Category: iPhone

Review: iChair iPhone 4 Case

The iChair for the iPhone 4 ($30) is a slim, hard-plastic slider case that comes with a built-in, flip-out stand capable of holding up the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientations. The iChair offers surprisingly good protection for a slim case and is a highly functional case with only a few minor flaws. It’s compatible with the CDMA (Verizon) and GSM (AT&T) iPhone 4.

The manufacturer describes the iChair as a dual-layer case—it has an inner TPU layer (polyurethane) and an outer polycarbonate layer. But for our purposes, we wouldn’t describe it as a true dual-layer. The two layers feel like just like every other hard plastic case we’ve reviewed, and we see little benefit from the combination. More useful are dual-layer cases that combine hard plastic with silicone rubber to offer the best of both worlds.



The iChair is composed of two sections that slide together over the iPhone. In a unique twist, there are two top halves included in the packaging—one in black and one in white (or blue, if you choose). The extra top half is purely for aesthetics, and we didn’t the look of the mismatched halves, but each to his own.

The case comes with a built-in integrated stand that, thanks to it triangular-shaped tip, can hold the iPhone up in both landscape and portrait. When not in use, the stand lays perfectly flat inside the back of the case, so the iPhone won’t wobble when resting on tables (a problem with seen with other case/stand combos). The stand works well, holding the iPhone up firmly so you can tap away with worry of tipping. But we do have one gripe. The iChair only supports 1 angle for both portrait and landscape orientations (see our review for the ZeroChroma Teatro case for an example of a case/stand that supports several angles). This can limit the utility of the stand somewhat.

The iChair offers excellent protection, something rare in slim hard-plastic cases. The plastic is thickest in the corners and around the sides where the iPhone’s impact points are located. The case also has a nice high rim around the screen in case you accidentally drop it on that side. While its shock absorption is still not quite on par with rubber or dual-layer cases, the protection is nevertheless better than the majority of hard-plastic cases out there. And the iChair will protect against the regular everyday wear-and-tear from sliding around in bags and rubbing against keys in pockets.

The sleep button is hard to press in the case.

The case offers excellent accessibility to the iPhone’s ports and buttons with the exception of the sleep button. The cutout area around the sleep button is not quite wide enough for thicker fingers to access easily. It’s not quite as bad as we’ve seen in some cases, but still annoying nonetheless. The case uses a single large cutout for the iPhone’s volume buttons and ringer switch, making them easily accessible as well as compatible with both the Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4. While you can’t use the iPhone in a dock while the case is on, you can slide off the bottom half, then dock it, although we found that the iChair’s design does not make this process quite as easy as with other slider cases.

Included with the iChair are two clear plastic screen protectors with a squegee board for application, a small dust cloth, and the extra white top.

Conclusion

The iChair for iPhone 4 ($30) is an all-around well-designed, functional, and attractive case. It does have a few minor flaws in the form of a hard-to-press sleep button and limited angles for the stand, but overall, we enjoyed using the iChair in our week-long testing, and assign it a rating of 8.0 out of 10, highly recommended.

Review: Splash Cruiser Slim-Fit Case for iPhone 4

The Splash Cruiser Slim-Fit ($25) is a hard-plastic slider case that is compatible with both CDMA and GSM versions of the iPhone 4 (Verizon and AT&T). The case has a convenient removable bottom for those who use iPhone 4 docks or oddly shaped third-party USB cords. Overall, the Cruiser is a comfortable case with a soft surface and attractive matte design, but a few design flaws involving the iPhone’s buttons keep it from being a premium case.

The Splash Cruiser is a slim slider case made out of polycarbonate hard plastic. As a slim case, it’s quite pocketable. But in the world of iPhone cases, thinness sacrifices protection, and the Cruiser lacks shock absorption for true protection from accidental drops. That’s not to say the Cruiser is totally without protection. Inside the case, your iPhone will be spared from everday wear and tear while bouncing around in bags and rubbing against car keys.

My favorite feature of the Cruiser is its remarkably soft touch. Hard plastic cases aren’t known for soft surfaces, but the Cruiser uses a special coating to provide a pleasant velvety feel. We’ve seen this special coating used in a few other hard plastic iPhone cases and have generally liked it a lot.

The Cruiser also offers a convenient feature in the form of a detachable bottom. Simply slide the bottom third of the case off, and you can dock the iPhone in any compatible dock. In our testing, we also noted that some third-party USB cables would not plug into the iPhone with the case on—just remove the bottom of the case and it works. One downside to a detachable bottom is that you’ve got to keep track of it while the iPhone is charging.

