SPG - iPhone Reviews

Review: ZAGGmate Keyboard case for iPad 1 and iPad 2

Tue, 10 May 2011 17:19:41 +0000

Once in a while a 'convergence' product comes along that just seems an ideal combination. When we heard that Zagg Inc were releasing a combined case and bluetooth keyboard for the iPad, we were keen to see how the concept would work in practice. Read on to find out how it fares!

Developer:
Zagg Inc

Product:
ZAGGmate

Platform:
iPad 1 and iPad 2. These are separate but functionally identical products due to the difference in iPad 1 and 2 dimensions

Price:
$99.99 plus $13.45 shipping to UK (iPad 1 and 2); $49.99 for iPad 1 without keyboard

With thanks to Nate Nelson of Zagg Inc for providing the review sample

Introduction

The ZAGGmate was first released at the end of 2010 and was available with or without the keyboard. Demand was initially very high so review samples were not available but recently Zagg have caught up with demand and they offered us the opportunity to give it the once over! The sales and support network in UK is not yet fully operational so mine came direct from Zagg in Salt Lake City. It arrived within six days, which I think is excellent. ZAGG have now released the iPad 2 version called the 'Logitech Keyboard Case by ZAGG for iPad 2'; ZAGG have confirmed to me that it is exactly the same as the iPad 1 version apart from different dimensions consistent with the new iPad's smaller size. The iPad 2 version is only available with the keyboard and costs the same as the iPad 1 version.

The ZAGGmate is packed in a substantial shipping box with air cell protection and the device itself has clear plastic packaging designed for hanging on point of sale stands. Included in the pack are the ZAGGmate itself, a microUSB charging cable, a brief instruction leaflet and four self adhesive plastic feet than can optionally be stuck on the flat underside to reduce slipping if typing on a flat surface.

Appearance and Function

The ZAGGmate has two functions- a protective cover for the iPad and a hardware keyboard for those times when the software keypad may be inconvenient or ineffective. Please note that my iPad has another Zagg protective product, the Leatherskin, installed. This covers the back of my iPad so the photographs do not show the 'coherence' of the stock iPad and ZAGGmate combination.

Protection
The protection is provided by a substantial aluminium tray lined by a layer of dense but thin polyurethane foam. It covers the screen and sides, but not the back and is held in place by an interference fit between the edges of the iPad and the foam insert. The horizontal parts of the cover above and below the keyboard are lined with the same protective foam to protect the screen when closed. In my two months of use the fit is as snug as ever and shows no sign of loosening. The aluminium itself is finished to look the same as the back panel of the iPad, making the whole thing, when closed, look very neat and unified.

Opening the iPad from the closed position requires placing a finger or thumb under the dropped front edge of the ZAGGmate and prising the two components apart. This becomes a very easy operation after the first few attempts but there is a knack to it! Due to the shape of the ZAGGmate and the presence of the keyboard, the iPad does not locate within it when open and in use as a normal tablet. This can be an inconvenience as the empty ZAGGmate has to be placed somewhere until it is needed again. Conceptually this is probably no different to some of the more substantial slip cases available for the iPad.

When initially looking at the ZAGGmate I was a little concerned about the added weight from the aluminium casing and integrated keyboard. I was therefore a little surprised, and pleased that it actually weighs less than my previous Noreve flip-over case. The Noreve weighs 385g and the ZAGGmate 350g- about 10% lighter.

Keyboard
Once open and ready for use as a keyboard, the ZAGGmate looks like a standard notebook keyboard with a recess in the top third of the tray in which to locate the iPad. This has a central flip-up hinge which locks in place to hold the iPad at a comfortable angle for typing. The front edge of this recess has two long lugs which locate at the edge of the iPad's screen bezel to maintain it in position. Between the recess and the keyboard are the on/off switch, Bluetooth pairing button and LEDs for status and charging. The iPad can be located in landscape or portrait orientation.

Preparing for use

It is advisable to fully charge the ZAGGmate battery before use though mine did have some charge when it arrived. This uses a microUSB socket on the left hand edge, and it charges via any standard PC, mains or car USB socket. A mains adapter is not supplied.

Once charged, the next step is to pair the ZAGGmate with the iPad. This is a simple operation, the same as any other pairing process though the instruction leaflet has a clear step by step guide. Switch the ZAGGmate on then press the recessed. bluetooth button. During the pairing, the iPad will show a notification with a four digit security code. Type this on the ZAGGmate then press Enter, and the process is complete. The power switch feels a little insubstantial and lacks a positive click action. Pushing the bluetooth pairing button needs a little care at first as the actual button is slightly masked by the surrounding foam material, but once mastered the process is simple.

To pair with subsequent devices, press and hold the Bluetooth button on the ZAGGmate to initiate pairing mode and repeat the process on the desired connecting device. The ZAGGmate can only pair with one device at a time. Zagg have said that this is intentional to prevent unwanted keystrokes if a second paired device is in Bluetooth range. Thankfully the pairing process is very quick so this should not be an issue for most users.

The ZAGGmate goes into sleep mode if no key is pressed for about five minutes, but it is advisable to use the on/off switch for extended periods between use. The pairing once switched on again completes within a couple of seconds.

In Use

Protection
There is little to say about the ZAGGmate's use as a protective cover. It is constructed of high quality aluminium and there is no hint of any flexing or bowing. The main shell is a single pressing which aids its structural integrity. The rear panel of the iPad is not protected but as this is also an aluminium pressing, it is inherently quite robust. When closed, the buttons of the iPad fall inside the aluminium lip and there are cutouts in the foam liner at the appropriate places. Only the connector port is left exposed to facilitate charging with the cover in place. All this leads me to suspect that the screen would have ample protection if dropped though I have refrained from a practical test!

Keyboard
For most people, the main selling point of this product is the integrated keyboard. Once paired and charged it is simply a matter of raising the support, locating the iPad and switching on the keyboard. After a couple of seconds the bluetooth indicator on the iPad screen goes 'bright' to confirm connection. When initially turning it on via the power switch, the red status LED lights for a short time indicating the battery power level.

There has been some comment on user forums about the robustness of the raising hinge. This is in the form of a plastic moulding folded in half with a light plastic connector forming the hinge. Two lugs on the lower part engage with retaining clips on the housing and they click into place. There is no loading on the hinge itself if located correctly and it only needs to move through an angle of about 45 degrees while in the process of locating, so I cannot foresee any issues of longevity.

In use the keys have a very similar feel to a notebook or netbook keyboard. Key travel is short but positive and the typing feedback is good. I am not a touch typist, but my six finger hunt and peck approach has been aided by the general feel of the keyboard. Unlike my Advent netbook, I have encountered no sticky or unresponsive keys. Serious typists will find the narrow width of the keyboard a little inhibiting, but again this is no worse than many notebooks with a 9" or 10" screen.

The physical layout of the keyboard follows the US standard but the actual key operations can be set to other layouts by using the iPad's keyboard settings. This is quite subtle and works well. For instance, I use the iPad's English (British) keyboard setting and would normally press to type a £ sign. Although this key cap shows a # sign, the key press does enter a £ character. When you really need the # character, simply pressing achieves this. If more than one keyboard layout is installed in the iPad settings, the top right key of the keyboard scrolls through the available layouts allowing you to quickly switch key assignments.

A huge number of characters is available via the

Review: CamerAlert by PocketGPSWorld for iPad, iPhone and Android

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:02:47 +0000

Safety cameras on our roads today are a fact of life, and love them or hate them there is no doubt that sensibly placed cameras can reduce road casualties. If one accepts that the purpose of these things is to ensure that traffic drives within the law, then it can equally be argued that processes for alerting the driver to the presence of cameras can be also be legitimate. PocketGPSWorld have for many years been an authority on all things to do with mobile navigation, and we are now testing their program that uses GPS satellites to alert drivers to the presence of safety cameras in UK.

Program:
CamerAlert

Developer:
PocketGPSWorld

Platform:
Apple iOS and Android

Cost:
Initial cost £0.59; Annual UK subscription: £19.99

Devices used in review:
Apple iPad and Apple iPhone 4

Note that the screenshots in this review are a mixture of those from the iPhone and iPad versions of CamerAlert.

Note also that this program will not work with the WiFi only iPad or the iPhone models without GPS.

With thanks to Darren Griffin of PocketGPSWorld for providing the review program and database subscription.

Introduction

PocketGPSWorld (PGPS) have been involved in the support, reporting and reviewing of all things pertaining to mobile navigation and GPS for a number of years. They have built a solid reputation for reliable advice. A few years ago they released a subscription based database of speed cameras that could be imported into a number of different satellite navigation programs.

As a consequence of the popularity of this add-on, PGPS developed the program under review, CamerAlert, to offer the same alerting functions without the need to run a full navigation program. This is consequently a much smaller program and it costs a lot less than most satellite navigation programs. The Apple iOS version is a Universal App, which contains code for native iPad and iPhone installations. Both the iOS and Android versions can be obtained via the respective marketplace links on the devices.

Concept

Many of us remember the introduction of fixed speed cameras some years ago. Initially envisaged to be deterrent devices in high risk areas they evolved to include punitive and revenue generating functions. Variants have included front facing, rear facing and more recently average speed cameras. To promote the road safety element of these cameras, the name has changed from 'speed cameras' to 'safety cameras' and in the pursuance of the safety element we have seen the introduction of cameras monitoring traffic lights and railway crossings. There are currently nine different types of fixed cameras in use in the UK.

In addition to the fixed cameras, the police also use a variety of mobile cameras, either hand held, tripod mounted or vehicle mounted. In total there are currently about 6000-7000 safety camera sites in the UK.

As the number of cameras has increased, facilities have evolved to avoid being caught by one. Obviously the best way is to drive within the speed limit at all times but this can be difficult especially in unfamiliar areas and where the road signage is poor. At first we saw the publication of paper maps showing camera sites. These soon became obsolete as the number of sites grew. Next we saw the 'radar detector' type of in-car warning but many of those were poor at detection and some of the newer cameras could not be detected by this method.

With the surge in popularity of mobile GPS devices, it became possible to map camera sites and incorporate these into the 'Points of Interest' data of many satellite navigation programs. This is how the concept behind CamerAlert came about. PGPS started producing a database of camera sites that could be imported into many of the popular satellite navigation programs. As the number of users increased, the facility for 'community feedback' was added. Users could report new camera sites, changes to speed limits or discontinued sites. To guard against the possibility of accidental or deliberate misreporting, all changes need to be corroborated by other members or PGPS staff. This has resulted in the current weekly update of the database.

CamerAlert is an evolution of the original idea and is a stand alone program solely concerned with alerting the user to safety camera sites in the vicinity. It does not include any navigational facilities nor warning of potential cameras on a planned route. It does include the facility to view your current locality using Google Maps with camera sites overlaid as push pins.

Installation

As CamerAlert is obtained via the marketplace facility on each device, initial installation is largely automatic. Apple users can also use iTunes to download and install the App and Android users can download the apk file from the PGPS website for local installation. The installation file contains an out of date version of the camera database, but the price includes a single download of the most current file. A subscription to further weekly updates costs £19.99 per annum.

On using the program for the first time, it is necessary to register and download a current data file. Select Settings/Manage Cameras to access this facility. This does need a valid data connection to complete so doing it at home via WiFi is the best method. As we mentioned, the program as downloaded contains an old version of the database. The initial cost includes one fresh update, but users with a new or existing annual subscription can also link the app to their account. A single subscription can be accessed by up to three devices across the supported operating systems.

The initial registration request takes the user to a registration page using the device browser. Returning to the program enables the download to be accessed. Users with an existing subscription can then link the device to their account using the existing user name and password.

When this step is completed the user can tap the download button to access the latest database build. As this is a text file the download is swift and uses little data. Once downloaded the new data is written to the program. The program automatically checks for a new database at startup and if one is detected the user receives a voice and visual warning of the advisability of updating, which is done as for the initial download, by accessing Settings/Manage Cameras/Download database. I would prefer to see an option for subscribers to have the updates downloaded and installed automatically.

Interface

I am using the iOS version but the Android version is pretty much the same. On opening the program for the first time you are presented with a full screen Google Map of the UK with speed and satellite status displays at the top left and right of the screen respectively and an icon bar with five icons at the bottom. You will also hear a verbal warning that the camera data is out of date. Once on the move with a valid GPS fix, the map will zoom into your current location.

