Last year one of the most popular cases for the iPhone 3G was the Solar Powered case, it was a huge success and demand was so great that stock dried up very quickly and we were unable to source any more, forcing us to discontinue it just a few months later. We’ve been working really hard with our suppliers ever since then to find a replacement and are pleased to announce that it’s finally here – the all new Solar Powered Charging Case is now available for the iPhone 3G & iPhone 3GS.
iPhone 3G Solar Powered Case
The case design is different to the previous model – it’s now made from a tough polycarbonate that will help protect your phone from knocks and scrapes. The whole of the back cover is a solar panel and can generate enough energy to fully charge the case in around 3 hours in sunlight. Built into the case is a powerful 2100mAh battery – that’s 50% more than the iPhone’s built in battery.
The case can be charged using either the solar panel, or if you need to charge it faster, you can connect it to a USB port on your computer or laptop using a Mini USB cable. Once fully charged, the case can more than double the standby, talk time and audio playback times of your phone. It has a separate on/off switch, giving you the choice to keep the extra power until you need it or to keep your battery topped up through out the day.
iPhone 3G Solar Case Charging Ports
Another new feature over it’s predecessor is that with the Solar Power Sleeve you can now charge any other device by connecting it to the USB output on the bottom of the case.
The WildCharge Charger for iPhone is made up of two parts, a charging pad and a tough protective case for your iPhone that contains the wireless charging technology. To charge your iPhone you just place your handset on the the pad and it starts charging instantly.
Charge your iPhone without plugging it in
The protective case will not only charge your phone, but also help protect it against knocks and drops. It has cut outs for your camera, volume keys, power button, silent switch, headphones and speakers. The Dock connector is covered as the case connects to it in order to charge your phone, so you’ll need to remove the case in order to sync with iTunes – but given the fact that most people sync their phones far less often than they charge them I can’t see this being a problem – hopefully Apple will add wireless syncing to the iPhone in a future software update. The WildCharge Skin doesn’t include a screen protector so if you want to look after your screen you’ll need to buy one separately.
iPhone Skin protects your phone and enables wireless charging
The WildCharge Pad includes UK and European adapters and charging times are the same as they would be if you were charging from the Mains adapter or USB cable that came with your phone.
The WildCharge Pad will work with other phones too, all you need to do is buy a charging skin or adapter. WildCharge adapters are currently available for Mini USB devices, Nokia 2mm phones and Sony Ericsson handsets.
Yesterday saw the release of a major software update for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The update brought over 100 new features, but one of the best new features is that the iPhone 3G and 2nd generation iPod Touch now support Stereo Bluetooth. Stereo Bluetooth lets you enjoy your music in stereo and without wires connecting to your phone. As Stereo Bluetooth has been around for years there are plenty of Stereo Bluetooth Headsets to choose from.
Thereare a couple of points that you’ll need to remember though, the iPhone and iPod Touch support the A2DP profile only. If you have an iPhone this means you can answer & end calls, play / pause your music, but not control it fully. If you have an iPod Touch 2G then you will be able to play / pause your music and adjust the volume, but you won’t be able to use these headsets with any of your VOIP apps (such as Skype) on your iPod.
In order for you to be able to control your music fully, the iPhone or iPod Touch would need to support the AVRCP profile – hopefully we’ll see this in a future software update from Apple. Stereo Bluetooth is not available on the first generation iPhone or iPod Touch.
UPDATE: It appears that volume control when using a Bluetooth Headset is a bit of a mystery – it works on some headsets, but not on others. We’ve tested the headsets shown here and listed whether or not the volume levels can be adjusted.
Right, on to the headsets! With so many to choose from, it can get a bit overwhelming, so I’ve been through our current range of Bluetooth Headphones and compiled a list of my top 5 Bluetooth Headphones for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G S and iPod Touch 2G.