In terms of appearance, the Cruiser offers a pleasant matte-black look (it’s also available in red, blue, pink, purple, orange, and green). We liked the case’s smooth round corners that went hand-in-hand with its soft surface, giving the iPhone 4 an overall comfortable look and feel. The slim shape maintains the iPhone 4′s elegant form factor. The only downside is that, with the matte case on, you lose the black glass and silver chrome look of a naked iPhone.

The case does have some problems when it comes to the iPhone’s buttons—in particular, the sleep button. The cutout around the sleep button does not provide enough access for your finger, making the button difficult to press. I often found myself having to reposition the iPhone in my hand so that I could come at the button at an different angle. It even hurts a little to press the button down. There is a similar but not quite as bad problem with pressing the volume buttons as well. The good news is that the long rectangular cutout around the ringer switch and sleep buttons means it’s fully compatible with both the GSM and CDMA iPhone 4′s.

Conclusion

The Splash Cruiser Slim-Fit case for iPhone 4 ($257.1 out of 10, recommended.

Basics: How to Turn On Find My iPhone

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Find My iPhone is now a free feature for anyone with an iPhone 4 or newer, and it’s something you’ll want to have turned on, as it can come in extremely handy—not only does Find My iPhone show the location of your iPhone should it be lost or stolen, it can remotely lock the iPhone, wipe its memory, or have the iPhone emit a beeping sound in case it’s lost between couch cushions. To use Find My iPhone, you’ll need to activate it on the iPhone first. Here’s how.

How to Activate Find My iPhone

1. On the iPhone, tap Settings:

2. Tap Mail, Contacts, and Calendars:

3. Tap Add Account:

4. Tap MobileMe:

5. Log in with your Apple account ID and password, which is the same ID you use to buy apps and music in iTunes. Note that your ID needs to be an email address to use Find My iPhone (if it’s not, go here for instructions on updating your ID to an email address). If you don’t have an Apple ID or account, tap Create Free Apple ID:

6. Tap MobileMe (you may need to verify your account first via an email Apple sends you):

7. Slide Find My iPhone to On:

8. Tap Allow:

That’s it. Once turned on, you can now use Find My iPhone’s features on the web, or via an official app on the iPad, iPod, and iPhone.

How to Use Find My iPhone Using a Browser:

1. Go to iCloud.com and log in:

2. Your iPhone’s location will show on Google Maps:

3. To access more features (remote wipe, lock the phone, or make the iPhone beep), click the arrow in the top right corner:

Now you can rest easy always knowing where your iPhone is.

Be sure to check more of our iPhone Tips.

Review: Denon AH-D310R Mobile Headphones

While in-ear headphones for the iPhone have slowly become abundant for iPhone users over the past few years, over-ear headphones, aka cans, that come with a microphone/music control dongle are still rare. That’s why we were pleased to review the Denon AH-D310R ($70)—headphones that, via a control dongle, give you the same music/phone-call functionality of the default iPhone headphones. Sonically, AH-D310Rs are entry-level headphones that deliver solid sound with a full low end, but which lack the build quality and premium sound of studio-level cans.

Continue reading…

iPhone Tips: How to Permanently Delete an App, From the iPhone and iTunes

When you delete an app on the iPhone, it’s not completely gone from your life. It lives on in your iTunes library. You’ll notice this the next time the developer of the app updates it. iTunes will signal you, often annoyingly, that there is an update available to download. As you collect more and more apps, it becomes quite a chore to download all their updates. Here’s how to permanently delete apps to avoid such hassles:

How to Permanently Delete an iPhone App:

1. In iTunes, select Apps from the left column:

2. Find the app that you want to delete. You can use the search bar in the top right to quickly find the app:

3. Right click the app icon (or name of the app) and select Delete:

4. A pop-up prompt will ask you if you want to delete the app from your library. Click Remove:

5. A second prompt will ask you if you want to move the files to the trash bin. Click Move to Trash:

Empty your computer’s Trash Bin if you want to say goodbye to the app forever. Pfwew! That was a lot of work to simply get rid of an app.

Be sure to check out more of our iPhone Tips.

Review: ZeroChroma Teatro iPhone 4 Case With Built-in Stand

The ZeroChroma Teatro for iPhone 4 ($39) is a brilliantly designed, thin, hard-plastic, snap-on case with a flip-out stand that can rotate 360 degrees and prop up the iPhone in portrait, landscape, or anything in between. With a relatively high price tag, the Teatro is a tough sell, but the flexibility and usefulness of the rotating stand on its back makes it worthy of spending a few extra bucks on. It’s also compatible with the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Video Review:

The Teatro’s most impressive and useful feature is a rotating, flip-out stand on its back. The stand is attached to a circular piece of plastic that can be rotated 360 degrees and can hold up the iPhone in both portrait and landscape orientations. It can hold the iPhone at an impressive 42 angles (14 in landscape and 28 in portrait). When not in use, the stand lays perfectly flat in a recess built into the case, so there’s no awkwardness when not in use.