The various display elements function as follows:

Speed Display: shows your current speed. If you are in the vicinity of a camera and are within the speed limit, the digits display in green, but if over the limit they are red. Touching this display element turns on the average speed function- useful when driving within an average speed monitored section of road. Your current speed remains in the left part of the readout and the average speed displays on the right. Again, this is red if over speed and green if within the limit. The average speed feature is automatically invoked when the cameras are included in the available data, of which more later.
Status Display: This normally shows as a red or blue satellite pictograph. It is red when a GPS fix has not been obtained and blue when a fix is valid. When approaching a safety camera above the speed limit this display changes to show the applicable speed limit. Tapping this icon brings up a dialog box allowing the program to be terminated.
GPS Icon (bottom left): turns the GPS receiver on or off. Obviously this should normally be left on otherwise position detection cannot be achieved. Turning off the GPS allows the map to be dragged and zoomed to view areas other than your current position, which is useful when needing to verify or modify camera site details.
List Icon: Switches the display from the map to a list of cameras in the vicinity and their relative position to your current location.
Camera Submission: This is the centre icon of the bottom row and is used to submit details of a new camera or update an existing camera site.
Music Icon: Touching this icon pops up a large volume slider which controls the volume of audio alerts and music playing via the iPod app. If iPod is active the artist and track name show below the volume slider with pause, previous and next buttons at the bottom. There is also a sound routing button to select between remote audio (bluetooth or headphones)and the device speaker.
Settings Icon: Self explanatory, and covered later!

Although the Google Map display is the default, as described above the List button switches to a list of cameras within range. This can be useful if you don't have a sufficient data plan to allow continuous updating of the map. As the map is a Google Maps facility, the map segments are downloaded in real time rather than being cached on the device. The list view however uses the saved database so needs no data connection. The program itself does not require a data connection as the satellite data is gathered by the GPS receiver and manipulated by the program for display.

Taking all things into consideration, my preference is to use the List View for normal driving. This ensures that data download is kept to a minimum and it is somewhat easier to read at a glance. It also avoids the annoying 'grey tile' display when the data stream is unable to keep up with the map segment requirements. Upcoming cameras are listed about one mile ahead though the actual warning only activates when all the trigger parameters are met- distance, vector and camera direction etc. I have enabled the map to display when a warning is activated, giving a more precise indication of its location. This reverts to the list once the camera site is passed.

While in either display, nearby cameras are marked on the map or in the list with icons according to their type. The list view is ordered by distance to each camera and each entry has an arrow icon showing the camera's position relative to your current position and heading. Tapping a camera icon opens a screen showing details of the camera type, precise location, applicable speed limit and whether it is monitoring the same, opposite or both carriageway directions. There are further screens allowing corrections to be submitted to PGPS.

When the GPS is turned off the map can be scrolled and zoomed at will; switching to the list display will list cameras relative to the map's current position.

The warning system in use

This is the core function of the program and its purpose is the give adequate warning of safety cameras in the vicinity. The 'look ahead' time can be adjusted within the settings but 30-40 seconds would seem to be adequate.

The program is intelligent enough to limit warnings to those cameras valid on your route; so for instance a camera only monitoring the opposite direction would be listed but no warning would be given. The 'geometry' of the warning system can be adjusted in the advanced camera settings though these are best left at their default values to avoid the risk of false negative or false positive warnings.

On approaching a valid camera, a red bar is shown on the screen displaying the distance and time to the camera, the camera type and its speed limit. There is also a range of audible warnings which can each be turned on or off. An example would say " Mobile Camera Zone; speed limit thirty miles per hour" . The time and distance readings decrease as you approach the camera. The satellite pictograph at the upper right of the screen changes to display the speed limit if you are exceeding it and the upper left speed display turns from green to red if you are over the limit. If 'warn when speeding' is selected in the Sounds settings, the current speed limit will be spoken at regular intervals as long as you are exceeding the limit. Note that this pertains to the camera site itself not your current position, so it is possible that you will get an over speed warning even if you are within the limit at your current location. This is most noticeable where there is a camera just inside a change from a national speed limit to a limited zone; you could be warned of being over speed for much of the look-ahead time.

Once a camera zone is passed there is an optional 'all clear' verbal notification.

The volume of the audible warnings is set using the volume slider in the sound setting, accessed by pressing the sound button on the icon bar. This is a composite setting which controls warning sounds and iPod music volume. A vagary of the iOS system is that if no music is playing, the hardware volume buttons only control the phone ringer volume; if music is playing the buttons control music and warning sound volume. There would appear to be no way to increase warning sounds without increasing music playback volume.

We are seeing a fast increase in the number of average speed cameras, both temporary and permanent, and CamerAlert has a useful feature for dealing with these. Users submitting new camera sites can select whether a camera is at the start, intermediate or end of a sequence. Once in the database, the program will automatically commence the average speed reading (displayed at the top left of the screen) and stop it at the end of the sequence. If you should turn off before the last camera, the average speed calculation can be stopped by tapping the readout area.

Notification of new or modified camera sites

As mentioned earlier, one of the strengths of the PGPS database is the ability for users to notify changes to camera sites. This facility requires the user to be a current subscriber to the database update system. A nice incentive for users to make notifications, is that the first to submit a new camera site that is successfully verified may be awarded a lifetime membership of PGPS and its database updates.

There are a number of ways to prepare for a new submission depending on whether it is safe to process and submit the necessary parameters. If one is the only occupant of the car, the safest and simplest method is to tap the camera icon in the bottom bar. This commits the current latitude, longitude and direction of travel to memory and opens the New Camera screen; this can be left open until it is safe to process the required information prior to submitting the data. Alternatively, in Armchair Mode the map can be scrolled to the required position, and the camera icon tapped to invoke the new camera screen. This method can also be used to update details of an existing camera site.

Once a site has been selected for submission, the method is the same for new cameras as well as updating existing sites. The first screen selects the camera type and also has the facility to fine tune its position. This is achieved by tapping the 'expand' arrow at the bottom right of the small map square. The map can then be zoomed and dragged while a small cross remains stationary in the centre of the screen. Simply move the map until the cross is over the exact location then reduce the map again. Now select the relevant camera type. This opens a screen listing available speed limits (except Red Light cameras which omit this screen); once selected the camera direction screen opens. This also has options for including a voice note of up to eight seconds and a photo of the camera site. The iPhone version includes the ability to take a geo-tagged picture, but all devices can also select from an existing photograph. These options increase the accuracy of submissions. Once all the data is correct, press the Submit button to send the data to PGPS. The submission will be confirmed by an automated email message. Average speed cameras have an additional screen for selecting where in the sequence the camera is situated.

Settings

The program settings are accessed via the icon in the bottom bar. These control program updates, notification, map display and general program options.

Manage Cameras
This was covered in the Installation section.

Sound Warnings
There is an overall setting for sound on or off selected by a slider, but tapping the menu item opens the detailed settings. This includes the 'look ahead' time, the type of warnings to use, whether to fade or mute if the music player is active and tick selection to enable or disable warnings for the various camera types.

Map display
This includes options for the different types of Google Map display, whether or not to display the map. For those wanting to restrict mobile data usage the map can be set to off all the time, or to only show in the vicinity of an active camera site. Other options allow device rotation and control the zoom level.

Miscellaneous
There are currently five options in this section:

Prevent standby keeps the device awake- used mainly if a power supply is connected.
Use night colours selects a more subdued text display for night driving. Note that this does not affect the map display as Google Maps does not have that option. My preference at night is to switch to Night Colours in List mode, with the map set only to show 'near cam'. There is no facility for automated night switching.
Mirror display is interesting; if your vehicle has a large flat dashboard, you can place the device flat and use this option to project a reversed 'head-up' display onto the screen.
Units of measure: Imperial or Metric.
'On startup also run' allows another program to be invoked whenever CamerAlert is started. This makes use of the operating system's multitasking to allow CamerAlert to run in the background but continue to deliver audible warnings. Typically the 'also run' program would be a full satellite navigation application, leaving CamerAlert to handle to safety camera warnings. This is a new option and the list is not exhaustive- my own satellite navigation favourite, iGO 2010 is not listed, but I can still open it manually when required.

Pros and Cons

Ease of use
Comprehensive and frequent updates
Community based database updates
Initial cost

None of major importance!
No automatic night mode
No automated data download
No independent control of warning sound volume

Conclusion

I have been using CamerAlert on my iPad and latterly my newly acquired iPhone4 for about six weeks and have been very impressed with the way it operates. In conjunction with iGO 2010 I can have either program in the foreground giving visual cues while the other one remains in the background giving audible instructions.

CamerAlert's interface is simple and easy to read, and warnings are given in good time.

Database updates are frequent and they download fast. It would be nice for subscribers to have the option for automatic downloading. I would also like to see an option for automatic night mode such as most navigation programs use- the data is already included in the GPS data stream.

The community element of this concept is superb. The sheer number of users and the responsiveness of the site staff to submissions means there is unlikely to be much risk of being caught out. The weekly updates for subscribers at £20 per annum is good value, though the basic program with its single update may well suit those who do not drive much- the majority of camera sites do not change very often though the current political situation had seen more variability in active and suspended sites.

This has become one of my most used programs - in nearly 40 years of driving I have never had a speeding conviction, and I'm hoping CamerAlert will help prevent it for the foreseeable future!

Review: iGo My way 2010 & Primo Satellite Navigation for iOS

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:41:14 +0000

For a number of years, we have been enthusing about the satellite navigation products from the iGo series, produced by Hungarian company Nav'n'Go (now called NNG).

We previously published a very positive review of iGO MyWay 2006 and were also impressed with our review sample of iGO8, though we were unable to publish that review as the developer failed to obtain an official distributor in UK.

NNG have continued to develop products for a number of platforms and OEMs, and we were recently offered the chance to review their newest version of iGO My way 2010 for iOS.

Read on to find out if it matches the previous standards!

Supplier:
NNG

Product:
iGo My way 2010 Western Europe

Platform:
iPhone and iPad V3.2 onwards

App Price:
£39.95 (currently reduced to £22.99 in the App Store). The UK and Ireland version is currently £14.99

Download Size:1.63GB

With thanks to Teodora Vereska of Morpho Communications for supplying the review program.

Introduction

As I mentioned in the preamble, NNG have been producing high quality satellite navigation products for a number of years. They have always been exemplified by excellent graphics and accurate routing. Due to distribution problems, they have been largely absent from the UK market for some time, but now with the development of an iOS version, they can once again make iGo available here.

It can be purchased in a number of different forms comprising single or multiple geographical regions. There are currently twenty variants available in the App Store. The one I have been testing is the Western Europe version which costs £39.99 and is a rather large 1.63GB download.

These are marketed as iPhone Apps, compatible with both V3 and V4 software. As I don't own an iPhone, but do have an iPad, I enquired about the compatibility with this and was told it should be OK! Subsequent experience has proven this correct though it does run in Compatibility Mode so needs the X2 magnification selected.

Installation

As this is an iOS program, it is simply a case of locating it in the App Store, completing the purchase and downloading it. The size of the program means it requires a decent broadband connection so it is best downloaded to iTunes on a desktop computer, then copied to the device after the download is complete. The whole process went smoothly and there were no unwelcome surprises.

Once installed, just tap the iGo icon and the program starts up in about 10 seconds. As the iPad tends to keep the GPS receiver turned on, there was absolutely no lag while a fix was obtained. The startup screen immediately showed my current location and was ready for a destination input. It works equally well in portrait or landscape orientation.

This Western Europe map covers 22 Western European countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Vatican.

It includes 13 languages for input and text to speech spoken directions.

Using the program

On starting iGO you see a simple screen with four tap regions: Show Map, Destination, My Route and More. My Route is only available if a route is currently active. There is a small 'Power' icon at the top left to exit the application. Pending a successful GPS fix, you will see an information pane at the top of the screen, which disappears once a fix is obtained.

For the moment let's just cut to the chase and pretend I am initially going to plan a journey- I can cover all the options later on.

Planning a journey
To plan a journey, just tap the Destination link on the main menu. This opens a screen showing the available types of destination- Address, Places, Find on map, Contacts and Favourites plus a pane at the bottom showing the last History item; this pane can be expanded to show the full history.

I will assume I now want to enter an address as a destination, so I tap the Find Address button. This opens up the main address screen which by default shows the last destination entered. Tapping any of the buttons allows a new entry to be input, consisting of Country, Town, Street and House Number or Intersection. The Town field can use either the actual town name or the postcode and the program supports full seven character postcode input for the UK. Once entered, complete the other fields as far as possible then tap the 'Select' button. iGo pioneered the 'intelligent keyboard' feature with iGo 2006; this means that only valid characters are highlighted on the on screen keyboard, making for faster and more accurate data entry. Happily this feature is present in the current version. Once the entry has been narrowed down sufficiently by typing the first few letters, there is a List button at the lower right which opens a screen showing possible matches.

When the destination is accepted, the screen changes to the Route Planning view; the route is computed using the current default settings. This default can be modified within the Settings menu. Once computed, the screen changes to the Route Overview from where adjustments can be made if desired before tapping the 'Go' button to start navigating. Below the options buttons is a schematic showing the route distance and estimated time, plus the type of route and vehicle selected. Between these is a row of four boxes which can contain any special warnings encountered en-route. These can include motorway tolls, ferries, unpaved roads or areas with limited access.

The Route Settings button opens up the overview of the routing type, vehicle in use and allowed road types. These can be altered using this screen. As with all satellite navigation programs, there is a choice of the type of vehicle for which to navigate, or to route as a pedestrian. They all show subtle changes to the selected route.