Sony Ericsson HBH-IS800 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones
Sony Ericsson IS-800 Stereo Bluetooth Headset These are without doubt my favourite Bluetooth Headphones, hence they’re at number 1 in my list. It’s incredibly small, and although it still has a wire, the IS-800 is pretty much the only headset that doesn’t feature a fairly bulky control unit. Instead this has a small, simple in-line control that allows you to answer and end calls. Battery life is impressive at upto 270 hours – especially considering how small this headset is. The IS-800 doesn’t support AVCRP, which in this case is a good thing as it means you’re not going to be paying for features that you can’t use. Volume levels are currently fixed when using this headset, but hopefully a fix from Apple is on the way.
Sony Ericsson HBH-DS200 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
Sony Ericsson DS200 Stereo Bluetooth Headset The DS-200 is designed to hang around your neck in a similar way to the Jabra BT3030. It comes with ‘in ear’ style headphones that can be replaced with any standard headphones with a 3.5mm jack plug. Battery life is great with upto 300 hours stand by and 6 hours of music play back, and an LCD Display will let you know when you’re running low. This headset allows you to control the volume levels by pressing and holding the play button.
Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
Jabra BT3030 Stereo Bluetooth Headset The Jabra BT3030 is probably more suited to the iPod Touch than the iPhone. The reason I say that is because the BT3030 is a Multipoint Headset – this allows you to connect to two devices at once, so you can connect it to your mobile phone and your iPod Touch to listen to your music, and when a call comes in, it will pause the music and answer the call from your mobile. It hangs around your neck on a chain or can clip to your belt or pocket, and can be used with any 3.5mm headphones. Volume control on the BT3030 is not a problem, press the ‘+’ or ‘-’ keys to adjust the volume.
These are probably the most normal looking headphones of the bunch. They’re solid, comfortable and well built and have the best battery life out of all the headphones listed here with up to 19 hours of music playback, 18 hours of talk time and 2 weeks standby. Sound quality is excellent and set up is incredibly easy. Volume is controlled using a slider on the base of one of the ear cans and worked as you’d expect.
Nokia BH-501 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones
Nokia BH-501 Stereo Bluetooth Headset
The baby brother to the BH-604. A smaller more compact design that goes around your head rather than over it, and folds away neatly when not in use. The controls for music and calls are mounted on the outside of the earpiece and are easy to use. One of the more comfortable headsets thanks to the large, padded earphones. We weren’t able to test the volume control on the BH-501, but as all Nokia Headsets work in the same way, we would expect the volume controls to work perfectly fine on this headset.
This isn’t the full range of Stereo Bluetooth Headsets for the iPhone and iPod Touch, so if you’ve not seen one here that does what you want, take a look at all our Stereo Bluetooth Headsets.
We’ve tested these headsets with a 2nd Generation iPod Touch running OS 3.0 and can confirm that the microphone on a Stereo Bluetooth Headset will work with VOIP apps on an iPod Touch.
If you’ve got any questions or queries about Stereo Bluetooth on the iPhone get in touch with us using the comments form below!
Apple last night confirmed months of rumours by announcing a new iPhone as well as a release date for the iPhone OS 3.0 software update. The announcements seem to be getting a mixed reaction, with most people seemingly impressed by the software update, but not so much by the new iPhone.
iPhone 3G S
The new iPhone is really a refresh of the current one, rather than something completely new. Rumours of an iPhone Mini and iPhone Pro have been around for months, but as with most Apple rumours, they were just that. The name of the new phone is unusual too, with the ‘S’ referring to Speed – the iPhone 3G S is noticeably faster than its predecessor.
