The Empire New-Skin for iPhone 4 ($15) is the type of case that benefits from slick marketing photos, making it look like it’s made from better materials than it really is. In reality, the New-Skin looks cheap and suffers from durability issues. But it’s not all bad, as the case doesn’t get in the way of using the iPhone like some cases do. And it does have at least one feature of note: a cut-out for the iPhone 4’s SIM tray, something we haven’t seen yet, and which may appeal to frequent SIM switchers.
This has happened to me several times: I’ll pick up my iPad to discover it has shut itself off, or at least has a black screen and won’t respond. Not because of overheating, and not because there’s no battery left. And it just won’t turn back on. At least at first. And sometimes not for quite a while. It’s pretty scary.
A little research shows that others are having this problem, sometimes even with an iPhone. The cause is unknown, but the best theory is that it’s some type of kernel panic. The quickest solution? Hold down both the home and sleep buttons for about 10 seconds to do a forced shutdown. The iPad should start again with no problems.
A glimpse at the extra thick silicone of the Gumdrop MotoSkin ($30) is enough to know it offers excellent shock absorption for accidental drops. Unfortunately, at least one major design flaw ruins the usability of the case, making it an also ran in the growing pantheon of iPhone 4 cases.
Our main problem with the MotoSkin is that it makes the iPhone’s sleep button difficult to press. The sleep button is probably the iPhone’s second most-used button, and to interfere with its functionality is unacceptable. The case fails to leave enough room for your fingertip to access the button, so when you press down, you’re pressing the silicone of the case. Extra force is required to press down both silicone and button. While it’s not impossible to press the button, it’s much too difficult.
The Case-Mate Barely There iPhone 4 case ($25) is an eggshell-thin, plastic hard case that doesn’t offer up much in the way of protection or any other area for that matter. Its poor design makes it hard to justify the expensive price tag, even as a possible remedy for the iPhone 4’s external antenna atennuation.
When we reviewed the original Barely There case for the iPhone 3G, we were able to overlook its lack of shock absorption and give it a mild recommendation thanks to its stylish glossy exterior that matched the iPhone exactly and its scratch protection properties. But the new iPhone 4’s front-and-back glass have changed the iPhone case priorities away from scratch resistance toward shock absorption.
Unfortunately, the Barely There’s eggshell-thin plastic offers almost no shock absorption. The case’s rim around the iPhone’s screen barely rises above the surface, so the full force of a drop would be fully felt on the iPhone’s glass. Continue reading…
Twelve South’s BookArc for iPad ($40) is a stylish, heavy steel stand that, while not the most versatile stand for the iPad we’ve seen (it only supports two viewing angles), looks pretty good on a desk, is made of quality materials, and has a few thoughtful design elements. In the end though, we desire function over form and would rather it come with a few more tricks up its sleeves.
The BookArc is a beautifully wrought, thick chunk of curved steel. Weighing in at 1.4 pounds, it makes for a nice paperweight should you no longer have use for it. The steel is covered with a silver paint that has a subtle sheen.
The iPad rests in a slot in the middle of the BookArc that is lined with a silicone rubber insert. The insert serves two purposes: 1. protecting your iPad from the steel scratching it, and 2. allowing the iPad to be tilted at an angle for better viewing.
Our main complaint about the BookArc is that it only allows for the iPad to sit at two different angles: one at a slight angle, and the other straight up and down. There is no way to adjust the angle, so if the iPad is experiencing glare from lights, you’ll have to move the light or move the iPad.
A second silicone insert is included in case you want the BookArc to hold a MacBook or MacBook Pro.
The iPad can rest comfortably in both landscape and portrait mode in the stand. In a nice design touch, a circular cutout in the stand gives you easy access to the iPad’s home button while sitting in portrait mode.
You can also easily run the iPad’s USB to dock connector cable through the stand in various ways. I was also able to plug in the cord to the iPad, then stick the iPad into the stand with the cord still on, although it does bend the cord at a precarious angle.
The BookArc can hold an iPad wearing Apple’s official iPad case ($40) if you remove the silicone insert. But we found this solution to be a little janky, as the iPad doesn’t settle easily into the stand with the Apple case case on. It can take a little jiggering to get it to settle, especially to rest it at an angle. And because removing and replacing the silicone inserts is a hassle, we can only recommend the BookArc if you don’t use a case, or you always leave it in the case. The Apple’s iPad case doubles as its own stand, so if you use one, you might not need a stand anyways.