The More Options button opens a sub-screen with five further options. Route Alternatives opens a map showing four alternative routing methods, if applicable and their estimated time and distance. Selecting one of these shows the route on the map and Go commits the new route. Places Around Destination allows selection of a number of Places of Interest which I will cover a little later. Add Destination to Favourites is self explanatory. The remaining two buttons are Close and Share.

Close goes to the previous screen. Share opens a new email containing details of the selected destination. This can be sent to a friend who can either open their own copy of iGO and use the destination as an automated input, or if they don't own iGO can open the destination in Google Maps.

Navigating
Once all the parameters are correct, and the Go button is pressed, the main navigation screen opens. By default this follows the usual practice of showing a three dimensional map in 'track up' configuration- meaning the top of the map is always your current heading. There are other options which I will cover later. The screen is very clear and readable with the 'next turn' indication at the top left, the current road name or number in the top bar, and statistics at the lower left. The map automatically zooms in as you approach a manoeuvre and out again once completed. The statistics pane can show distance remaining, time remaining, arrival time and current speed. Tapping any of these elements makes that element the only one visible and tapping again pops the whole stack up again. On major roads with multiple lanes, approaching directions will show both the lane information and any relevant road signs. This is a great help in getting into the correct lane in good time.

Voice Guidance
iGo has always used an excellent spoken direction model and this version is just as good. There are a number of available voices and each language can have TTS (Text to Speech) or non TTS versions. The TTS voice is selected by default. This announces both the next instruction and if appropriate the actual road name or number. Directions are not configurable in the settings but I have found them to be a very good balance of information and timeliness. Once an instruction is completed we are immediately given a distance to the next instruction, for example 'Drive for six point five miles'. Nearing the next instruction and assuming I am approaching a left turn the instruction will be 'Prepare to turn left'; this is speed dependent so on a major road might be one mile from the next move but in an urban situation may only be a few hundred yards. The next instruction is 'Prepare to turn left in two hundred yards' and again is speed dependent. Next will be 'Turn left in one hundred yards' followed by 'Now turn left'. If there is another turn within a short distance, this will be added, with an explicit distance between the two. For example you may hear 'Turn left in two hundred yards then after three hundred and fifty yards take the third exit at the roundabout'. Once the first turn is completed, the next one is repeated as normal. Turn instructions can also have further modifiers, such as 'bear left' or 'turn sharp left'. Motorway instructions will also advise on keeping to the right or left hand lanes. There is also an option within the settings to give verbal warnings when you exceed the speed limit. This relies on the presence and accuracy of the data embedded in the maps, but most of the UK appears to be well served. If spoken warnings are turned off, the speed limit pops up as a graphic if you are exceeding the current limit.

Visual Elements
We have seen how the default map looks using my example journey, but there are a number of enhancements and adjustments that can be used to alter or enhance the map screen. In 3D+ mode, as well as the 3D view of the route, there are extra elements for buildings and terrain maps. The screenshots below show these in 'simulation mode' as I have not driven anywhere suitable to show these 'live'! The buildings textures are available for most major cities, but the terrain maps cover pretty much the whole of the coverage area of the program. There are also three general visual themes throughout the program which affect menu, buttons and borders. Settings menus have a green theme, mapping and viewing without a planned route have a blue theme and mapping and viewing when a route is active have an orange theme. A small point maybe, but thoughtful nonetheless.

The visual appearance can be altered using one of two controls accessible from the map screen.

Tapping the Hand icon to the right of the screen opens the orientation menu. This includes arrows for zooming in and out, tilting the 3D perspective and panning. The map can also be dragged and rotated by multitouch screen gestures. The compass arrow at the top left switches between Track Up and North Up views. All the arrows can be tapped, or tapped and held. A single tap executes a gross change to the control but tapping and holding causes a more gradual change. Once you have the map appearance to suit your needs, tap back to return to the navigation screen.

Tapping anywhere on the main map screen opens the Quick Menu which has large buttons for quickly changing visual elements such as zoom level, perspective and night/day colours. The latter is normally set to Auto and its effect is controlled by the sunrise/sunset times broadcast by the satellites, but occasionally it might be necessary to manually change this.

The Contacts and Favourites buttons allow quick navigation to one of these destinations, and once selected can be input as a new route, or a via to the existing route. Where Am I is useful for emergency calls- it shows your current location by co-ordinates and nearest town or locality. This screen also has a Help Nearby button which opens the POI list at useful sources of assistance ordered by distance. This screen also has controls for any music currently playing using the iPod app, a speaker Mute button and a volume boost control to enhance the level of the spoken directions.

The Main Menu can be accessed at any time by tapping the Menu button at the lower right of the screen. This screen allows changes to be made to the route, or further details of the route to be viewed. Show Map returns to the main navigation screen. Destination opens the Destination input screen as we saw earlier. My Route opens the Route overview screen similar to the initial planning screen though this screen also has a Cancel Route button at the lower right for starting afresh. The Route Settings button allows a different routing mode to be selected. More Options has four action buttons and a Close button. Route Alternative gives a graphical display of the different route types as we also covered earlier.

Simulate Navigation plays through the selected route step by step, with the ability to quickly go backwards and forwards using the navigation buttons. Itinerary shows an itemised list of the selected route elements at three levels of detail selected by the Mode button. Add Destination to Favourites allows the current destination to be added to the Favourites list for quicker access in the future; it can be assigned a meaningful name.

Accuracy
That just about sums up the setting up and control of plotting a journey, but that is of course only part of the story. Every satellite navigation program has its quirks of routing or map accuracy but most do a tolerable job of getting you there. iGO uses Navteq maps which are a pretty well known quantity. This version of iGO was released in October 2010 and last week a new map update was released, which bodes well for the accuracy of the underlying data. So, we have some of the best maps, and they appear to be up to date. The next element is the algorithm the company uses to manipulate that data and produce an accurate and economical route. Thankfully I have to report that iGo does an excellent job of routing. As has always been the case with previous iGo releases, they seem to have achieved a balance of road speeds and distances which suit my needs very well. I have used it on a number of test journeys where I know the roads and the best routes to take, and iGo invariably follows these. This gives me confidence that it will be equally efficient in routes I don't know, and which are, of course, the objective of programs such as this.

Alternative destination input methods
When I commenced the route planning, I went straight to the Find Address screen, but there are alternative methods of setting up a route. These are Find Places, Find on Map, Contacts and Favourites and History.

Find Places opens up the programs Points of Interest (POI) screen, which defaults to entries in your current vicinity. This is useful if you simply want to find a local service such as a Petrol Station or Restaurant, but the chances are that you will wish to navigate to somewhere a little more distant. In that case, tapping the Other Places button opens the overall POI location screen. Where there is no route currently planned, the Along Route and Around Destination options are unavailable, though this same screen is used for adding route alterations and additional stops to existing routes.

In this case I will tap In a City which opens up the selection screen with the last used destination entered by default. This can be edited if necessary and when the location is confirmed the screen changes to the type of POI you seek- by Name or Category. If you know what you are looking for, tap the Name button then enter the name, or press List for a complete list of entries ordered by distance from the centre of your destination. To choose a specific category, tap the Category button which opens up a scrollable screen containing all category types. This also has a Show All button at the top which shows all entries in order of distance from the destination. Once you have located your desired destination, tap its entry to show a screen containing the address and phone number if available plus a Select button which commits the route and moves onto the Go screen as for my initial planning.

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, this screen can be used to add a destination to an existing route. This allows the full selection of POI locations to be available and they are manipulated exactly the same as before. Once selected the location can be set as a new route or as an addition to the existing route. The program will not optimise the route and there is no way of manually adjusting the order. The route will be set in order of destination entry so care needs to be taken when planning a route with an additional stop. Using the My Route button from the main menu, then Cancel Route will give the option to cancel the whole route or just additional stop. Only one added stop can be programmed.

Find on Map allows a destination to be input directly on the map screen. Selecting this option opens the map screen at the last used destination. The screen can be rotated and zoomed using the normal touch screen gestures. Pressing at the desired location changes the cursor to a flashing location icon from where tapping the Select button will commit the route and compute the journey. If your destination is elsewhere than the current display, tap the More Options button at the top of the screen to open the usual Find City or POI controls.

Contacts and Favourites allows previously saved locations or entries in the default contacts app to be selected. Pressing Contacts opens a list of contacts with the usual letter selection list in the right margin and a search box at the top. Once selected the route is planned in the usual manner. As has been the case with all versions of iGo I have used, the process is hit and miss at best. Although all my contacts have the correct entry of address and post code details, fewer than half are actually recognised, the remainder prompting the 'No address found to resolve' error screen. I can only assume that this is due to the way it interprets and resolves property numbers. The underlying map information only contains samples of property numbers sufficient to allow close navigation, not the full list. I suspect that if an address contains a property number not in the list, the search fails. This is evidenced by the example that I have three friends in the same street- one is recognised and two are not though all their addresses are in the same format. This may not be a big issue as it is still possible to plan the route using the Address Find function but it is annoying that the feature is present but unreliable.

The History box contains the most recent selected location and tapping this immediately reselects it as a destination. The Show All button opens a full screen history list with the ability to select a history item, delete it or delete the whole list.

The Keyboard button allows the selection of alternative keyboard layouts for destination inputting.

The Main Menu

I have mentioned the Main Menu in passing earlier. This is the screen which is displayed when the program opens or when the Menu button is tapped from the map screen. The top bar shows a signal strength indicator for external GPS receivers; it is not active for devices using an internal receiver. The left of the top bar is the power button to turn the program off. Show Map returns to the main Map screen. Destination allows the input of a new destination or additional stop. My Route allows the viewing and modification of an existing route. More has links to the Music Player and Settings screens.
Music Player: This is a large button interface to the internal iPod app. Basic navigation can be achieved and tracks added to the playlist, but the function is limited. It is more effective to set up a playlist within iPod before commencing the journey if desired.
Settings: These are by and large self explanatory and I do not propose to dwell on them. There are however a couple of interesting items. Advanced Settings includes a check box for Background Navigation. For iOS4 devices, this means the app can stay active in the background and continue tracking location and delivering spoken directions. Starting Position allows the current location to be deselected as the starting point for route planning. Opting for this gives a warning screen asking for confirmation of turning off the GPS; this then opens the planning screens as normal but with a large red warning remaining at the top of the screen that the GPS is off and a button to re-enable it. This function is useful for offline planning of routes or itineraries.

What's Missing

This is a capable and visually pleasing satellite navigation program, but there are some omissions which may make or break an individual's decision to purchase it. To my mind there are three important elements missing:

Dynamic traffic information. iGo 2010 does not have any sort of traffic information so cannot adjust routes or make recommendations based on current road conditions.
No safety camera information. For some reason there is no database of safety cameras in this package unlike previous platform releases.
No 'Avoid' feature. Some other programs have a quickly accessible 'Avoid' button or similar for times when you encounter unexpected delays or congestion. iGo does not, as far as I can ascertain, have anything like this. It does of course use dynamic routing, so you could make your own way off route and wait for it to redirect you. It also has the Route Options menu which will give alternative Fast, Short, Economical and Easy routes, but neither of these is an adequate substitute for the facility to avoid a particular road for a selectable distance.

Pros and Cons

Ease of use
Clarity of display
Clarity of voice guidance
Accuracy or routing

Lack of safety cameras
No live traffic data
No 'Avoid' function
Poor contacts integration
No specific iPad version

Conclusion

My overall impression of iGo My way 2010 is positive- the ease of use, accuracy of routing and the spoken directions are on a par with, or better than any similar program I have used across a number of platforms. Bearing in mind that this is a iPhone app, and I am running it on an iPad in compatibility view, I would expect the graphics to be even crisper on an iPhone4. It would be nice to see a universal App with native iPad resolution, but I presume the current market is too small to make that commercially viable.

I would have to say however that this program is suited more to the casual traveller than professional or long distance drivers. The lack of traffic information and a straight forward 'Avoid' function could leave a driver susceptible to traffic congestion with no easy way to select an alternative. The lack of safety camera data means a third party app may have to be used in addition to iGo- an option we will be examining very shortly! This option would not be open to iOS3 users due to the lack of multi tasking.

So- will I continue using iGo my way 2010? Yes I will! For me its strengths outweigh its deficiencies, but others will certainly disagree.

Reviewer's Note: We have recently been informed that NNG are planning to release a major update to this program in the Spring of 2011. This is reported to address a number of the cricisms of the current release. We will add an addendum to this review once we have tested the new version.

Attached Thumbnails

Review: UltimateAddons Deluxe Keycase with Silicone Bluetooth Keyboard for Apple iPAD

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:49:58 +0000

Introduction

Since getting my iPad, I've found that I have been using it more and more as time goes on. For me, it has all but replaced my Netbook (unless I need something specific to Windows) for my mobile computing needs.