The iPhone 3G S is the same shape & style as the current iPhone 3G, but with a number of changes internally – the main changes are with the Camera, Processor, Storage and Battery, and a couple of new software features not available to the iPhone 3G. The iPhone 3G S will be available on O2 and is due for release in the UK on the 19th of June
iPhone 3G S Features:
3.2 MP Camera with Touch Focus
Video Recording and Editing
Digital Compass for improved mapping
Voice Control for calls and iPod
16GB & 32 GB Models
iPhone OS 3.0
iPhone 3G S - No Cosmetic Changes
For a more detailed walk through on the new iPhone 3G S head over to the Stuff.tv website where they give it a full run through.
iPhone OS 3.0
Previously announced back in March, iPhone OS 3.0 hasn’t really changed much from the version that we reviewed recently. A few additional features have been added to the line up, including the option to download Movies, TV Shows and audio books direct to your phone over a 3G network. Internet tethering has been confirmed for the UK too – this is where you can connect your iPhone to your PC using Bluetooth or USB and use it as a modem to connect to the internet (in the same way as a mobile broadband dongle). iPhone tethering rates on O2 are £14.68 per month for 3GB of data, and £29.36 for 10GB of data. More information on iPhone tethering. iPhone OS 3.0 will be released on the 17th of June and will be a free upgrade to iPhone users and there will be a small charge (amount not confirmed) for iPod Touch users.
Landscape Typing in iPhone OS 3.0
iPhone OS 3.0 Features
Cut, Copy & Paste
MMS
Search
Movies, TV and Books in iTunes store
Internet Tethering
Shake to Shuffle Music
Stereo Bluetooth
Find my iPhone and Remote Wipe (MobileMe users only)
iPhone software 3.0 Beta 1 is now available to developers, and as we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it, we asked our guest reviewer Darryl Mitchell to have a play with the new software and let us know what’s new and if it’s any good. This is his review:
I’m going to start with the Home screen and work my way through. The new things about the home screen that are noticeable so far is there are a few new icons. Its not all that noticeable, but the phone icon, the ipod icon and the messages icon have changed, and now have a more contemporary brushed effect. You’ve also got the new spotlight feature which is really helpful if you want to search for songs, emails or contacts, it searches everything. You just swipe to the right and it brings up the spotlight search screen. Its a really good feature and is surprisingly fast, I thought it was going to lag for quite some time, but it’s quick and snappy. That is it for the new home screen.
Moving on to the phone features, there’s not much added to the this bit, however, when you get a missed call or it shows you your recent calls, it now shows you what they called you from, for example if you called them on their mobile, or work phone you can now see this in the Recent calls screen. So that’s a really easy way of showing where they called you from.
UPDATE: Apple have confirmed that the iPhone 3.0 software update will be available to download on the 17th June and will be free for iPhone users and there will be a small charge for iPod Touch users. More Information
In case you may have missed it, yesterday, Apple announced a new version of its iPhone software (iPhone 3.0) that also runs on the iPod touch. While a lot of the new features will only be available on the iPhone, there are a few new features that will make it onto the iPod Touch.
Applications will be smarter and able to do more, Copy & Paste will be added for email, but probably the most exciting addition to the iPod Touch (and iPhone 3G) is the introduction of Stereo Bluetooth that will allow you to listen to your music using Bluetooth Headphones, Bluetooth Car Kits and Stereo Bluetooth Speakers.
Did you say Bluetooth? On an iPod Touch?
You might be thinking I’m going a little bit crazy as the iPod Touch doesn’t have Bluetooth. Well, no I’m not crazy, the iPod Touch 2G does infact have Bluetooth built in, but Apple chose not to use it.
When the 2nd Generation iPod Touch launched last September, several people decided to take it to pieces and examine the components. Amongst them they found a Bluetooth chip, that until iPhone 3.0, has been lying dormant. This new version of the operating system will enable the chip to allow Bluetooth connections for peer-to-peer connections and the use of Stereo Bluetooth accessories.
Great news for all you music fans who are fed up of getting tangled in cables. Looks like its time to dig out my Motorola S9’s.
Apple are still to confirm whether you will be able to control your music using controls on Bluetooth Headphones, or whether it is only going to play music, either way its still an unexpected feature that will be more than welcome on the iPod Touch & iPhone 3G. The only bad news is that Stereo Bluetooth is not going to be available on the first generation iPod Touch or iPhone.
iPhone 3.0 will be a free upgrade to iPhone users and is expected to be available in June this year. iPod Touch users will have to pay a small fee for the software, which I’m guessing will be around £15.