The stand offers impressive sturdiness for being such a small piece of plastic—we experienced no wobble on flat surfaces, even when tapping out notes on the small screen. The bottom tips of the stand are covered with rubber to help prevent slippage.

If you’re looking for heavy protection for your iPhone, the Teatro is not the case for you. Its thin hard plastic is mainly useful for neutralizing everyday wear and tear, but not protecting from accidental drops. The company’s website describes that case as having “interior rubber shock absorption,” but we no sign of rubber on the interior, or that the thin case as a whole has enough material to take on much shock absorption at all.

Another downside of the Teatro is there is no soft lining on the inside of the case. This could mean possible scratches to the iPhone if the case rubs against the iPhone over time. (Update: Teatro has released a revision of the Teatro, the Teatro-S, that added a soft lining.)

The Teatro somewhat improves your grip on the iPhone via two subtle design touches. The first is a dimple on the back that the tip of your index finger fits in to while you’re holding the iPhone one-handed. The second is a series of wavy indentations along the sides for fingers to rest in. A rubber lining framing along the back corners helps to improve grip.

The case offers excellent accessibility to all the iPhone’s ports and buttons. The areas around the volume buttons, headphone jack, sleep button, home button, and docking port are uncovered and left open, creating virtually no restriction of access.

In terms of aesthetics, the Teatro has a utilitarian look. Thin hard plastic cases can sometimes take on a cheap look, but the Teatro has nice build quality and a textured surface that gives it a neutral matte look. The stand on the back does create some awkward lines. It also is off-color gray that stands out against the black casing (the Teatro is also available in white/gray and pink/pink themes). In the end, we feel the the Teatro is a case that should be desired for its functionality, not its looks.

Conclusion

The built-in stand of the ZeroChroma Teatro ($39) is the best iPhone 4 case/stand solution we’ve seen yet. When not in use, the stand rests flat and out of the way. When in use, it offers a versatile range of angles to rest the iPhone at, supporting both portrait and landscape orientations. The downsides of the case are lack of protection due to its thin hard plastic, some awkward aestehtics, and an expensive price tag. But if you’re looking for the best iPhone case/stand combo, the Teatro is it. We rate the Teatro a 9.0 out of 10, highly recommended.

Review Summary

Price: $39

Art of the iPhone’s Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars out of 5)

Review Summary: The best case/stand combo solution for the iPhone 4/4S available due to its rotating stand and versatility. Not the most protective case, however.

Cost to Cancel a 2-Year AT&T Wireless iPhone Contract Early

Want to get out of your 2-year AT&T Wireless contract early? It’s going to cost you. How much? A fee high as $325 but probably less than that. The is a fee called an Early Termination Fee. Here’s how to calculate that fee:

1. If your contract was signed on or after June 1, 2010: $325 – ($10 x each full month of contract completed)

2. If your contract was signed before June 1, 2010: $150 – ($4 x each full month of contract completed)

How Do I Find Out When I Signed My 2-Year Contract?

1. Log in to AT&T Wireless at att.com:

2. Click on My Profile in the top right, then select User Information from the drop-down menu:

Step 2 Checking iPhone Contract Status

3. In the box labeled Contract Information, you’ll see your Contract end date:

Contract End Date for ATT

2 years before that date is when your contract began. To calculate how far along in your contract you are, count the months to that date and subtact that number from 24 (example: 24 months – months until contract end date ).

If you wish to see the terms of your contract, click on Contract (Wireless), which will open a PDF document showing your calling plan, contract activation date, and other important info.

Contract Info on ATT Wireless website

Here is the exact language on Early Termination Fees taken from AT&T.com’s Customer Agreement page:

If your Service Commitment includes the purchase of certain specified Equipment on or after June 1, 2010, the Early Termination Fee will be $325 minus $10 for each full month of your Service Commitment that you complete. (For a complete list of the specified Equipment, check att.com/equipmentETF). Otherwise your Early Termination Fee will be $150 minus $4 for each full month of your Service Commitment that you complete.

How to Search for Text Within a Web Page on the iPhone & iPad

The ability to search for a specific bit of text within a web page has long been a sorely missing feature on the iPhone and iPad. Thankfully, Apple added the feature in the iOS 4.2 update. Too bad the iOS browser gives no indication on how to use the feature. But we’ve got you covered:

How to Search for Text Within a Web Page

1. On the webpage you want to search, tap the “Google” Search Bar in the top right corner:

2. Enter the text you want to search for, but do not tap the Search button:

3. Look below the drop-down list, you’ll see text that reads On This Page (X matches):

4. Quickly swipe upwards on the screen:

5. At the bottom of the list that appears on the screen, tap the text Find “Your Text”:

6. Any text that matches your phrase will be highlighted in yellow:

7. Tap Next to travel to matching text. Tap Done when finished:

And that’s it! Not too obvious, huh? Be sure to check out more of our posts on iPhone Basics.