What could make the iPad even more useful, or add more to it's productivity, enter stage right the iPad BT Keyboard Case. This dual-function product provides valuable protection for your iPad and gives you an external input method.

Many thanks to Craig at UltimateAddons for providing us with a review unit.

Supplier : Ultimate Mobiles
Product Web Page: UltimateAddons Deluxe Keycase with Silicone Bluetooth Keyboard for Apple iPAD
Price : £49.99 (including VAT)

Features

Discreet Leather Effect Book Stand Case
Uses Broadcom 2042 Chipset with wireless Bluetooth 2.0 interface
The silent design of the silicone keyboard avoids disturbing others in the same room while typing
The keyboard is dustproof and waterproof
Uses the Bluetooth industry leading software solutions, WIDCOMM BTW (Microsoft officially designated software) Bluetooth software
The keyboard is energy saving, charging time only two hours
Keyboard charges with Apple Dock Connector so uses existing Apple iPAD chargers
Long lasting Battery - Li-polymer - Lasts 90 Hours!
Can connect to iPad and iPhone 4G directly
Can connect to iPhone 3GS if upgraded to iOS 4
Can work with windows mobile 6.0 and higher
Can also work with Android
Compatibility: Windows 98，2000，NT，ME，XP，VISTA，WIN 7,MAC, AND LINUX
Working environment: -20°C to 55°C
Humidity: 20%-50%
Executive Standard: Bluetooth V2.0
Operation distance: 10m
Includes 1 x Free Screen Protector
12 Month Warranty

What's Included

1 x UltimateAddons Leather Effect Case with integrated Bluetooth Keyboard
1 x Free Screen Protector

Aesthetics

The case is well constructed and exudes good quality, looking very professional to boot. It is a fair bit bulkier than the standard Apple case, but this is to be expected as the Apple case does not have a built-in Bluetooth keyboard as a permanent passenger. The case feels slightly padded and does afford a great deal more protection to the iPad contained within. It definitely offers more substantial protection than the bog standard Apple case I have been using up until now.

The case fits the iPad well, it is clear that the iPad is held securely, there is no looseness around the edges and no real gaps, the cut outs are in line, leaving the headphone, microphone, power volume and home key easily accessible.

All in all, the case gives the iPad a very folder like feel and doesn't really affect one's ability to carry the device contained within. It does add substantially more bulk, but I didn't really find this a problem and the whole unit would still fit into my gadget bag & my work laptop bag as needed.

Tour around the case:

Front

Being a case, there isn't really a lot to talk about The front of the iPad BT Keyboard Case does an excellent job of camouflaging your iPad as a standard folder. Which, if you're out and about strikes me as a very good thing!! The flap is held in place magnetically, and the case fitting together is spot on.

Back

The back of the case is simply the back of the case. Nothing to see here!

Left

I've taken the methodology of the iPad being in portrait mode to decide which sides of the case are left and right, just to keep things simple for me, I like simple! The case leaves a very minimal amount of the iPad uncovered and serves to hold it in place securely.

Right

The right hand side is very similar in construction to the left, both the volume rocker and the mute switch are left clearly accessible.

Top

Once again, the top of the case affords easy access to the iPad's microphone and headphone socket on the left-hand side and the power button over on the right. As you can see from the pictures, when closed, the case provides a very high level of protection to the iPad contained within due to its folder like construction.

Bottom

Once again, the bottom of the case affords access to the iPad's speaker & dock connector. Note in the photo you can also see the Bluetooth keyboard's on/off switch and its micro-USB charging port, both of which are also easily accessible.

Pairing

Pairing the Bluetooth keyboard with the iPad is a very straightforward affair. It literally took moments and was very easy. Go back to your home screen, select Settings/General/Bluetooth. Turn on Bluetooth and the iPad begins to scan for devices automatically. Turn on the iPad BT keyboard using the on/off switch on the side.

Hit the connect button on the keyboard (above), well, it's not really a button, more of a flat switch, but you get my drift.

Within a few seconds the iPad BT Keyboard appears in the Bluetooth device list.

Select that device in the list and the iPad will pop-up a message asking you to input a code on the keyboard and hit return... Yes, it really was that simple and worked first time!!

Keyboard

The keyboard itself is a rubberised affair. It is a full QWERTY, sporting all the keys you would expect plus some other additions.

The most interesting additions are the media control keys. You can move to beginning or end of a media file, play or pause it and even mute the sound or control the volume. I have made use of these keys whilst using the case as a stand to play videos whilst lounging in bed.

In use the keyboard feels a little on the spongy side, although the keys do provide a sort of tactile feedback just by their nature. I find occasionally that I can double tap a key; usually the iPad's auto-correct feature kicks in, but occasionally it doesn't. This double-tap effect doesn't happen often, and I think it may be a result of how accurately I hit the key, or possibly something to do with how hard I tap the keys or it could be some kind of double bounce effect caused by my heavy-handedness.

Another thing I noticed while using the keyboard is that you cannot navigate around your installed applications using the cursor keys on the home screen, and this indeed extended to applications such as Mail, where one is unable to navigate the email list using the cursor keys as well. I don't think this is a limitation of the keyboard, but more a limitation of the iPad itself, or maybe Apple's implementation of the HID (Human Input Device Driver) within the Bluetooth stack. On doing some digging on the internet and reading various reviews, including reviews of Apple's own wireless keyboard, it appears that this is a common issue. Maybe issue is too strong a word, maybe I should call it a common feature!

This arrangement of having a Bluetooth keyboard within the case does have certain advantages in my opinion. Comparing it to the Apple iPhone keyboard dock, the advantage became clear in that in reality, you could only really use the iPad Keyboard Dock on a table or desk, but with the iPad Bluetooth Keyboard case, I am successfully sitting here on the sofa typing this part of the review with the unit on my lap, giving greater flexibility in use. No doubt the iPad Keyboard Dock's keyboard would give a better desktop keyboard user experience in comparison. Just to qualify this, I'll state that I've not used an iPad Keyboard Dock, I'd like to, but haven't so far.

Fitting a keyboard inside an iPad case does lead to some necessary compromises, borne out of the need to reduce the size. One of the compromises that hit me straight away was the position of the apostrophe ['] and double quote ["] keys, I am so used to this being next to the colon [:] and semi-colon [;] key, that I frequently miss-type any word that requires a quote ['].

Pro's & Con's

High Quality fit & finish
Excellent device protection
Improved productivity on text based work
Long charge lifecycle. I haven't had to charge it much

Keys are somewhat spongy
Added bulk
Certain key positions

Conclusion

This entire review was planned out and typed on the keyboard itself, using Evernote application on the iPad to make my notes and produce the review. I felt this would drive a real-world experience of the keyboard in use and allow me to gauge its effectiveness. A lot of it was typed during my childrens swimming lessons, definitely computing on the go!

The case is extremely effective at protecting the iPad, yes, it does add bulk, but the usefulness of a BT keyboard in conjunction with the iPad cannot be underestimated. The iPad itself is an excellent tool, and the on-screen keyboard works absolutely fine and I can type quite fast on it, but nothing beats having a physical keyboard for extended text input. Just over the last few days I have found it incredibly useful, especially as the case holds the iPad at the perfect angle for use as a mini-laptop.

Why don't you just get a NetBook I hear you say, well yes, there is that. But, I can still take the iPad out of the case and use it as a stand-alone device if required. For that, I commend the case enormously!

Review: Herbert Richter Apple iPhone 4 Banana Windscreen Suction Mount

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:48:39 +0000

Product: Apple iPhone 4 Banana Windscreen Suction Mount

On occasion we are approached by product vendors to review new items that have come to the market and recently the guys over at 'holdersandmounts' got in touch and offered us the chance to look at a product made by a manufacturer we'd not seen before. The manufacturer concerned is Herbert Richter and their online profile states:

Quote

Herbert Richter is a leading manufacturer and a renowned innovator of universal car accessories and mounting solutions for more than fifty years. They are well known for their superb design and highest quality. Today they are one of the leading manufacturers of mobile mounting solutions and inventor of Flexible Gooseneck and it's property rights holder with manufacturing numbers of over one hundred millions units to date.

Herbert Richter were first to invent and offer many of in car solution we now take for granted. These include;

Flexible Gooseneck with super mega suction mount
4-Prong adapter system
Vibration free Tower Mount
Swivel option with integrated swivel tightening ring
Suction cup lock

So needless to say there was much anticipation waiting for the mount to arrive!

The anticipation and bated breath only lasted two days when the mount arrived, packaged in a polythene bag inside a jiffy envelope.

This is a one piece mount which comprises of three main parts; the suction pad which will lock it to a windscreen (or desk), the adjustment controls for the mount itself and the actual holder which will contain the iPhone 4 when in use.

It is worth mentioning that this mount does not offer a power connectivity solution at all. It is a mount plain and simple, so if you wish to power the iPhone 4 you will have to supply your own cabling or purchase a different 'powered' mounting solution.

The first impression one gains of the mount that it is large, with the 'banana' or 'horn' looking large and solid compared to other mounts that I've used. The horn, adjustment controls and the bracket itself all appear to be manufactured from robust impact resistant ABS plastic. The only other materials used in the componentry are the metal shafts of the adjustment screws and the rubber suction mount.

As ABS has been used throughout this means that although the mount is relatively large in size it only weighs in at 201 grams, making it no great heavyweight!

On the construction of the mount in detail.

The base comprises of a large 3" transparent rubber suction pad that should be placed on the surface you wish to mount to. Once in position you reach inside the base of the horn and engage the locking lever - this draws the centre of the pad upwards creating a strong vacuum effect which completes the seal on to the mounting surface. The action of the locking lever is very stiff and therefore a strong vacuum is created. That, in conjunction with the smooth surface of the soft suction pad creates a strong mounting bond indeed. In tests the mount managed to 'lock' successfully onto; in house double glazing, a kitchen work top, my rosewood desk and of course the car windscreen. This is probably the strongest suction mount I've come across in all my years of reviewing!

To release the mount from the surface it is attached to you simply disengage the locking lever and then lift the rubber suction cup using the 'handle' which protrudes from the side of the cup. This breaks the vacuum and allows the mount to be lifted free.

Once you have the mount locked in position to your satisfaction you can then loosen the locking knobs on each side of the horn. These serve to allow the mount to move upwards around the pivot at the horns end, in effect giving a 'nodding head' adjustment. Twin locking controls are used on each side of the mount to ensure that the locking 'load' is distributed evenly ensuring that no undue stress or strain is placed on the shaft whilst locking down the adjustment.

The final positional adjustment is made by turning the adjustment thumb dial located immediately below the bracket that holds the iPhone 4. Once loosened this allows the mount itself to swivel on a ball-joint giving up / down, left / right movement of some 42 degrees in all directions.

These two methods of adjustment give a goodly number of mounting positions.

Once the mount has been located and adjusted to your initial satisfaction the iPhone 4 can be nestled within the mounting bracket. This is achieved by pulling back the thumb tab at the top of the bracket (the ABS plastic here is of a more springy construction) where the ABS bends back to allow the iPhone to be pushed into the bracket. At the lower part of the bracket, at the corners, are two angled cups into which the iPhone's corners sit. Once located the iPhone can be allowed to lie back in the mount, held in position by the guides at the top of the mount. The thumb tab is then allowed to 'relax' into position whereby a tab on its underneath slides down in front on the iPhone locking it into place.

The manufacturing tolerances on the mount are good indeed, with the iPhone held firmly enough to prevent any movement at all either laterally or vertically, yet gentle enough to cause no damage to the glass components on the phone. As the mount has that universal ball joint beneath the mount body the iPhone can be used in either portrait or landscape orientations.

In actual use in my Peugeot 307CC the mount proved to be excellent indeed, with one strong point being the length of the horn. The 307CC has a very long sloping windscreen and if a regular mount is used then it tends to put the iPhone way to far 'down' the windscreens length to allow the touch sensitive surface of the phone to be reached. The long length of the horn ensures that the iPhone can be positioned in such a way that the screen is within easy reach. It has also been tested in a Corsa which has a more conventional sloped windscreen and again the mount worked perfectly, the horn mount feeling natural and not too close to the driver.

Vibration testing was carried out by driving over a local road which is filled with pot-holes and at no time even while driving at speeds varying between 5 and 20 miles per hour was any vibration noticed which could cause the display to become unreadable. The iPhone was held perfectly steady. Needless to say there were no issues driving on roads at high speed where there were no pot holes to worry about. The mount performed perfectly under all conditions.

Conclusion: Although the mount does not offer power to the iPhone it has to be one of (if not the best) semi-permanent mounts I've ever used. The adjustment controls are wide ranging and the quality of construction and design ensures that the iPhone is usable under all driving conditions.

