to the super fast 3g network, you can listen to Pandora without download interruptions. I’d have to say this is my favorite application I’ve used so far.

There are tons of available applications for your iPhone that I would encourage any user to check out. Even one that turns your phone into a flashlight in case you find yourself in the dark.

For now that’s all on the new Apple iPhone 3g. I’ll add more as I learn more about the phone and what else is out there.

iPhone Doctor: Top Rated iPhone 4 Cases for Everyday Users

Certainly, there are numerous iPhone covers in the market, but many of them are terrible. we wanted to give our own evaluation of fantastic cases that never disguise the beauty of the Apple iPhone 4 and looked great in all events. here are our top rated cases that everyone can love:

Incipio NGP Case for iPhone 4 (Matte Black, Fits AT&T iPhone): This is certainly our most popular overall protective case. for approximately $10, the case very affordable and a terrific bargain. it is a ideal fit with great grip that doesn’t look and feel inexpensive. the Incipio forms around the top, bottom, side panels, and backside of the iPhone 4, but won’t block out the camera in any way. We’ve tested its durability and it doesn’t seem to display any specific scuff marks and safeguards the iPhone 4 effectively. it takes an instant to put on but doesn’t move around. If you’re trying to find a protective case that looks great, will feel great, and doesn’t provoke a lot of attention, this is the go-to-phone.

elago S4 Slim-Fit Case for iPhone 4 with Logo Protection Film: This is our preferred slim iPhone 4 protective case. This extremely sleek protective case is a snap-on case and fits snug together with the iPhone 4 with absolutely no shifting. the matte shell feels fantastic and it has great scratch protection. the sole problem that any of us have using this case would be that the top, bottom, and face of your iPhone are generally exposed. nevertheless, if you’re looking for an affordable protective case with minimal frills, good protection, and very featherweight backing, check out this case.

Black Replicase Hard Crystal Air Jacket Case for AT&T iPhone 4: This is an awesome iPhone case that we all enjoy if you’re searching for a case that does not hide your iPhone 4 in any way. it possess a solid feel when it is around the iPhone and provides the fragile iPhone good quality defense. the best part would be that the case is a look-alike of the back of your iPhone 4 so it does not look like you have a case on at all. the negatives of the phone case are that it doesn’t perform well together with the iPhone camera flash because semi-blocks it and it is not as simple to take on and off as the other iPhone cases on our list. If you are seeking for a seamless iPhone 4 case, here you go.

OtterBox Universal Commuter Case for iPhone 4: This is probably the worse looking of our highest rated iPhone 4 cases, but if you are seeking some improved protection here is the case. This OtterBox is a major upgrade in terms of thickness and feel considering that it is lighter in weight than the iPhone 3GS OtterBox cases and we prefer it considerably better over the OtterBox iPhone 4 Defender. it was a little trickier to put on the iPhone, but after it was on it stayed there. it presented the most defense at the expense of being the thickest of our proposed cases, but if that’s what you require you should absolutely get the OtterBox Commuter.