Magellan recently announced they are releasing a GPS car kit of their own and it already has hit the FCC. Like the much anticipated TomTom car kit, the Magellan will give the iPod touch and first generation iPhone GPS capabilities as long as you are using the Magellan GPS application. [iTunes Link] This particular car kit is crammed with some nice features:

• Fully adjustable mount that works with any skin or case
• Rotates for both portrait and landscape use
• Enhances signal with built-in GPS receiver
• Noise-canceling speakerphone
• Bluetooth hands-free calling
• Amplified speaker for clear, powerful sound
• Works with any GPS application (Unless you are using a iPod touch or first generation iPhone – you then must use the Magellan application)

Currently no price has been announced but you can expect the Magellan car kit to hit stores before the end of the year. Those of you in the market for a GPS car kit now have one more option available to you. Decisions decisions…

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Magellan GPS Car Kit for iPhone/iPod touch Coming Soon

The following Holiday Gift Guide is sponsored by the TiPb iPhone Accessory Store

What to get for that annoying iPhone owner who knows has everything? For that new iPhone user who’s just getting started? For that last minute drop in you never expected but suddenly have to render iSpeechless?

The TiPb iPhone Accessory store’s got you covered! We asked the iPhone staff for some of their favorite accessories of the year, and put them together into our 2009 Gift Guide — jammed packed with iPhone goodness just in time for the holidays, after the jump!

Rene’s Picks

• iSkin solo FX is just crazy cool. Semi-translucent soft, non-slip case that shows your iPhone (and Apple logo), and adds a screen protector that’s see-through from the front when the iPhone is on, but mirror-like from an angle or when the iPhone is off. Comes in green, purple, blue, red, and orange. Depending on your iPhone color (black or white) you can get some fantastic looking tones and textures.
• Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset is just so Galactica. I know I’ve said that before, and I’ve said that thanks to my grappling-ground ears, this is the only Bluetooth headset that’s I’ve used, that’s actually stayed in place, for more than a short time. It’s big, sure, but most of it is tucked behind your ear, and the boom mic provides for great sound, and — yup — a look straight out of Sci-Fi (or maybe SWAT).

Dieter’s Picks

• XGear Stylus is a hard case with a unique, ribbed design. No slip = win. It comes with mirror films and a microfiber cleaning cloth. Also red, white, and black.
• Motorola H17 Bluetooth Headset. I love it because it’s tiny, charges lightning quick, has great sound quality on the listening end because of Moto’s Crystal Talk Technology, has great sound quality on the sound end because of the dual-microphone design. Most of all, though, I love it because of the flip out boom that turns the headset OFF when I’m not using it.

Chad’s Picks

• Smartphone Experts SidePouch. If a side pouch is your thing (like it is me) you will like the style and value of the Smartphone Experts Side Pouch for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Light and durable, this is a great addtion to your case collection; not to mention there is a color-combo to suit your liking!
• Blueant S1 Sun Visor Bluetooth Car Kit with Multipoint. If you have been in the market for a hands-free solution for your iPhone and car, this is it! I love this bluetooth speaker. It works great with the iPhone 3GS Voice Control and sounds great.

Chris’ Pick

Incipio SILICRYLIC Silicone Crystal Case has to be my favorite accessory. I have dropped the iPhone a few times, and the case has saved it. Well worth the money, and it looks pretty good as well.

James’ Picks

• mophie Juice Pack air. A few months ago, this was my Pick of the Week. It is still the case I use. Like most iPhone owners, I chew through the battery very quickly. With all of the apps, data, music and video available to me, I seem to always be needing a fresh charge. The Mophie Juice Pack Air is exactly the case I have needed. It does not add too much thickness or heaviness to my iPhone 3GS and holds a full charge when I need it. I have recommended it to family and friends and all who have purchased will echo my sentiments. A must buy for the heavy user!
• Plantronics Discovery 925 Bluetooth Headset. I have tried many bluetooth headsets over the years and have found one nagging issue. No, it’s not sound quality. Rather, I have not found a headset that will stay in my ear without using an over-the-ear clip. The Platronics Discovery 925 is the first headset that I have tried taht will fit in my ear without any other assistance. Also, the sound quality is great and I have not had any complaints on my voice quality.