Pros and Cons:

ABS plastic construction for strength and light operational weight
Strong vacuum lock with fix on to many surfaces
Goodly variation of possible mounting positions via dual adjustment controls
The iPhone is held in position firmly yet gently
The 'horn' design suits many different windscreens

There is no option to power the iPhone, this purely a mount for the phone

Attached Thumbnails

Review: Norêve Tradition iPad Case

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 09:17:40 +0000

My iPad has been my fairly constant companion since I bought it in May. From its early days, I've used a screen protector and rear panel protector, but not a full protective case, as it usually resides in my briefcase. In recent weeks I have had occasion to carry it around without my briefcase, and during these times I have thought that a fitted case might be a good idea. I was delighted when Smartphonegurus were offered the opportunity of reviewing a range of recent Norêve cases, including one for my iPad. Norêve have long been known to produce top quality mobile device cases, so I was hoping this one would be their equal!

Supplier: Norêve
Product: Apple iPad Tradition leather case (model 9102) in Chestnut
Product Price Range: £55 - £64. (Case as tested £60)

Thanks to Julien Fruitier of Norêve for supplying the review sample.

Introduction.

Norêve make a huge range of cases for mobile devices. Their online store lists them all in a range of worldwide currencies, and delivery can be to virtually anywhere in the world. Their site can be switched between English, French or Spanish so hopefully most users will find something to suit their needs.

Each case can be ordered in a number of colours and quality levels. Stock products are shipped by return and special finishes are subject to a maximum fifteen day delivery. My iPad case is the Norêve Tradition model - one of three types that are available. It is finished in the Chestnut textured leather, which is in the middle band of the price range.

First Impressions

My case arrived via UPS in a large document package. It is packed in a simple but attractive cardboard box with Norêve's logo on the front. First impressions are excellent; the quality of the leather is very good with small neat stitching throughout.

This model is a 'book style' case with the front cover hinging at the long edge of the iPad. It fastens with a fold-over tab with a magnetic button closure. Inside the front cover are two slots for documents and four for credit cards and the cover has a vertical crease to allow it to bend when used as an angled stand. The hinge between the front and back is comprised of soft leather without any stiffening, to allow the cover to fold back on itself during normal use.

The rear of the case has a small flap hinged at one end and secured by recessed poppers at the other end. With the poppers released this flap folds out to form the stand support for viewing in landscape mode.

The main recess to accommodate the iPad itself is notable for appearing rather sparse! Unlike most cases which use a physical retainer around the device bezel, the Norêve case uses a pair of accurately formed side rails shaped to fit the iPad's profile. These side rails connect at the top and bottom within the layers of the leather making the location very secure. The 'bed' of the case is finished in black polyester with Norêve's logo, and is lightly padded. There is no additional padding, the thickness of the leather being sufficient to afford the necessary protection.

In Use

The first job is to place the iPad into the case. As mentioned above, it is located between two retaining rails, into which it can either be slid from the top, or simply snapped into place. The metal rails are covered with a thin layer of the same leather as the case finish, giving enough resilience and protection to make either location method viable. The fit is very secure and in fact removing the iPad from the case takes significant pressure - having said that I do have a Zagg protective skin on the back of my iPad which increases the friction of the fit. The only disadvantage I can see with this arrangement is that the total weight is significantly more than the iPad alone owing to the use of the metal fittings.

Once in place it can be seen that there are the necessary cutouts on the base and right side for the speaker, connection plug and volume rocker. Contrary to previous reviews of this case, I encountered no difficulty in attaching the USB Camera connector or VGA adapter.

The primary function of a case is to protect the device from the knocks and bangs encountered in normal life. The iPad has a robust metal frame so is inherently well protected from damage to the edges, so the main need for protection is to the screen. The front cover achieves this very well, being strongly constructed, yet unobtrusive when folded back. The bottom corners are protected by the rail returns but the top corners are essentially unprotected. When closed, the cover affords some protection to the top corners, but the play in the fastening strap and leather hinge means the cover can move out of place exposing the top corners of the iPad to damage if dropped. How likely this is to happen in real life conditions I cannot say, as happily I've never dropped mine.

As I mentioned at the outset, my desire for this type of case was prompted by an occasional need to carry my iPad around without being too obtrusive or obvious such as when carrying out student assessments. The Norêve case achieves this very well; the quality of the leather and overall format give it the appearance of a compact portfolio. The inside pockets are big enough for a few A5 sheets and the card holder slots can take an Oyster card, Swipe card or similar if needed. The cards fit fully into the slots so there is no danger of sharp edges scratching the screen when the cover is closed. The photo shows the card protruding a little- this is just for demonstration purposes!

The other main feature of this case is the ability to configure it to allow more comfortable viewing of the screen or typing on the device itself.

For 'hands off' use in landscape mode, the small flap on the rear of the case can be released from its poppers, and hinged out to be retained by a fabric check strap. In this mode, the front cover simply folds back over the top of the hinged flap. This allows the iPad to be used to watch videos, or used as a photo frame. I have personally found this very useful recently; firstly when doing some DIY at home, where I was able to comfortably view a photo of the underlying framework of our new extension when fitting a curtain rail to ensure I got the fixings exactly right (which I did!) and secondly when using the vmcMote app as a controller for my Windows Media Center computer. Using this function, I can have the iPad sitting supported on my lamp table with easy access to the controls. The iPad in this configuration is very stable.

In portrait mode it is also possible to use the rear flap as a stand as its angle is sufficient to ensure stability. In this mode however, the front cover cannot be hinged back as its size causes it to interfere with the upright orientation. Thus in portrait mode, the front cover has to remain open at 180 degrees. This is not in itself a problem though it looks less tidy!

The third special configuration is when the iPad is being used in landscape mode for typing or direct work on the screen. By folding the front cover all the way over, then reattaching the magnetic catch, the cover can then be pushed backwards to cause its narrow border to stand vertical. The soft leather hinge then allows the iPad to drop into a slightly angled support making laptop use more comfortable. The angle it rests at is slightly more horizontal than with other cases I've seen though it does remain comfortable and feels secure.

Pros and Cons

Materials and construction
Range of finishes available
Versatility of configuration
Protection for the screen
Overall impression of quality

Risk of damage to top right edge of iPad if dropped
Extra weight of metal fittings

Conclusion

The Norêve Tradition iPad case is an excellent product in most areas. It is impeccably made of high quality leather, and the novel 'rail mounting' system preserves the iPad's aesthetic appeal. The slackness in the hinge and fastening arrangements may render the iPad susceptible if it falls on the top right edge though I don't believe any significant damage would ensue as the screen remains protected. The metal fittings do seem to make this case heavier than some of its competitors though I have no figures to compare- it is a subjective opinion.

In terms of value for money I would rate this very highly. There are obviously cheaper and more expensive cases available, but £60 for a leather item of this quality, size and versatility is impressive. I am grateful to Norêve for supplying the review sample; had they not done so, this would have been very high on my shopping list!

Review: Padded Charging Holder for Horizontal Support with Tilt Swivel and Cigarette Lighter Adapter for iPhone 4

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:15:07 +0000

Product: Padded Charging Holder for Horizontal Support with Tilt Swivel and Cigarette Lighter Adapter for iPhone 4

Our friends over at ProClip USA have supplied us with a new Brodit mount for the Apple iPhone 4, described as a 'Padded Charging Holder for Horizontal Support with Tilt Swivel and Cigarette Lighter Adapter'.[Product code: 521170].

This arrived packaged as per usual by Brodit in a plastic bag which contained the mount itself, the instructions and a bag of mounting screws. For a new user to the world of Brodit you'd also have to purchase a matching Brodit Mount for your car.

As you can see the mount comprises the mounting bracket itself and a trailing 'active' power lead which ends in a USB connector. This in turn plugs into the supplied USB to car power adaptor (cigarette lighter socket). Once fixed onto the Brodit mount and the power plugged in the iPhone 4 can then be slid into place. Power feeds into the mount via the active lead and from there directly into the iPhone 4, giving plenty of power for hands free phone calls or satellite navigation.

Brodit (as with previous iPhone mounts) have covered the mount with a fuzzy velvet-like material which serves to prevent any scratching of the iPhones surface. I'd prefer the mount to be plain plastic but as we're taking about a phone housing with a lot of glass in its construction Brodit are taking no chances!

The secure bracket feature is achieved by Brodit fitting an 'L' shaped second bracket fitment on to the back of the base mount. This helps to hold the iPhone 4 in place while driving and also gives an extra modicum of support when working with the mounted phone, giving it extra rigidity. To mount the iPhone the 'L' shaped gripper is pushed slightly backwards (it is a springy plastic construct), the iPhone 4 is slid into the mount, and the griper allowed to move back into place. This prevents any risk of the iPhone ever coming loose when mounted which could occur in theory if used in the landscape position.

With this Brodit mount the iPhone 4 is held very firmly and even when driving at speed over bumpy roads there is no problem with vibration or movement - the phone is held safe and securely.

It is worth mentioning that as with the other recent Brodit mounts we've reviewed this mount is fitted with the improved second generation swivel mount bracket. There is much more movement in the new swivel design which allows the iPhone to have a greater range of positional range once mounted.

One other point of note is that the cable exists from the back of the mount instead of the more usual exist in the base, this actually helps cable management as it pushes the power lead towards the dashboard of the car instead of the gear lever (in my 307CC), this means there is less chance of cable snagging so can be seen as an added safety feature.

To conclude: Yet again another well engineered mount from Brodit, proved with speed and efficiency by ProClip USA.

Pros and Cons:

A good sturdy mount designed by experts
Velvet-like coating protects the iPhone 4
No vibration or movement in the phone when driving at speed
Ensures a good level of power for operation when making calls or navigating
Reasonably priced
Designed specifically for the iPhone 4
Secure mount gives additional safety mounting

Supplier (USA): ProClip USA

[All images in this review have been processed by Snagit by Techsmith]

Review: MiLi Powerspring for the iPhone 4

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:26:50 +0000

Like many other folks earlier this year I became the proud owner of an Apple iPhone 4. There are some issues with the phone that we all know about but one issue that was supposed to be improved was that of battery life. However as an IT Manager it can be that at times I'm stranded working on the shop floor where there is no access to power for charging and conditions in the building give rise to signal cold spots meaning that the iPhone is constantly seeking a signal and that of course drains the battery.

As the iPhone 4 does not have a replaceable battery an alternative solution had to be found. The product chosen to try and eliminate this problem is:

Product: MiLi Powerspring for the iPhone 4
Supplier: CaseAddict.com
Price at time of posting: £ 54.99

Product Specifications:

Capacity: 1600mAh
Input: DC5V/500mA
Charging time: 4 hours
Standby time: Up to 360 hours
Talk time: Up to 6hours on 3G
Up to 13.3hours on 2G
Internet Use: Up to 6 hours on 3G
Up to 10.6 hours on Wi-Fi
Audio play: Up to 36hours
Video play: Up to 10.6 hours
Dimension: 124(L)X65(D)X18(T)mm

A review sample was requested from CaseAddict.com and this was posted out the same day (impressive) and as it was posted via parcel post it arrived two days later.

The MiLi Powerspring arrived in a standard 'bubble wrap' envelope and contained within was the hard plastic box containing the gadget and associated bits and pieces.

The contents of the box were:

The MiLi Powerspring
USB to mini-USB cable (hidden inside the inner box lining)
Instruction manual

One nice extra here was that that the iPhone connector was protected by a push on plastic sleeve which prevented any accidental damage to the connector.

Once removed from the packaging the Powerspring in its Black and Silver livery can be prepared for mounting the iPhone.

This is simply done by removing the protective connector sleeve and then pushing back the hinged part of the casing which allows the iPhone to slide down into place.

Once the iPhone has been docked into the housing the hinged portion may be clicked into position where it locks pretty firmly upwards against the iPhones' body.

This obviously increases the dimensions and weight of the iPhone 4 when held within:

Height: 115.2 mm -> 124 mm (+8 mm)
Width: 58.6 mm -> 65 mm (+6.4 mm)
Depth: 9.3 mm -> 18 mm (+8.7mm)
Weight: 137 grams - > 213 grams (+75 grams)

The size increase is most noticeable on the back of the encapsulated iPhone 4 as the piercing within the back of the housing to allow camera access is significantly tunnel like, this means that this area could be a holding area for dust and debris if the phone is kept within a pocket or untidy bag.

However the increased thickness can not be avoided as the housing incorporates the 1600mAh Li On battery which serves as a secondary power source for the iPhone 4 and such batteries are not lightweight at all!

To mitigate this the housing is nicely rounded on all edged and the back relieved towards the hinged area which results in a comfortable presence when held in the hand.

The left hand side of the housing (above the hinged area) has a 'cut out' moulded in place which allows good access to the volume and mute controls on the iPhone 4.

The Powerspring has two slots moulded into the base portion which allow sound from the twin speakers on the iPhone 4 to exit the housing.

The base also contains a mini-USB port which is covered by a form fitting rubber plug which can be popped our to reveal the port itself.

This port allows the Powerspring to be charged either via USB connection to the PC or via plugging it into the Apple power adaptor supplied with the iPhone 4.

