Accessories for iPhone

With the market filled with all possible choices for iPhone cases, finding one that would offer the superior protection you need for your precious gadget is surprisingly not easy at all. Choices are vast, alright, but with the huge number of accessories flooding the retail sites and display racks of accessory stores, one could only think about throwing it at the wall and see what sticks. Fortunately, a few companies went out of its way to create innovative products that will stand out from the sea of plain, old, boring products that do not really have much to offer.

Marware’s Quick Vue Case for iPhones offers you ultimate convenience, versatility and added protection for your phone in an elegant, sleek fashion. From the exterior, this almost entirely black matte hard, rubberized fold-out case seals and guards your iPhone against scratches, chips, bumps and dirt. It has a nice metal clasp that does not only hold the case together but also adds to the look quality. Beneath its durable outer shield, its interior is nice and cushy, and its snug fit makes sure your phone is safe and comfy the whole time.

The Quick Vue case is designed to be worn at the waist (it actually has the look of a cool belt-mounted wallet), sealing your phone facing inwards, so when you pop its clasp open, your phone’s screen is faced straight at you, allowing easy access even when walking. Since it is convenient to open and is within reach, opening your Quick Vue allows you full access of your iPhone’s touch screen. While held inside the case, your iPhone’s headphone port sits at the lower right part and is accessible even when the case is closed.

But there’s a few downsides to this accessory. Obviously, with how it is positioned, the user has no access to the side buttons. If you flip it open and what you need is not on the screen, you would have to remove your iPhone from the case to toggle between the ringer settings or lock the screen. Apart from the side buttons, sealing your iPhone inside the Quick Vue deprives you of the bottom speaker, microphone and access to the Dock Connector. That means you also have to remove your phone when you need to sync it with your computer or charge it up.

Though the ‘cons’ may sound disadvantageous, there isn’t really much complaints on that aspect as most controls you need from your iPhone could be found on the screen. Many claim that the metal clasp appears flimsy, but with Marware’s reputation when it comes to iPhone cases, taking your phone with you in extreme conditions like running, biking and even to gym would prove how the clip holds well.  Generally, Quick Vue keeps your entire device fully protected. Its classic, professional and stylish look definitely is a major plus. A purchase includes a belt clip and a microfiber cleaning cloth. Normally it sells for $19.99, but if you look around more, it is hugely offered in promotional sales for just $4.

Thinking about getting a universal remote to replace the clutter around your house? Having 5 remote controls piled up on your coffee table, one for each of your home theatre device, could get really frustrating. Thinkflood, a Massachusetts-based company known to develop and design hardware and software aimed to make everyday tasks a lot more convenient, have found a smart way to transform your iPhone or iPod Touch into a universal remote control by launching its RedEye system.

Consisting of both an iPhone application and a hardware (iPhone dock), the RedEye virtually controls all devices in your home that is capable of receiving infrared control signals – - – from your TV, DVD player, VCR, cable box, stereo and a whole lot more. With iPhones now able to do almost everything, this system stretches the convenience much further and allows anyone to have all the needed controls right in their pockets.

Setting up this new remote control system requires the user to download a RedEye app from the internet, which is free and quick. The charging dock, which is also the control’s base station, should be placed in the same area with the equipment you intend to use it with. Your iPhone or iPod Touch communicates the base station, working in conjunction with the downloaded application which converts Wi-Fi commands to infrared counterparts thereby controlling the different components of your home theatre. That way, you don’t have to stand in front of the TV or any of your components to turn it on or off, adjust the volume, skip to the next song, etc. Feel free to go ahead and do your thing around the house but keep all your home theater system or anything that is remote-control operate within easy reach and within your full control. Apart from its wide database of downloadable IR codes from a global list of manufacturers (which is regularly updated), the RedEye system is also equipped with a learning function that enables the user to program commands using an existing device remote.

What’s more, you can share the system with other iPhone users in your house. Every iPhone or iPod Touch could then be used as a controller and interact with the system simultaneously. Very simple to use, one control from your phone could execute a series of commands – - – watch TV, play a video, run music and more. As RedEye provides custom screen layouts for your iPhone, the user experiences the most convenience as his controls are set on what he finds most comfortable, thus, eliminating the trouble of hunting for the right button. On top of that, only appropriate buttons appear on the touch screen. Buttons could also be added or removed, according to personal preference, and options to resize or rearrange the controls are also available.