At 4.3 inches wide and 8 inches tall, the BookArc will take up a good amount of desk real estate. The size may bother those who like an uncluttered desktop. But if you’re like me and have slowly been collecting more and more iDevices, it’s getting hard to maintain a minimalist desktop anyways.
The stability of the stand is good but not great. It can accept a light to medium touch to the iPad’s screen without tipping over, but it would tilt over with a strong touch or an errant wave of the hand.
Conclusion
BookArc for iPad ($40) is a beautiful stand perfect for a minimalistic desktop or those going for a modern Mac aesthetic. Its heavy steel and a few nice design tweaks justify its somewhat expensive price (expensive for a stand, anyways). But its inflexibility when it comes to viewing angles is a major drawback. Still, we give the BookArc for iPad our recommendation, 7.5 out of 10.
Apple’s iBooks app can read both PDF and ePub documents, but there are times when you’ll want to convert your PDFs to ePub. Why? Because the ePub format is easier to read on smaller mobile devices, as the text is flowable, you can increase/decrease the font size, and you can highlight text and write notes.
To convert from PDF to ePub, you’ll need to download the free application called Calibre (available for Windows, Mac, and Linux).
How to Convert PDF to ePub using Calibre:
1. Open Calibre. During the initial setup, you’ll be asked for the type of device you’ll be using. Choose Apple, then iPhone/iTouch + Stanza (don’t worry, you won’t have to use Stanza to read the ePub docs):
The Case-Mate Vroom ($15) for iPhone 4 is an affordable silicone rubber case that sports a masculine tire-tread pattern on its back. While we weren’t impressed with the previous version of the Vroom for the 3G thanks to a loose fit, the iPhone 4 version has improved enough for us to drastically change our opinion. We love the Vroom’s excellent protection at a cheap price, the improved grip, and as a remedy for the iPhone 4’s antenna attenuation problem.
As mentioned, our biggest issue with the previous Vroom was a loose fit that would cause the iPhone to slip out of the case during everyday use. It was so bad, we couldn’t give the case a recommendation. The issue has now been mostly fixed, as the corners fit much tighter, helping to prevent the case from slipping off easily, although there is still a little bit of looseness we’d like to see corrected.
Apple’s iBooks app supports the ePub format, an open e-book standard accessible to anyone with the desire to publish. Apple’s wraps its own iTunes ePub books in FairPlay DRM, which prevents users from editing or making copies. But iBooks can read DRM-free ePub books too as well as PDFs.
This means that anyone can publish and sell books for the iPad without going through the iTunes store. But what software can you use to create or edit ePub documents?
Sigil (link) is one solution. It’s a free, open-source ePub ebook editor that runs on Windows, Macs, and Linux. And it comes with a robust set of features, including a Table of Contents editor, multiple editing views (book view, code view, and split view), and multi-level TOC support.
Besides creating eBooks, another use for Sigil is to edit DRM-free ePub docs and books. This will especially come in handy for those PDF to ePub conversions (which can be accomplished using applications like Calibre) that often introduce errors into the text.
Some may find it easier to publish in the PDF format, but readers will lose out on some nice ePub features like notes, highlighted text, and flowable text. If you ask me, ePub is the way to go for the iPad and iPhone.
The Klipsch Image S4i ($99) are stylish, bass-heavy headphones that have an Apple-friendly three-button control/microphone dongle and which deliver excellent sound reduction. Packaged with a nice set of accessories, the S4is are a step up from Apple’s default headphones as well as similarly priced rivals.
For a pair of mid-tier priced headphones, the Klipsch S4i deliver the audio goods, besting even some more expensive headphones. The S4i’s strongest audio characteristic is an impressive level of bass that can be felt as well as heard. Lovers of hip hop and bass-driven music will be more than satisfied with the S4i’s. Continue reading…
Emoji can be used for more than just text messages. The iPhone lets you use them to label folders. Why not use an image of a hamburger to label a folder of your favorite food apps? It’s easy. Here’s how.
1. Activate emoji on the iPhone. It’s easier than ever (click here for step-by-step instructions).
2. Create a new folder, or hold your finger down on an existing one until it starts wiggling then tap the folder.
3. Tap the text area where the name of the folder goes. When the iPhone’s touchscreen keyboard comes up, switch to the emoji keyboard by tapping the globe icon until it appears. Search for an appropriate emoji and type it in.
This iPhone tip was inspired by a similar one discovered by iPhone J.D.
