Accessories

OtterBox Defender Series Case: This is the Real Deal

Sébastien Page ∙ March 10, 2011

This is a guest post by my friend Guy, who's owned more iPhones and cases than anyone I know. Because Guy is a heavy (and very picky) case user, I figured he would be the best person to review the OtterBox iPhone 4 Defender Series Case.

I have had more iPhones than I can count since my first $600 2G back in 2007. Of those, I've broken the glass on a half-dozen or so. Such was the case with my last iPhone which I broke last week. At the time, I was using the OtterBox Commuter. While it was pretty effective at absorbing most of the shocks caused by dropping it - even on concrete - it didn't do a thing to protect the screen when it fell and landed face down on a small rock...

Peel, Not Just Another TV Remote App for iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 17, 2018

Peel's journey has been an interesting one. It started last fall when we started hearing about an FCC filing from a Santa Clara start-up company named Zelfy. The product's tagline was "every remote and TV guide now on your phone." Fast forward to January of this year, and we get some more information about the mysterious Peel Fruit.

The Peel system uses an IR dongle, built into a fruit shaped casing, that must sit somewhere in IR range of all of your components. The plastic shaped fruit works like a middleman between your iPhone (or iPad for that matter) and your home theater. How does the fruit receive commands from your iPhone? Wifi of course...

iPad Smart Cover: This is What It Looks Like

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 6, 2016

On top of announcing the iPad 2, Apple also introduced a new cover for this new device: the smart cover. Made of polyurethane or leather, it automatically align to your iPad screen thanks to a few magnets. But a picture is worth 1,000 words, so watch the video of the Smart Cover in action.

Everything You Need to Know About the iPad 2

Alex Heath ∙ Updated November 12, 2019

Today, Apple announced the next generation of the iPad. The iPad 2 is the next stage in Apple's tablet evolution, and the device boasts a significant redesign from its predecessor.

There's a lot that's new about the iPad 2. It's thinner, lighter, and 2x faster than the original iPad. It also borrows elements from the iPhone 4, including dual cameras for FaceTime.

Let's take a closer look...

Apple Gives the iPad 2 a Brand New Cover

Sébastien Page ∙ March 2, 2011

Just like they did with the first iPad, Apple is now coming up with a new case/cover concept for the iPad 2. Steve says it's not a case, it's more of a cover. It's heard to tell exactly how it's going to look and feel but looking at pictures of, it looks like a nice way to protect your device.

A few magnets grasp and auto-align the cover on your iPad screen. It's like a flap that covers the front of the device. It automatically wakes the iPad when you open it, and puts it to sleep when it closes it.

Best of all, it comes with microfiber lining that cleans the screen for you. Brilliant!

10 different colors will be available: 5 in poly, 5 in leather. Poly will sell for $39 and leather covers will sell for $69.

How to Make Your iPhone 4 Look Like the Original iPhone

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Feeling a bit nostalgic about the iPhone 2G? Rejoice because today is the day where you can turn your iPhone 4 into an original iPhone. Well, kinda. The folks at iStickr have created a decal for iPhone that replicates the look and feel of the back of the iPhone 2G with aluminum finish.

That's probably as close as you'll get to an iPhone 2G, and this for just about $10...

The $500 ZAGGsparq Giveaway

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Following our review of the ZAGGsparq yesterday, the folks at ZAGG decided to give 5 of them away to iDB readers. That's a total value of about $500. Not bad, not bad at all.

So who are the 5 lucky winners going to be? The rules are pretty simple. Just leave a comment below and explain us why you should win a ZAGGsparq. But that's not all, you can score some extra points and increase your chances of winning...

ZAGGsparq Review: the Best Portable Battery Available

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

As a frequent traveler and an iPhone addict, I always worry to run out of batteries in an airport or worse, in the middle of a flight. I've tried various options for making sure I would never run out of juice but I never found the right accessory that would fulfill my needs: convenience, ease of use, light weight.

That was until the peeps at Zagg sent me a review copy of their ZAGGsparq, a 2-in-1, or maybe I should say a 3-in-1 accessory for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and virtually any smartphone out there, but we'll obviously focus on the iPhone part...

How to Charge 20 iPhones at Once

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Ever wondered how you could possibly sync 20 iPhones at the same time? No, me neither, but at least now I know how to.

PARASYNC is a new accessory that lets you plug 20 iPhones (or any iDevice) in a giant docking station to easily sync them with iTunes. With 20 devices plugged at the same time, data transfer will obviously be slower. The company's website states it takes about 20 minutes to sync 1GB of data, and 35 minutes for 2GB.

I guess the question on everybody's lips is "who the heck needs to sync 20 iPhones at once?"

iPhone Hardware and Accessories from Macworld Expo

Alex Heath ∙ Updated November 12, 2018

The Macworld Expo is a giant technology conference that takes place once a year in California. Unlike the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Macworld is totally focused on everything Apple. The entire conference is devoted to Macs, iPhones, iPads, iPods, hardware, accessories, etc. Journalists and Apple pundits meet at Macworld to discuss the state of Apple's technology and speculate about what is to come.

Hardware is a huge part of Macworld, with more and more attention increasingly being given to iOS hardware and accessories. The guys over at Mac Life posted a great gallery of some iOS hardware/accessories that stood out at Macworld this year. Here are a couple highlights from their findings...

The ’80s Called And It Wants Its Case Back

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

You gotta love the 1980s. In 1989, a gallon of gas was only 97 cents. Those were the days.

"Mobile" phones were huge in the '80s. In fact, they were the largest they've ever been. Plastic shells, giant battery packs and long antennas probably come to mind. In the '90s, phones started getting drastically thinner and more compact. In 2004, the Motorola RAZR shellshocked the mobile market and phones started getting super thin and light.

For those of us who like to feel nostalgic...

Very Em-bear-rassing: Toy Bear Hooks Up to Your iPhone and Reads Your Most Intimate Tweets Out Loud

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 26, 2017

Only in Japan folks, only in Japan. Tokyo-based toy maker WiZ Co. has created an electronic toy bear that can hook up to your iPhone and read your tweets out loud, lip movement and all.

Owners of the device can download a special app for their iPhone, plug in a cable, and watch the hilarity ensue as the bear repeats your tweets aloud.

I don't know about you, but this just sounds like a recipe for disaster, video inside...