Apart from the convenience of not needing any professional installer like most high-end set-ups, its customization features is as competitive as similar devices that offers the same function, but cost about 3 times more. Multi-featured universal controls could cost up to a few thousand dollars while similar products are priced close to $500. When RedEye first came out, it was selling for some $188. Now, retail sites and even Amazon has it available for about $150. With this system, it’s like getting a high-priced universal remote at a fraction of the price.

A purchase includes a 100-240V, 50,60Hz AC power adapter needed to plug in the hardware. Compatible with iPhone or iPod Touch models running on OS 2.2.1 or later, upgrades for RedEye are also free. Now who says controlling your bedroom stereo form the kitchen or turning off your TV upstairs from below is never possible?

As everyone has started to tire over earphones that underperform, Jays portable media accessories designer and manufacturer joined the earphone market just in time, allowing iPhone users to reclaim their music with the multifunctional and performance-quality earphones they have in store. Since they started making a name in 2006, their engineers have also been busy creating new technologies and fresh designs for the products they cater.

Among their most recent addition to its award-winning line of in-earphones, the company came out with s-Jays, an upgraded version of the g-Jays they made available sometime in 2009. Equipped with its new SIREN technology, it promises to deliver the most thumping bass and a whole new listening experience ever.

A tubeless, round balanced armature, the SIREN technology works similarly to dynamic coil drivers designed to maximize low frequency performance and allow distortion-free high-volume output. How it can move air than smaller armatures permits the siren to keep sound details unique and exact even at low frequencies. In mid frequencies, the s-Jays delivers a smooth, detailed sound with strong, deep vocals with remarkable clarity revealing the finer details of the vocalist’s voice. High frequencies provide similarly impressive experience. Perhaps due to the size of the armature and the big housing it is presented in, stereo imaging (soundstage) for s-Jays is pretty good and wide.

What’s more to love with s-Jays, is that it comes Jam-packed with a luxurious assortment of accessories. Apart from the 90 cm (35.5 in) extension cable that brings the 60 cm cord attached to the earphones to a useful length, it also comes with a gold-plated fetching stereo splitter that connects two earphones to one player – - -  great for two people listening to the same sound source at the same time. A gold-plated two-pronged flight adapter is also included, perfect for listening to in-flight entertainment systems.

But that’s not all, its four changeable sound tube filters greatly helps your valuable earphones last forever. To avoid experiencing a decrease in performance, they need to be replaced over time, or once they get dirty. But not to wry, a pair could last for over a year for average users. The 5 pairs of silicone rubber sleeves come in different sizes (XXS, XS, S, M, L) to make sure you find a proper fit. These things come in really handy in providing average isolation. The foam tips (also included in the set) isolate much better, but needs to be replaced after some time. Since only a pair comes with it, it is wiser to use them sparingly and save them for really noisy environments. With it, you can enjoy your music excepting any external sounds as both reduces outside noise up to 40db without the need for you to increase your phone’s volume and hurting your ears on the process. Not quite done yet, its leather carrying case is small and handy. Others do find it too small though, but, it provides separate compartments to carry the rest of the accessories and is in fact very convenient.

With its funky, contoured and stylish design, it comes with a comfortable fit. In its entirety, along with the stress-relieved plus backed with strong soft rubbers, s-Jays exudes high-quality build. But its functionality is much appreciated by users and it s capability to deliver impressive quality sounds. Among other important features it includes are the 113 db SPL sensitivity, 20Hz-20kHz frequency range and a total weight of 10 grams (0.35 oz) excluding the cables. Comes in black and white options, it perfectly complements you iPhone.

With the warm, natural sounds and all-round performance, and for a reasonable sum of $89.99 that’s easily available in many retail places, these things are highly recommended. So to speak, Jays’ s-Jays Headphones is not just a brand new earphone with a brand new look, but it also comes with a brand new technology to give the modern iPhone users a completely new listening experience.