Since Apple launched their original iPod back in October 2001, the range has grown and evolved. Although iPod’s look fairly similar, each one is individual, and has its own range of accessories. Here you can determine which iPod you have, and find out what accessories are available for it.
What does the “G” mean? When Apple launched the early iPod’s, they weren’t given names like they are today. The original iPod was replaced by a newer model also called iPod. As the newer model had several advanced features over its predecessor, it was dubbed the new generation of iPod, this over time change to 2nd Generation, which in turn got shortened to 2G.
The number preceding the “G” just determines where that particular model sits in the range of iPods. Even now with the Nano iPod, we are seeing 2nd and 3rd Generation models. The original style of iPod is now called the iPod Classic, and no doubt as time goes on, more generations will follow. The only exception to this is the iPhone 3G, where the 3G refers to the technology within the phone, and not the generation of iPhone.
Everything seems to be getting more environmentally friendly these days. This Wooden Dock for the iPhone 3G is the most recent addition to the range of Eco Friendly iPhone accessories and follows in the footsteps of the hugely popular iPhone 3G Solar Charging Case.
The Wooden Dock is handcrafted from solid wood, and each one has its own unique woodgrain finish. The Wooden Dock allows you to charge and sync your iPhone with your Mac or PC using a standard Mini USB cable.
Fed up of cables trailing across your desk? Do you find yourself constantly crawling under your desk to find the end of your charger? Well this Wireless Charging Pad from WildCharge could be the answer that you’re looking for.
Wireless Charging has been floating around for a while, but never really taken off until now. WildCharge is a simple concept. You have a charging pad that is connected to the mains, and a protective skin for your phone that has built in contacts to supply the power to the battery. To charge your phone, simply place it on the pad. It doesn’t matter how your phone is placed on the pad, as long as its facing upwards. The pad is completely safe and can be touched with no risk of getting a shock.
Now, I have to admit I was a bit weary of wireless charging, but was extremely surprised at how well it works. As soon as your phone is placed on the pad it starts charging, and charge times are the about the same as they would be using a standard charger.
The WildCharge is available now for the BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry Curve and is priced at £49.95. Replacement charging skins will be available to purchase separately, so when you replace your phone, you’ll only need to replace the skin. Wireless charging for the iPhone and iPod Touch are coming very soon.
Check out the Video below to see the WildCharge in action.
Please note that this product has now been discontinued and replaced with the iPhone Solar Power Sleeve. We’ve also got a great range of cases for the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS:
I’m sure most iPhone 3G users will agree that the battery life on the iPhone 3G is pretty poor at best. I can just about manage a whole days usage if I turn off 3G, which defeats the whole purpose of having the phone.
To combat this power problem, we have just released a range of Solar Powered cases for the new iPhone 3G. As well as protecting your iPhone 3G from everyday knocks and scrapes these energy saving cases can charge your iPhone. Each case has its own in built 1500 mAh battery, can provide one full charge for your iPhone and will recharge itself through the solar panel mounted to the front of the case, or via Mini USB if you’re in a badly lit area.
The iPhone 3G Solar Cases are available in Black and White and are due into stock mid August 2008.
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I’m going to start with the Home screen and work my way through. The new things about the home screen that are noticeable so far is there are a few new icons. Its not all that noticeable, but the phone icon, the ipod icon and the messages icon have changed, and now have a more contemporary brushed effect. You’ve also got the new spotlight feature which is really helpful if you want to search for songs, emails or contacts, it searches everything. You just swipe to the right and it brings up the spotlight search screen. Its a really good feature and is surprisingly fast, I thought it was going to lag for quite some time, but it’s quick and snappy. That is it for the new home screen.
In case you may have missed it, yesterday, Apple announced a new version of its iPhone software (iPhone 3.0) that also runs on the iPod touch. While a lot of the new features will only be available on the iPhone, there are a few new features that will make it onto the iPod Touch.
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