The top hinged portion of the housing again sports 'cut outs' in the moulding which give access to the power switch and the headphone socket, with twin parallel holes above the camera port allowing access to the light sensors.

The right hand side initially appears to be featureless until one notices the power switch at the bottom of the housing and the LED strip immediately above it.

The LED strip indicates the charged state of the Powerspring from empty to full via 4 bright blue LEDs. The LEDs shine for a few seconds after the device has been turned on, and when plugged into a power source flash and glow indicating that a charge is taking place and how full the battery level is. Once the unit is completely charged all four LEDs are lit the flashing stops.

My unit arrived some 25% charged and took approximately 2 hours to fully charge when connected to the PCs USB port.

As you can see here the partially discharged iPhone 4 is within the Powerspring which has been turned on. The iPhone 4 is charging without any cable near it at all - the Powerspring is working and doing its job!

A typical working day with the iPhone results in the charge level dropping to between 43 and 65% depending on the amount of device usage. This is with WiFi and 3G turned on throughout the working day.

TESTING

With the Powerspring in place to charge the iPhone 4 while in use both around the shop floor and at the desk the charge level under the same conditions only dropped my a meagre 4% to 96%. The Powerspring during this time used between 25% and 50% of it's power (One LED lit the next flashing).

A further test was carried out on a weekend trip to Wales where the power charger for the iPhone 4 was left at home as was the charger for the Powerspring. All that was taken with me to power the iPhone 4 was the fully charged Powerspring. Although the iPhone 4 was Brodit mounted for navigation while in the car the rest of the time (eBook reading, movie watching, emails, phone calls, etc) it was powered by it's own battery or the Powerspring.

At the end of the extended 3 day trip away the Powerspring had used over 75% of its power (one LED lit and flashing) and the iPhone at all times maintained a charge above 86%.

Finally the Powerspring was allowed to exhaust all power reserves and it took 3 hours 52 minutes to regain a full charge.

Pros and Cons

Increases thickness and weight of the iPhone
Battery is non-removable

Prevents the iPhone 4 from suffering the antenna grip of death
Can be charged wherever there is a free USB port
Nicely shaped housing feels comfortable in the hand
High capacity 1600mAh battery greatly increases the iPhones battery life
Relatively small and portable

CONCLUSIONS

The Powerspring itself is constructed of what appears to be hard ABS plastic which is rigid enough to give a goodly amount of protection to the iPhone itself and also serves to prevent the grip of death. The housing is nicely styled both with respect to the silver black colour code as well as designed to fit comfortably within the hand. There are no issues at all when operating the encapsulated iPhone all controls are easily accessed. It is safe to say that the Powerspring does indeed greatly extend the power longevity of the iPhone 4 in most situations doubling it as claimed.

The Powerspring has now become part of my standard arsenal in the fight against power loss whilst away from a charging point when using my iPhone 4.

Review: Proporta Leather Case for iPad / Aluminum Lined Leather Case for iPhone 4

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:14:58 +0000

Recently becoming a proud owner of both an iPhone 4 and an iPad I looked around for additional casing to protect both from the rigours of daily life. I contacted the guys at Proporta and they were more than happy to send out to us:

Product: Leather Case for iPad (#32878)
Product: Aluminum Lined Leather Case (Apple iPhone 4) (#33929)

Which are part of their range of Apple products (cases, mounts, adaptors, etc). The cases came plastic bag wrapped and on removing the outer packaging the cases in black and beige leather are revealed.

The beige colouration contrasts well with the black leather to give a stylish and contemporary look.

The edges of both cases are finely stitched, the iPhone case in white stitching the iPad in black. The iPad case has a doubly reinforced hinge portion that allows the case to open book style and initially allows the iPad to be slipped into position.

Once in position the case can be closed to give a decent level of protection to the front on the iPad. There is no closing fastener on the cover but the padding adds a decent amount of weight to hold the case closed. As the iPad is likely to spend a goodly amount of time either in a brief case or on the desk this should suffice in most situations.

The case uses basic friction to hold the iPad in place within the case, and it can be removed at any time by gently pushing the screen sideways. A bonus as with the official Apple leather case the rubber holds it to tightly to easily remove the iPad!

Looking at the 'front cover' of the case one notices a black band stitched into the leather on the outer side, and held in place near the hinge by a medium sized press stud. More on this later.

Below the band is an integral pocket which can be used for holding business cards, A5 paper, etc. Useful.

When within the case access is granted to the iPads connection and speakers via stitched openings in the base of the case. Remember though that (as with the Apple case) you'll not be able to use the iPad with the official iPad dock as the case prevents the connector engaging.

Again there are additional openings in the right hand side of the case to allow access to the volume and orientation controls.

With the top corners of the case relieved to allow access to the headphone socket and the power switch.

The only drawback with the openings in the case is that due to the 'book' style design those on the top and right hand side of the iPad are open to anything that might be floating loosely in the brief case.

Back to that black strap mentioned earlier. In the press stud fastener is unpopped the strap and be bent backwards (taking the cover with it) and pressed against a secondary stud located on the rear of the case. This revamps the case into an 'A' section and allows it to act as a stand for the iPad. Again a useful feature as a free desk mount can be a boon when working at the desk!

In contrast the the iPad case the model for the iPhone is a flip style where the front cover flips open to reveal the iPhone.

The leather of the iPhone case is softer and less rigid than that of the iPhone, possibly by design to as not to cause any harm to the glass housing on the iPhone 4, however this also adversely affects the look of the case. Once the iPhone has been placed in position the screen opening tends to gape open somewhat which gives a false impression that the case is not well constructed.

As with the iPad case the left hand side of the case is relieved to allow access to the silent switch and the volume control buttons.

However unlike the iPad the case is not supported at the top by additional leather and this means that the front face of the case can flex upwards easily due to the thinness of the leather at both sides.

The right hand side of the case covers most of the housing of the iPhone 4 as there are no controls requiring access.

The base of the case, against which the iPhone 4 nestles comprises of only two thin leather strips, which do allow access to the connector, but also occlude the speakers to some degree and also serve to offer little protection to the base of the iPhone.

The top of the iPhone is protected by the flip when the case is closed and again the flip itself is cut back to allow access to the headphone socket.

The power switch is hidden safely away by the flap to help prevent accidental operation. One additional level of protection is given to the iPhone by the flap as it is lined with a piece on thin aluminum sheeting which should prevent screen damage from impacting external objects.

Conclusion - Leather Case for iPad

The case is well constructed from good quality leather with fine 'tight' stitching with no loose ends. The iPad is held safely and securely and the case will suit the professional user who will tend to carry the iPad with a bag or brief case. The added desk mount is as welcome bonus but as the sides are used to form the feet of the 'A' shape it can tend to slide across the desk if any sharp pressure is applied to the screen.

Quality leather
Stylish design
Good level of protection for critical areas on the iPad
Paper holder in cover
Integral desk stand

Will not fit the iPad dock

Conclusion - Aluminum Lined Leather Case

The case is well constructed from good quality leather with fine 'tight' stitching with no loose ends. The iPhone is held firmly in position but the reduced width of the leather at the sides of the screen and on the base can result in the 'fit' looking poor or a lack of protection being offered. In many cases of this type there is an option to belt mount the case, there is no such option available here.

Quality leather
Stylish design
Aluminum lined flap

Will not fit the iPad dock
Lack of sturdiness in some aspects of the construction
Speakers partially obscured
No belt mount

[All images in this review have been processed by Snagit by Techsmith]

Review: Zagg Leatherskin and Invisibleshield for iPad

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:11:57 +0000

With the recent release of Apple's iPad , a number of aftermarket suppliers and developers have started to produce cases and protective covers for the device. These range from slip covers through to portfolios, flip-over cases and screen protectors.

I have always preferred to use my devices unadorned but the large shiny screen of the iPad caused me a little concern about unwanted scratches, so I went in search of a suitable protector. Read on to find out how I fared!

I'm not sure how I got there, but I eventually finished up at the website of Zagg Inc, who make a range of their InvisibleSHIELD products for a huge number of devices. These can protect the screen only, or can be supplied to protect the whole device.

In addition to the clear protective skins, they also offer a genuine leather protector for the rear of some devices, including the iPad. For me, this was the preferred combination- a leather skin to cover the back of the iPad and a clear screen protector. This does still leave the edges of the iPad vulnerable but the aluminium frame appears pretty robust.

Supplier:
Zagg Inc

Product:
LEATHERskin and InvisibleSHIELD for iPad

Price as tested:
$79 plus carriage and duty. Various prices and options available.

Availability and Delivery

Having chosen my preferred combination- tan leather back and clear front protector, I went in search of a UK supplier. It appears however that apart from one Ebay and one Amazon dealer that there are no mainstream distributors for the LEATHERskin, though a number sell the clear InvisibleSHIELDs.

No matter, because Zagg will ship to UK for $13, plus I had the bonus of a 50% voucher after submitting my email address into a lucky draw on their web site's front page!

The full cost of my choice would have been $80, but this reduced to $40 plus carriage making a grand total of £36. There is a Gotcha here though, more of which later!

Zagg dispatched my order within two days though once it had spent a few days in UK Customs and then the Royal Mail distribution centre, it took a full two weeks to arrive.

The Product and Installation

My initial surprise was how big the box was! This proved to contain a flat pack with the LEATHERskin plus a cardboard tube containing the InvisibleSHIELD plus the application accessories- a soft plastic 'squeegee' and a bottle of application fluid plus an instruction leaflet which included the web address of some installation videos.

As the LEATHERskin looked the easier of the items to install, I decided to start with that. Unpacking it showed it to be a thin but high quality sheet of leather shaped to fit the contours of the iPad exactly. The front surface was covered with three peel-off strips allowing easy fixing.

After offering up the cover to see roughly where to fix it, you peel off the middle strip (labeled '1') and fit it in place. It can be lifted and reapplied to get it exact. Once done it can be smoothed down and the second strip pulled away allowing the top to be fixed. Finally the bottom strip is removed and the bottom part of the skin applied. Once complete the whole thing can be smoothed down to consolidate the adhesion.

This all went without a hitch and the leather skin did indeed fit exactly around the contours of the back panel. It is thin and supple enough to allow the recessed 'Apple' logo to show through and it retains the svelte lines of the device.

It was now time to fit the front protector, for which some preparation is advisable. My first piece of advice is to look at the instruction video very carefully. This differs a little from the printed instructions and shows much more clearly how to hold the items while applying. Better attention to this on my part would have been useful! Apologies for the lack of photos of this process- it is a two handed job at best!

Next, make sure the iPad screen is totally clean and free of greasy marks, dust, smears etc. Given the comprehensiveness of the package, I'd have expected Zagg to supply some sort of cleaner, as we see from the likes of Proporta and Martin Fields, but there was none. Use a lint free cloth, preferably one designed for optical items to get the best effect, and try to work in a dust free environment to prevent specks getting under the protector between cleaning and fitting.

Now you are ready, and the first step is to use some of the supplied spray to wet your fingertips. This helps prevent smears being placed on the sticky surface when applying. Now peel off the protective paper backing, and spray the sticky surface liberally with the fluid. I didn't use enough initially and had to redo the process the next day, so heed the instructions! Once well wetted, offer up the protector to the iPad. It will slide well until the fluid dries out so can be eased into place. There is an aperture for the iPad's button which helps the accurate location.

Once in place, use a cloth and the supplied squeegee to force excess fluid and bubbles from under the film, towards the edges of the screen where they can be mopped with some paper towels if necessary.

Small bubbles will reabsorb over a couple of days but larger ones won't so if you see any significant bubbles, lift the film from one corner and 'chase' the bubbles out.

Zagg advise leaving the iPad turned off for at least 12 hours after installation to allow the film to 'cure' and to allow any fluid seepage to dry, but it will continue to settle for about two to three days. Pretty much all small bubbles and imperfections will disappear in this time, leaving a very smooth surface.

Should the need arise, the InvisibleSHIELD can be removed at any time in the future. If this causes any distortion to its shape, simply leave it a few minutes, it will regain its original shape, and you can then refit it. Hopefully this should not be necessary- once installed, one of the benefits of this product is its robustness. If anything adverse does befall it, it is covered by a lifetime warranty and Zagg will replace it.

The product information for InvisibleSHIELD makes much of its robustness. This is an excerpt from the product specification:

The invisibleSHIELD - ZAGG's customized, patented flagship product is tough. Created from a resilient film that was first used to protect U.S. Military helicopter blades from high-speed damage, the invisibleSHIELD is your personal electronics defender. This rugged film wraps around consumer electronics and keeps them functioning and looking great, just like the day they came out of the box. Featuring ZAGG's exclusive Nano-Memory technology, the invisibleSHIELD has unique properties that provide self-healing qualities and unrivaled abrasion resistance.

I quote these because as yet I have had no cause to test its efficacy, and I trust I never shall have!