Jeremy’s Picks

• Marware C.E.O. Premiere has the classic horizontal holster case design that covers your iPhone in a textured, soft leather with quality stitching and an ultra-slim non-removable belt clip. The interior of the case is made up of microfiber cloth which is a welcomed addition that promises not to scratch your device while it is in use. Also it’s doubling as my Droid case.
• Blueant Q1 Voice Controlled Bluetooth Headset is an excellent, top quality headset that should not be passed up if you are in the market for a top of the line piece of technology. Buy it now!

Leanna’s Pick

iSkin Solo FX. For a case that’s both fashionable and of high quality, look no further than the iSkin Solo FX. I use this case regularly for it’s looks and protection. It has a snug fit yet doesn’t scratch my precious iPhone, feels great in my hand, and looks amazing! One of these days I will own all 4 colors

Matt’s Pick

Otterbox Defender is absolutely my favorite case, no doubt the best that I have come across! While this case is a bit more expensive than other iPhone cases, it is definitely worth it. The case nearly seals your iPhone within itself, leaving open only the necessary holes to allow speaker usage. I have put this case through quite a bit, from dropping it off the side of a cliff into sand, to spilling coke on it, to dropping it more than anyone should consider healthy for an iPhone and, still, it has defended it. If you have had issues with keeping an iPhone okay then this is probably the case for you.

Your Recommendations?

What did we miss? Any must-have accessories? What does your secret gift’er need to wrap up for you this year? What are you telling Papa Jobs you really want left under your iPhone? We only started this list; didn’t even check it twice! Check out the TiPb iPhone Accessory store and drop some ideas in the comments, would ya? Make sure we get this right!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

2009 TiPb Store iPhone Accessory Holiday Gift Guide

Apple quietly introduced a new Apple Remote [$19.00 - Apple Online Store link] along with the updated iMac, Mac Mini, Magic Mouse, and Apple TV 3.0 last month. Not to be confused with the Apple-produced Remote app [Free - iTunes link], which allows an iPhone or iPod touch to control an Apple TV or iTunes, the Apple Remote is a hardware accessory that not only controls the aforementioned Apple TV or iTunes (and Front Row!) all on its own, but can also control an iPhone or iPod touch when they’re placed in the — sold-separately — Apple Universal Dock [$49.00 - Apple Online Store link]

So, how new is it, why would an iPhone or iPod touch need a hardware remote anyway, and most importantly, how does it perform? Read on after the break!

New as in Ish

If we define new as revolutionary, like some of the leaks suggested, than this is hardly a “new” remote. Indeed, the Remote app for iPhone and iPod touch already fulfills that revolutionary roll, and does so well. If we define new as in it’s aluminum and black, matching Apple’s new design motif, and has an extra button, then, okay, it’s new-ish.

But that still leaves us with — why would any iPhone or iPod touch user with that free app even want a separate, physical, uni-tasker, hardware remote in the first place?

Think Apple TV on the Go

No, seriously, with the Apple Universal Dock (which really doesn’t still come with the old white remote, does it Apple?!) and its built in IR receiver, combined with an Apple Composite AV Cable [$49.00 - Apple Online Store link] or Apple Component AV Cable [$49.00 - Apple Online Store link], your iPhone or iPod touch becomes an Apple TV. Only portable.

Total Cost of Pwnership

Now it won’t take the Wolfram Alpha app to tell you that each piece of the above equation costs, well, as much as the Wolfram Alpha app. We’re talking fifty bucks for the dock and fifty for one of the cables — so that’s $100 to start. Add in an Apple USB Power Adapter [$29.00 - Apple Online Store link] so you don’t drain your battery while you play, and we’re talking $130. That’s more than half the price of an Apple TV — and that doesn’t count the cost of the iPhone or iPod touch.

But lugging an Apple TV around would, pointedly, suck, and portability and convergence have their price, don’t they? (Even if portability in this case means lugging an extra dock, cable, and remote).