12 Best Free iPhone Calorie Counters (Diet Apps)

The fact that the iPhone is always with you makes it an ideal way to track your calories consumed and burned on a daily basis. And the best calorie tracker apps below make it easy to not only find and add up your daily calories, but to track your progress over time. And probably the best thing about using these apps is that, even if you stop tracking your calories after a while, the time you do manage to spend tracking helps you learn about those little habits that sabotage your weight loss—who knew that morning bagel had over 350 calories? Using these apps, even for a short while, will help you learn the right habits to help manage your weight over time.

The list below is of are 12 iPhone Calorie Trackers. My top pick (and the one I personally use), is MyFitnessPal, but Lose It! is another great app that many enjoy (and I’ll admit, it’s a little better looking). MyFitnessPal has an accompanying website where you can enter your calories and have it sync back to the app. There is also a community message board where people trying to lose weight can share their triumphs and struggles.

Free iPhone Calorie Counter Apps

1. MyFitnessPal 4.5 stars. Quick and easy tracking of calories. Database with over 525,000 foods. At-a-glance daily calorie count, including calories burned from exercise. Save favorite meals for quick tracking in the future. No Internet connection required. Track daily protein, carbs, sugar, etc. Syncs and backs up with MyFitnessPal.com website. Free account you can create within the app. Community forums with over 1,000,000 users. .
2. Lose It! 4 stars. Features a fast and good-looking interface. Large database of foods and exercises to quickly add calories and calories burned. Sync and backup with LostIt.com website. Export data to Excel. Save favorite meals for quick and easy tracking in the future. Track nutrients like protein, fat, carbs, etc.
3. DailyBurn 4 stars. Food database with over 350,000 entries, featuring food pictures, nutrition info, and macronutrient breakdown. Track calories, protein, fat, carbs, fiber, sodium, etc. Set personalized weight-loss goals based on fitness, age, weight, gender, and activity level. Get customized diet plans for weight loss, low-carb diets, low-fat diets, and bodybuilding. .
4. Calorie Counter
by MyNetDiary 		3.5 stars. Database features over 225,000 foods. Search as you type. Set up desired weight-loss pace based on your age, gender, activity level, etc. Built-in barcode scanner. Water tracking. 500 exercises. Internet connection required. Download.
5.Diet & Food Tracker by SparkPeople 3.5 stars. Features over 1 million foods in its database. Offers a quick-glance view of calories consumed and burned. Tracks exercises and calories burned. Charts show weight loss over time. Syncs with SparkPeople.com account. Free account. Access to articles on health and dieting.
6. Calorie Counter by CalorieCount.com 3.5 stars. Search and log nutritional data from a database of over 100,000 foods. Easy-to-use dashboard to navigate the app and visualize your progress. Compare daily calorie intake vs calories burned. Includes over 150 healthy recipes in-app selected by registered dietician. Record and chart your daily weight. Sync with CalorieCounter.com account. Supports limited offline logging.
7. Calorie Counter by ShapeUp Club 3 stars. Has over 400,000 foods in its database. Create your own entries for foods, meals, and exercises. Track calories, water intakes, and nutrition. See your dieting progress in charts. Write daily comments in a diary. Take “before and after” photos. Protect your entries with a password.
8. Calorie Counter by FatSecret 3 stars. Quickly find the calorie and nutrition info of your favorite foods, brands, and restaurants. Features a barcode scanner for quick entry of foods. Food diary helps plan and keep track of what you’re eating. Exercise diary for your calories burned. Track your weight.
9. Eat What? 3 stars. Set healthy eating objects like weight control, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Establish a daily calorie budget. Record your calories from foods and those burned from exercises. Simple, intuitive interface.
10. Weight Watchers Mobile 3 stars.Uses Weight Watchers brand new PointsPlus program to help you diet. Must be a Weight Watchers Online member to use the points system tracker, otherwise there are basic features like accessing healthy recipes and shopping lists.
11. Nutrition Genius FREE 2.5 stars. Features beautiful user interface. Everything-at-a-glance calendar view. 75,000+ foods in its database. 540+ restaurant menus. 160+ exercises. No internet required, even for access to the foods database.
12. Calorie Master Free 2 stars. Track calories consumed and calories burned in a calendar view. Create a daily goal. Add custom foods and favorites. Includes over 100 exercises for tracking calories burned. Log your weight over time and view in charts. Password protection for privacy.