Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

Looking for another way to put your expensive iPhone, iPod or PDA at risk? While this bike mount holder makes it easier for you to pay attention to your portable electronics instead of the road, I’d be quite leery about trusting it with anything that’s not already mounted in a shock-proof case. It features a set of adjustable clamps padded with a good half-inch of foam which will accommodate any device that’s between 40mm to 75mm wide. It also uses a ball and socket joint where it connects to your bike’s handlebars, allowing you to position the device at just the right angle.

It’s priced at just $14.99 from USBfever.com which should give you a good idea of what the build quality and reliability are like. I think this is another case where you could save yourself a bit of money and just simply throw your iPhone or PDA on the ground the next time you’re riding your bike.

[ Bike Mount Holder For Portable Devices ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Whenever I listen to music I like to block out all the background noise and other sounds around me. So instead of speakers, I usually opt for either a set of earbuds or full-sized headphones. While it means I can enjoy my music without distraction, I unfortunately often end up missing phone calls or delivery men knocking on my door when I’m at home. It’s even more of a concern if I’m out wandering the city, as I have to be extra conscious of people, bicycles and other vehicles I don’t hear.

And that’s what interested me in the AirDrives as an alternative to my regular headphones. Instead of completely covering or blocking the ear canal, they’re designed to sit just outside your ears, allowing you to hear your music as well as everything else going on around you. The AirDrives were created by Mad Catz and the company has recently released a version designed specifically for the iPhone. I had a chance to try them out and you can find my full review of the AirDrives for the iPhone after the jump.

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By Andrew Liszewski

I’ve never had a problem with typing or hitting buttons on the iPhone. But if like Homer Simpson you’ve decided to gain massive amounts of weight to go on workers comp, and now require a special dialing wand for your phone, this will fit the bill. It’s made of aluminum and while it looks to be as thick as a standard pen or pencil, at 4 inches in length it’s probably just a bit shorter. However the most important feature of this stylus is the soft rubber tip which works on both the iPhone and iPod Touch screens without scratching them or leaving behind fingerprints and smudges. That alone could be worth picking one up.

You can find the Soft-Touch Stylus at DealDay.com for just $12.99.

[ Soft-Touch Stylus for Apple iPhone & iPod Touch ] VIA [ Crave ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’re like me, you hate seeing your iPhone covered in fingerprints, even though it’s as inevitable as death and taxes. And if a few smudges bother me, you can safely assume there’s no way I would take it anywhere close to a bathroom. So while I’m going to pass on their suggested use, I still like this unique iPhone/Touch stand from the Thought Out Company. The NAJA King (pronounced NAHA) uses a soft, flexible 3-foot coil that can be reshaped for a variety of uses. Like as a stand sitting on your desk, or wrapped around the back of your neck with the device hanging in front of you.

The grips that securely hold the iPhone and Touch are covered with soft rubber so they won’t scratch your device, and the head is able to rotate 360 degrees. You can get it directly from the Though Out Company’s online store for $39.99.

[ NAJA King Flexible Stand ] VIA [ Ubergizmo ]

By Luke Anderson

If you’re one of the many people that have jumped on the iPhone wagon, you’ve no doubt realized that typing on it isn’t quite as easy as other smartphones. The main cause for this is the lack of tactile feedback. Sure, I will admit that the keyboard isn’t that bad to use, but if you could actually feel where your fingers were, it would make things much easier. This is exactly the purpose that My Touch Keys plans to serve.

This piece of plastic clings to your screen, with holes where the letters of the keyboard would be. This way you can feel exactly where your fingers are. The blue tint looks like it might wash out your picture a bit, but for $7.99, it can’t be too bad.

[ MyTouchKeys ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The iPhone and vanity go hand in hand so Proporta’s new Echo screen protector seems like the perfect solution for those who want to look as good as their phone, and vice-versa. When the iPhone is turned on the Echo works like your standard screen protector, keeping the display free of nicks and scratches. But when the display is switched off, the Echo acts like a mirror allowing you to check yourself out or signal passing planes if you happen to be stranded on a deserted island. The protector is easy to apply and can be removed, washed and replaced as often as needed.

It’s available from Proporta for just $9.95 and includes an application card for keeping bubbles to a minimum and a screen polishing cloth. It’s also available in versions for the iPod Touch and the 3G Nano.

[ Echo iPhone Mirrored Screen Protector ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you heavily rely on your iPhone or iPod Touch for watching videos and movies you’re probably tired of having to hold it for long periods. And while there’s already a large collection of stands and docks on the market for both devices, I don’t think any of them will be as sturdy as the PED 3. You see it’s actually made from a pound of solid steel and while you unfortunately can’t fold it up for easy transport, all that weight should keep it from falling over.

The metal fingers you see that hold the iPhone or iPod Touch are coated in rubber so they grip the device and are strategically positioned so as not to block any of the buttons or ports. The fingers can also be rotated 360 degrees and can be adjusted between two angled positions. The large base even features a center split that allows you to keep any connected cables looking tidy.

Both the iPhone and iPod Touch versions of the PED 3 are available on the company’s online store for $39.99.

[ PED 3 Rotating Stand ]

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’ve already added this ridiculous zoom lens to your iPhone photography kit, you might as well go ahead and add this wide angle lens as well. While my concerns with the iPhone’s camera are more related to its crappiness than its field of view, if you’ve come to rely on it for random celebrity snaps or unexpected blackmail moments, this could make it a bit more useful. It’s easily attached or removed thanks to a clear plastic ‘cap’ that sits on top of the phone and positions the lens directly over the standard one. Just don’t expect to be able to use any of the iPhone cases on the market while this lens is attached.

You can get one from from USBfever.com for just $11.99, though it won’t ship until sometime around February 29.

[ iPhone Wide Angle Lens ] VIA [ The Red Ferret Journal ]

By Andrew Liszewski

For just $14.77 you can turn the crappy digital camera on your iPhone into a crappy digital camera with 6×18 zoom. This lens attachment from Conice includes a clear plastic housing for the iPhone itself, which also serves as a mounting bracket for the lens over the phone’s camera. That way you can easily attach and remove the lens as needed.

Something tells me if your budget allows for an iPhone, you can probably afford a small P&S digital camera as well. Not only will it take far better shots, but it should also include a tripod mount on the bottom, since a zoom lens will amplify any motion in the camera, resulting in blurred shots if you don’t keep it steady. And those hoping to just rely on the iPhone’s camera should also be aware that this lens and its case nearly double the weight of the phone.

[ Conice 6×18 Zoom Attachment for iPhone ] VIA [ technabob ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While my iPhone has been ‘liberated’ I haven’t installed much in terms of 3rd party software. But this new application called Listen, from iPhone super hacker Erica Sudin is pretty tempting. After starting the program you simply hold the iPhone’s microphone near your TV, radio or other source of music. After sampling the tune for 5 seconds, the program contacts an ID server and if successful, will display the name of the song, the artist and the album.

Just keep in mind that Listen is currently “very beta” and I’ve seen reports that the application put some user’s iPhones into recovery mode after successfully recognizing a song. But those users seem to be in the minority, and from what I can tell the application works surprisingly well so far.

You can download the Listen beta directly from Erica Sadun’s website.

[ Test Request: iPhone Audio recognition ] VIA [ The Unofficial Apple Weblog ]