In Use

The most visible part of my purchase is the LEATHERskin rear panel cover; whether you like this or not is down to personal opinion. It is available in light or dark tan, and with or without an embossed design. This is not designed to be a robust protector like the InvisibleSHIELD, and in fact there are already a few light scrapes showing on the leather's surface after four days use.

After three days, the InvisibleSHIELD front film has become very smooth and bubble/blemish free. It does add a slightly 'rubbery' feel to screen touches owing to the nature of the material, but this is fine once you get used to it. The resistance to greasy finger marks compared to the bare screen is excellent. I've only needed to wipe it over about once a day, compared to previously when it needed cleaning after every session.

Value for money

There is no doubt that the screen protector does an excellent job and is well worth its cost. Zagg also make a full body protector for the iPad in the same material. Both are available in UK. I preferred the cosmetic look of the LEATHERskin and at 50% discount this represented reasonable value for money, with the total package including carriage coming in at £36.

I mentioned a 'gotcha' earlier on regarding the cost, and this is it: being an import from USA, the package has to pass through UK Customs. For some reason, Zagg quote the full price rather than the price paid, and additionally they incorrectly quoted the cost of the InvisibleSHIELD separately at $39 even though it was part of the $79 package. The result of that was a VAT bill for £14, plus a Royal Mail handling fee of £8, payable on collection. This increased the actual price I paid to £58. I'm not unhappy with that, but it is an added and hidden cost of buying from USA. By comparison though, buying the same package from one of the UK dealers would still have cost a total of £75, so Zagg's discount was welcome!

Conclusion

Overall I am very happy with my Zagg LEATHERskin and InvisibleSHIELD package for my iPad. Fitting can be tricky but I have no excuse- I failed to fully watch the video and had to redo it. This however was very easy and the second attempt was successful. The change to the tactile feel of the device, and its feeling of increasing its security in the hand is a real benefit. Although not likely to protect from catastrophic damage, the reputation of the film suggests it will be impervious to all the normal threats of everyday life.

Review: Brodit active mount for iPhone 4

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:28:10 +0000

Product: Brodit Active Holder Tilt Swivel for the Apple iPhone 4

Our good friends over at DSL Developments have supplied us with one of the first Brodit mounts for the Apple iPhone 4. The mount in question is the Active model which is suitable for powering via a cigarette lighter socket. [Product code: 521164].

This arrived packaged as per usual by Brodit in a plastic bag which contained the mount itself, the instructions and a bag of mounting screws. For a new user to the world of Brodit you'd also have to purchase a matching Brodit Mount for your car.

As you can see the mount comprises the mounting bracket itself and a trailing 'active' power lead which ends in a USB connector. This in turn plugs into the supplied USB to car power adaptor (cigarette lighter socket). Once fixed onto the Brodit mount and the power plugged in the iPhone 4 can then be slid into place. Power feeds into the mount via the active lead and from there directly into the iPhone 4, giving plenty of power for hands free phone calls or satellite navigation.

Brodit (as with previous iPhone mounts) have covered the mount with a fuzzy velvet-like material which serves to prevent any scratching of the iPhones surface. I'd prefer the mount to be plain plastic but as we're taking about a phone housing with a lot of glass in its construction Brodit are taking no chances!

As always with Brodit the iPhone 4 is held very firmly and even when driving at speed over bumpy roads there is no problem with vibration or movement - the phone is held safe and securely.

It is worth mentioning that as a Brodit user of many years when I've received a new mount I've always taken a shortcut in the mounting process. This has been achieved by unscrewing the prior mount at the universal swivel and then bolting into place the new bracket and swivel. With this mount this was not possible as Brodit have changed the design of the swivel and I had to install the mount in its entirety on to the bracket mounted in the car.

This was queried with ProClip USA who advised:

Quote

The tilt swivel is a new and better design. From now on all new holders will have this new tilt swivel. It will hold the tension better.

So a design improvement that caused a little more work on the install, but at least it looks like the new design will be maintained for future mounts making life easier once again in the future! There seems to be more movement in this new swivel design which allows the iPhone to have a greater range of positional range once mounted.

One other point of note is that the cable exists from the back of the mount instead of the more usual exist in the base, this actually helps cable management as it pushes the power lead towards the dashboard of the car instead of the gear lever (in my 307CC), this means there is less chance of cable snagging so can be seen as an added safety feature.

To conclude: Yet again another well engineered mount from Brodit, proved with speed and efficiency by DSL.

Pros and Cons:

A good sturdy mount designed by experts
Velvet-like coating protects the iPhone 4
No vibration or movement in the phone when driving at speed
Ensures a good level of power for operation when making calls or navigating
Reasonably priced
Designed specifically for the iPhone 4

Supplier (UK): DSL Developments
Supplier (USA): ProClip USA

[Note all photographs within this review have been processed by SnagIt from TechSmith]

Review: Vaja ivolution Grip for Apple iPad

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:54:50 +0000

Product: ivolution Grip for Apple iPad
Manufacturer: Vaja

Our good friends at Vaja Cases have kindly supplied us with one of their latest products, the 'ivolution Grip for Apple iPad' for us to take a look at and review. It's been a while since we last investigated a Vaja case and it'll be good to see if their reputation for producing a high quality product is still in place.

What impressed even before the case arrived was the customer service, within half an hour of the review request been made we had a response that a case was being dispatched to us and seconds later a dispatch confirmation e-mail giving the FedEx shipping details.

The case shipped from Vaja in Buenos Aires, Argentina, over to us in the UK in a total of five days (including a weekend) which is amazing, I've waited longer for UK shipping products to arrive!

On opening the FedEx packaging the Vaja product box was revealed as usual in the brightly coloured and striking packaging.

The outer sleeve is then slid away to reveal the rainbow coloured inner box.

Which was then finally opened to reveal the ivolution Grip itself.

The inner surface of the grip is covered in a thin white layer of leather which is embossed with the Vaja logo, and this is bonded with what looks like a high strength epoxy adhesive to the rest of the case.

As always from Vaja the product oozes quality with the Grip being manufactured from full grain cowhide leather which is in turn selected from the top ten percent of Argentina's leather, and it shows. Nowhere at all is there any defect, no scarring, no insect bites marks and no imperfections. The leather is premier quality as is always the case with Vaja.

The main body of the case is of thicker formed leather with what feels like a goodly layer of firm, yet soft, foam padding sandwiched between the inner face and the outer back surface which gives excellent protection to the back of the iPad.

Vaja always astound me with their case manufacturing process as the corner grips are made from the same piece of leather as the rest of the iGrip yet feel almost as if there is spring steel inside them - they are so strongly 'sprung'. This almost magical leather skill serves to create a strong yet supple gripper action that holds the iPad securely yet with do danger of marking or damage to the device.

The iPad is lowered down into the iGrip case and gently yet firmly firmly pushed slowly downwards into the casing. One can almost feel the leather stretching reluctantly open and then gratefully close back into position as it enfolds the iPad in it's grip.

Once enfolded within the iGrip the feel of the iPad is completely transformed. The back of the iPad which had felt slick, somewhat hard and fragile to the touch, is now much more robust and a joy to handle. The leather feels wonderfully soft and warm in your hands and you are much less concerned about handling the iPad, even putting it down on the desk is less of a worry as you know that the inherent padding will soak up a lot of impact shock loading. I did spend a fair bit of time just enjoying the pleasure of holding the iPad with it's new leather coating even prior to turning it on!

When in use the iPad is of course regularly rotated between landscape and portrait orientations and the added tactility of the leather gives greater confidence in handing the iPad as it is much less slippery and therefore less likely to be dropped! As well as looking impressive the iGrip gives both protection from impacts as well as less risk of losing your grip on the machine - with the iPad being an expensive gadget those are important points!

The iGrip is constructed so that easy access to all controls is given, with a recess in the grip on the right hand side to allow you access to the volume and rotation lock controls. The leather is nicely rounded at the edges and folded inwards on itself, there is no raw inner leather to be seen which ensures that there is no area to snag or catch or wear. This ensures that the iGrip will remain good looking for the life of the iPad.

Adjacent to controls is the metal Vaja logo which follows the diagonal lines of the recess and as always looks smooth and carefully designed. With Vaja even the logo fitment shows the quality of the design, and as an ex-design engineer these small points are important.

There is no recess on the left hand side of the iGrip where the SIM card slot is located (if you have a 3G iPad), this ensures that the slot is well protected against external hazards such as dust. Plus of course on a non-3G iPad there is no requirement for such a recess to be present. Therefore the left hand side of the machine is completely protected in leather.

In contrast to the sides of the iGrip both the top and bottom of the iPad are only partly protected, that is the rounded back itself is covered but the edging which holds the top face controls and the bottom facing speaker and external connection port are fully open.

This may minimise the protection offered to the device but it does ensure that the controls are easy to get to, that on the 3G model that the antenna is not obscured and that the sync cable can connect freely and the sound output from the speaker is clear.

It is however worth noting that once the iGrip is in place the iPad will not fit onto the official iPad Dock and to connect to your PC / Mac you can only use the sync cable. This same limitation also applies with the official Apple plastic / rubber case, so no great drawback.

Conclusion

Yet again Vaja have created another premier case from top quality leather using their own in house engineering techniques producing a superbly designed and elegant housing for the iPad. Not only is it stylish in the extreme, but serves to give the iPad much needed protection when both on the desk or in the hand. Once fitted it feels a natural part of the iPad and greatly enhances the tactile feel of it when handled.

The only drawback is that it is highly priced, at $100 per iGrip it's not cheap, but if you want the best quality leather produced by top leather craftsmen then the price is well worth paying.

Pros and Cons

Quality premier leather used
Crafted by the best leather craftsmen
Adds a good level or protection to the back / sides of the iPad
Greatly enhances the handling of the iPad when in use
Allows the sync cable to be used when in place

Minimal protection of the top / bottom of the iPad
Prevents the use of the iPad Dock

Final Thoughts

Some may comment that the iGrip offers no protection to the screen of the iPad and this is indeed true, but is of no detriment to Vaja as they have many other cases available for the iPad which offer such protection, both in 'flip up' and 'book' configurations. Some of these cases even include support for desk mounting the iPad at ergonomic working angles. [The Leather Agenda 2 being my favourite]. So feel free to check out their other iPad products at vajacases.com.

[Note: All images in this review have been processed by SnagIt from TechSmith]

Review: iPhone 4 Bumper

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:46:45 +0000

Product: iPhone 4 Bumper (Black)
Supplier: Apple UK

One of the ancillary products launched by Apple along side the iPhone 4 was the 'iPhone Bumper' a protective sleeve that the iPhone fits into. With the decision being made to retain my iPhone 4 I thought it wise to invest in some protection and that going with the official system might prove the best way to go.

The iPhone 4 bumper in the UK retails at £25 in the Apple store and as usual comes in an Apple style package which makes it difficult to see any details.

Once removed from the packaging it becomes clear that the bumper is manufactured from a harder plastic body surrounded by a softer rubber edging. This rubber is then gently flexed open to allow the iPhone to be pushed in to position.

The base of the bumper in pierced to allow access to the sync port and speakers, with similar holes on the side and top to allow access to the 'silent mode' switch and the jack plug / noise cancellation mic.

The on / off switch and volume controls are activated via controls in the bumper which press through on to the controls on the iPhone 4.

The bumper fits relatively closely to the body of the iPhone, but on my machine felt slightly loose until I'd grasped the phone on all sides and clenched my fist, thereby pushing the case tightly against the phones body which seemed to cause the bumper to take up some slack in the fitting. Once that had been done the bumper does fit closely and well.

If the iPhone is allowed to 'stand' for an hour or two on the desk the bumper returns to it's natural state and that slight looseness returns. A second or two of being gripped in the hand again though removes the loose feeling once more. Annoying but you'll have to live with it.

Points worth considering with the bumper housing:

It will certainly add some level of protection to the iPhone 4 if it is dropped and lands on an edge.

The rubber edge sits proud of the front and back of the iPhone serves to raise the glass back (or front) off the surface it is placed on - which may reduce the risk of micro-scratches in the glass.

If you have bought an iPhone desk dock (as I have) you may as well forget using it with the bumper in position as the bumper will not fit into the dock, the slot in the dock is too small to accommodate it.

Concluding Thoughts

I had expected that the bumper would be a simple rubber sleeve which would be stretched to fit around the iPhone and this is not the case, it has been well constructed of both rubber and plastic and engineered nicely to fit on the iPhone.

It does add additional levels of protection to the phone and actually looks good in place (which surprised me) plus the rubber edge makes the iPhone slightly less slippery in the hand which does tend to increase your level of confidence in handling the iPhone.

The bumpers evidently come in six colours; Black, White, Blue, Green, Orange and Pink, however the Manchester store only had black on the shelves. Mind you in my opinion it looks good on my Black iPhone.

If you therefore need a little extra protection for your iPhone 4 the bumper case is to be considered, however at £25 for a single bumper it has to be classed as expensive. However it is an official Apple product so a high price is to be expected.

