iPhone Life - Best Apps, Top Tips, Great Gear

The iW1 from iHome is a superb AirPlay compatible wireless speaker. I was the first person to get a review unit, so more or less the first guinea pig user. Consequently, I had some guinea pig type problems with it, but with help from the folks at iHome, was able to get it working quite well. It is arguably the best combination of features I have yet seen in a portable speaker system.

Riding my recumbent bike, is one of my great joys. Another great joy is tracking my trips and playing music along the way. For this purpose, I need a good handlebar mount that will allow me to hold my PDA in plain view securely.

My first bike mount was a disaster. I thought my phone was securely fastened, but on the first bump, the unit went flying, the battery cover in one direction, the body, and battery in other directions. When I retrieved it, the screen was shattered, and I had to get a new phone. That bike mount was an expensive proposition above its initial cost.

Some have reasonably argued that full fledged RPGs are a bit too overwhelming for the portable market where the majority of users only spend minutes at a time playing games.  Several developers have attempted to provide the RPG fix without the RPG commitment, and Pocket Warriors is one of those games.  It actually fits the mold somewhat well, except for the fact that it’s so watered down the game play becomes redundant and boring rather quickly.  At least it looks pretty and sounds halfway decent, though.

Tomorrow is "Dress up like Steve Jobs day." The idea for this Facebook event came from iPhone Life staff, who announced it last week. You are invited to dress up like Steve to honor his extraodinary contribution to the world. And you can post your photo on the Facebook event page. We'll be publishing the best photos.

"Dress Up Like Steve Jobs Day" is September 9th 2011. That means get your jeans, black shirts and black turtle necks ready!

How did this happen?

A few of us at iPhone Life were trying to come up with a fun and easy way to show our respect and appreciation to Steve Jobs, a man who's vision, inspiration and dedication have touched so many people's lives, and whose retirement from the role of Apple CEO marks the end of an era. 

One complaint I have about the iPad's screen is the beautiful, glossy surface. Sure it looks great, until you actually touch it. I'm tempted to wipe it with something 10 seconds after turning it on. The glassy surface is also not optimal for quick and constant finger dragging when gaming, and glare and reflections can be be distracting. The NuVue Anti-Glare protective screen guard will diminish these issues.

It seems to me that fewer and fewer people wear watches these days in favor of using a mobile phone for keeping time. Yet watch companies appear to be alive and well. I think they have to be more innovative and creative with design and functionality to keep in the game.

Recently a noteworthy watch by Cadence watch company came to my attention. It's the perfect watch for geeks with its 4-bit binary face instead of Arabic or Latin numerals.

It is a classy time piece that would serve you well in formal attire or on casual occasions with its stainless steel case, leather strap and steel buckle designed by John Flear who is noted for incorporating high-tech motifs into retro objects.