Added Benefits

Alas I am one of those who suffers from the dreaded 'Grip of Death' issue at my home whereby if my fingers or palm 'short' the left antenna (WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth) with the right / bottom antenna (GSM and UMTS) the signal reduces from 2-3 bars:

To 0-1 bar.

However once the bumper had been fitted to the iPhone 4 the signal seems to be rock steady at 3 bars. Good news indeed!

[Note: All images are processed by SnagIt from TechSmith]

REVIEW: Apple iPhone iWalk Emergency Battery

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:35:58 +0000

Apple iPhone iWalk Emergency Battery Introduction

The iPhone has been a product of major interest ever since it burst on to the scene in its 1st Generation form, but one thing it has in common with other mobile devices is battery longevity... By that I mean if you are like me, with heavy use, the iPhone won't make it through an entire day without some help!

GPSforLess have come to the rescue with a solution to that very problem. Does the solution live up to expectations? Read on to find out!

For your delectation some photographs are thumbnails which may be clicked on to load a larger image.
Thanks go out to our new friends at GPSforLess for providing us with a review sample.
For more information on the Apple iPhone iWalk emergency battery, click here to visit the product page at the GPSForLess website.

Fast Facts
Rechargeable lithium ion battery Ultra small & simple Power Compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch and all other iPod devices except Shuffle Small and lightweight for pocket, purse or briefcase Begins to charge your Apple device immediately Insert the charger, and the indicator light turns to red. When the battery is fully charged the indicator light turns to Blue. Charge the Smart Backup Battery and iPhone / iPod together (the iPhone / iPod will charge first and then the backup battery — the next morning both are completely charged) Smart, automatic on/off charging technology protects the battery from overcharging Powerful and safe Battery Cell Rechargeable for over 500 Cycles 2 Light LED Battery Status Indicator Full one year warranty Charge using adapter that comes with iphone/ipod
Specifications

Model No CM608
Model Name iWALK
Battery Type Lithium ion
Capacity 800mAh
Input Voltage DC 5.0V
Output Voltage DC 5.0V 0.25V
Size 6.1x3.15x1.75cm
Weight 35g
Working Time For iPhone

Standby Time Up To 112 Hours
Audio Playback Up To 11Hours
Talk Time Up To 3.5 Hours
Video Playback Up To 3 Hours
Internet Use Up To 2.5 Hours
Working Time For iPods Unit: Hrs IPOD Audio Video InternetiPOD Nano 2nd Gen 58

iPOD Nano 3rd Gen 58 12 iPOD Classic 80GB 47 8 iPOD Classic 160GB 47 8 iPOD Photo 26 7 iPOD Video 5th GEN 30GB 30.5 6.5
iPOD Video 5th GEN 60GB 30.5 11 iPOD Video 5th GEN 80GB 30.5 11 iPOD Touch 10 3 iPhone 3G 12.5 3.5 3

Aesthetics
I was quite surprised when I opened the packaging of the iWalk emergency battery charger for the Apple iPhone from GPSforLess. I was expecting the battery to be a bit of a beast, but to my surprise, it is perfectly pocketable, which means carrying it around hasn't been a major issue for me, since I don't carry a manbag or anything like that! .
Front
The device itself is quite straightforward, much as you would expect from an external battery. At front left, there are three LED lights, the first two being indicating charge left when connected to the iPhone, the third indicating the status of the battery as it is charging. The only other marking on the front is the iWalk branding. Simple and functional to my mind.
Back
There's not really much to say about the back of the iWalk. Oh wait, yes there is, the back actually houses the all important charging socket... We'd definitely be lost without it.

The charging socket is designed to accomodate the iPhone cable socket, which is proprietary to Apple. As mentioned, the pleasing thing is that, as Apple supply a USB charger, you can charge the iWalk via the mains adapter or a USB socket. So best of both worlds.
Top
The top of the iWalk quite plainly houses the iPhone connector. Unlike the actual iPhone charge cable, the iWalk doesn't have the squeezable side tabs that release the two prongs that hold the cable in place, therefore it just pushes into place.

I have managed to dislodge the iWalk a couple of times by moving the iPhone while it is charging but, on the whole, plugging the iWalk into your iPhone is a pretty stable affair and I've suffered no real issues with it.
Attached to iPhone
I've included this photo to show you what the iWalk looks like when attached to the iPhone. It does add a bit of bulk to the device, but it is still perfectly usable both as a phone and a PDA. I had no issues in using the iPhone with the battery attached.

The iWalk physical connection to the iPhone is reasonably sturdy but I would still treat it with care as excessive pressure could see it snap.

Charging
Charging the iWalk is a piece of cake. Simply take your iPhone charger and plug it in to the socket on the back. Fear not, those of you who prefer not to carry the bulky plug adapter, the iWalk can also be charged directly from a USB port as well! Bearing in mind there's not much more to be said about charging a battery, I decided to perform a few tests to give you a little more insight into the iWalk. Charging from fully depleted using the iPhone mains charger took approximately 2 hours. To be a bit more scientific and confirm the findings I performed the test a few times, and on each occasion it took approximately 2 hours. So on the whole, not a bad charging performance. The next bit is a little less scientific as I just could not find an application for the iPhone that would give you a percentage reading on battery charge, so I settled for a little guess work!

With the iPhone's battery depleted to roughly 25% (I did say it was a guess!!), I plugged the iWalk Emergency battery in and let it get to work. When charging your device two red LEDs light up to indicate charging is in progress. After a full hour the iWalk emergency battery was fully depleted. Using my same guesstimating technique, I would describe the iPhone's battery to be restored to 75% of capacity, which would indicate that the iWalk had boosted the iPhone's battery by 50%. Whilst it didn't charge the iPhone to 100%, it would definitely get you out of a fix and give you at least 50% more capacity until you can find a power source.
Pros&Cons
Svelte size Connector doesn't lock in place Attractive design
Quick to charge

Overall Conclusion
To conclude, the iWalk has been a very welcome addition to my iPhone. As I am a very heavy phone user, and also do lots of email and listen to podcasts when I get the chance, most of my devices are usually running out of power near the end of the working day. With the iWalk in my pocket, I am able to get a welcome extra boost to carry me on into the evening at which point I am usually not very far from a power outlet!

All that remains to be said is that I would recommend the iWalk as a good addition to any iPhone users kit...

Mini Review iPod touch 16gb

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:23:44 +0000

Mini Review iPod touch 16gb

Overview

Early in September, Apple announced the new iPod touch would be available by the end of the month. I had read a lot of good things about the touch and when I finally got my hands on one, I just had to have it….So here I am with a touch in the hand and here’s what I think about this new gadget….

The first thing that strikes you with the touch is how thin it really is. 8mm is thin! The handling is easy and is comfortable in the hand.

When you first switch on the device the battery on my unit was almost fully charged. The screen appears with an image of a synch cable inviting you to plug it in to a PC or Mac. (This is a dilemma for since I work in both formats!) The touch took quite a long time to sync first time around, it must have been 15 minutes with a USB2.0 connection and a Macbook Pro 2.2Ghz Core 2 Duo.

On the front of the touch is only one button known as a “home” button. Pressing this once brings up a “slide to unlock” message. (Why no-one has ever thought of this in the windows mobile arena amazes me!) After unlocking the device, you are confronted with several nice looking icons:

Along the bottom of screen is Music, Videos, Photos and iTunes which I suppose speaks for itself. A light finger press takes you to each section as you would expect.

Music
All the standard iPod stuff is in here. The interface is easy to use one handed and if you flip the screen horizontally, the orientation changes and Coverflow mode appears. This mode allows you to flip through your CD collection as if you were flicking through a real physical collection which is nice… Having used an older iPod for some time, I much prefer a list…

Video
Again does what it says. You can purchase videos / TV shows on iTunes and upload here. The playback is flawless with no stuttering. The graphics processor must be decent! At this time, the only TV shows available are from the US and they may not to everyone’s taste! Err…Friends anyone!! I suppose in the future, a British TV company will jump on board and release something through iTunes…I’m not holding my breath!

Photo
This is quite possibly the nicest feature on the touch. You can synchronize your photo’s from Apple’s iPhoto app on the Mac with the touch. When the device sync’s the Mac does a conversion for the screen size which took a while in my case since I’ve got 2600 photo’s! When you rotate the touch, the screen orientation changes automatically from landscape to portrait and is very quick to flip. To zoom in you simply pinch two fingers outwards and inwards to zoom out. At first this does seem a little awkward but you soon get used to it! You can also flip your finger from side to side as if flipping through a photo album. Very nice.

iTunes
This is distinctly separate from the music player app in that you need a wifi connection to browse iTunes as you were using a desktop PC or Mac. The interface makes good use of screen real estate but isn’t quite as good as the real iTunes on a desktop. There’s a search function and with perseverance you can usually find what you’re after….You can preview tracks for 30 seconds and choose to buy and download using your wifi connection. The downloaded music is synced back to your desktop when you connect. The music playback is just as good as the iPods gone before.

Higher up the screen are more icons:

Safari – Apple’s own web browser.
When first used, a message appears inviting you to turn wifi on after which you need to enter your wep code. All this took seconds and a webpage appear unbelievably quickly! The browsing experience is quick (although I do have fairly quick broadband at home) in fact the web browser is almost as quick as a desktop pc! The screen is very readable and navigating web pages is easy. When you view the photo’s you can pinch in and out with two fingers to zoom in and out same as viewing photo’s. There’s a bookmark button along the bottom and you can sync your favourite web pages from your PC or Mac.

YouTube
I’ve never been a big fan of YouTube simply because the videos look like they’ve been uploaded mainly by airheads with too much time on their hands! But for research purposes I watched a few videos and the playback was fine, no stuttering / buffering problems and the picture quality is good. The one good thing about YouTube on the touch is that you can bookmark the videos you’ve watched for viewing later. I’ve found that once the wifi is turned off or you’re out of range of a hotspot, then the videos aren’t available anymore which I suppose is logical in not filling up the memory.

Unfortunately YouTube wasn’t available when I trying to photograph it….

Calendar
The Calendar is very clean and clear to read. A month view is displayed and if there are any appointments, a dot shows next to the date. It’s not quite as sophisticated as Pocket Informant I have to say but it does remind me of Psion’s old calendar… But the one BIG disappointing thing about the calendar is that NOT editable on the go. You can only view appointments! The only way to change these is to update your Outlook or iCalendar on Mac or PC and re-synchronize. Why o’ why has Apple crippled this device as a potential PDA?!

Contacts
Again the Contacts is very clean and easy to use. The nice feature here is that you can flick your finger on the screen and the list of contacts rolls smoothly. Once you’ve found the contact, you simply tap and up comes the whole address etc. Nice. The surprising thing about the contacts app here is that it’s EDITABLE when the calendar isn’t! Very odd!

Clock
Does what it says on the tin. The initial view here is a World Clock showing your local time zone. Along the bottom are further icons for Alarm, Stopwatch and Timer. In my opinion, the Alarm is a complete waste of time since this device has no speakers. This must be a ‘carried over’ feature from the full blown iPhone which actually has speakers. The touch’s alarm consists of a few simple beeps in different patterns – very 1980’s…

Calculator
Nice looking calculator but there’s only basic functions here and no hint of a percentage key. With all this technology and processing power in this little device, why couldn’t Apple have given me a scientific calculator?

Settings
Pressing the settings button brings up a whole sub menu of options to change all aspects of the device including brightness, music playback, video, photos etc, I visit this section quite a bit when I remember to turn off the wifi!

Battery Life
I’ve read around a few web sites that the battery life is not as good as Apple claim. Obviously this depends on how you use the touch, but the one important thing here is to remember to turn off the wifi !! I noticed the battery draining quite a bit when this was turned on and thought I might have a faulty battery until I realized what the cause was…

Memory Capacity

It seemed to me silly to buy an 8 Gb touch when for only 70 quid more you can have double the memory! That said, I have 2600 photos, 3000 music tracks and I still have 6 Gb left. I can see me filling this up quite soon. I’m not quite sure why Apple made a touch with only 16 Gb when the older models came with at least 30 GB.

Conclusion
For nearly 6 years now, Apple have dominated the music player market to the extent that Microsoft with their Zune media player has got it’s work cut out to compete for market share. With this in mind, I was interested to see how far the new iPod touch would have “PDA” functions possibly making a dint on Windows Mobile market share.

I believe the Windows Mobile interface has a long way to go before it looks as good as the interface on the touch. I would also say that the touch has a few things that could be improved such as the iTunes, Calendar, Calculator and Clock. Is it too much to ask of Apple to make the calendar editable?? This feature works on the iPhone…

Will I be buying an iPhone? Not yet. The 8Gb is too small a capacity and there’s no 3G and HSDPA. When the iPhone reaches this point, then I might reconsider. Next year maybe…..

In the meantime, I’m quite happy with the touch, but you have to keep in mind this is a Video iPod with a touch screen NOT an iPhone without the phone.