Oh, Yes. The Remote

Back to business. Assuming you want to rent or buy iTunes movies and take it over to your friends’ and/or family’s to watch, and you have the dock and cable, and you don’t like the idea of jumping up and running over every time you want to play, pause, or change media, then how good is the Apple Remote at keeping you on the couch?

Pretty good.

It’s essentially the same as the previous old, white Apple Remote, though it’s longer, sharper edged, made out of sturdier aluminum, and has an easier battery access door on the bottom. It’s major change, cosmetics aside, is that the play/pause button has been separated from the select button and placed down below, off-centering the menu bottom and taking a place to the right of it on the side.

That’s an… odd choice coming from Apple. And for iPhone users it likely adds little functionality, since unlike the Apple TV, there’s no iPhone interface for selecting media on your TV while continuing to watch/listen to something else. (Or selecting it at all, even on the iPhone/iPod touch as you can press the remote arrows on a menu screen to your heart’s content and it just. won’t. scroll!)

Let me explain that better (would that Apple had actually implemented it better so I wouldn’t have to). On the Apple TV, with the old Apple Remote, you could start a song, but if you wanted to look for another song in a another playlist, you had to hit the select button to choose that playlist, and since the select button was the same as the play/pause button, how would it know if you actually wanted to pause the music, or just keep browsing while the music kept playing. With the new Apple Remote, those buttons and hence behaviors are distinct, and you can use menu to drill up and select to drill down, without having to simultaneously end the current track while still browsing for the next. (But it’s actually worse than that, since while browsing the play/pause button can pause the music, but not play it again, so much for better…)

iPhone and iPod touch via the IR dock enjoy none of this functionality (such as it is), so the new button is pretty much the same as the old from a usage point of view. (Exactly the same, play/pause and select both play/pause!). Perhaps that still-in-limbo iPhone 3.2 update can add that to it’s to-do list?

Also, with the sharper angles on the new Apple Remote, that tired old cliche about “feeling great in the hand” reminds me why it’s not so tired. Depending on your hand size, the new version may not feel anywhere as great as the old.

Enough. Bottom-line This.

More curious than compelling, the new Apple Remote certainly better meshes with the latest Apple aesthetics, even if it’s functionality remains decidedly last gen.

If you already have an old, white plastic Apple Remote, and you’re not a fashionista with $15 in-pocket, determined to have something to match your current iPhone and Mac, there’s no need to get the new Apple Remote.

If you are said fashionista, or you have an Apple TV or use Front Row a lot on your Mac, and think that little button tweak will save you a lot of musical frustration, then go for it. $15 is less than you’d spend at some fast-food joints these days.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Review: Apple Aluminum Remote Control for iPhone and iPod Dock, Apple TV, and iTunes

NASA has created a chemical sensor accessory for the iPhone. Gizmodo calls this the day the first Tricorder was created, we call it cosmically cool in any time/space continuum.

The low-cost, low-power system can detect minimal concentrations of ammonia, chlorine gas, and methane, showing the values in an iPhone application. It can automatically communicate the results with other cellphones or the Enterprise’s computer using Wi-Fi or 3G, and order massive teleportation evacuations if needed. OK, not true. No teleportation yet, but we are getting there.

Beam. Us. Up.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

One Small App From NASA, One Giant Chemical Sensor for iPhone

Do you use a Bluetooth headset while driving? A lot of us do. How would you like to do the same thing, but hands free with nothing in your ear? Now you can! The Blueant S1 stereo Bluetooth headset is awesome for the iPhone! you can get it in the TiPb accessory store for $59.95. Now, why would you want to do that? Because this hands-free headset rocks!

I have been using the Blueant S1 for a while now and I have to tell you it is great for so many reasons. First of all the speaker is really lightweight and small. It has a detachable clip that allows you to slip it on to a window visor in your car. if you don’t want the clip, it easily pops right off. There are only three buttons on the Blueant S1; Green for power on/off as well as activating the iPhone’s Voice Control. Green also answers your calls. Red ends a call and if you hold it down, it will dial the last phone number from the phone app.

Using Voice Control with the iPhone could not be simpler; press the green button and wait for the Voice Control prompt from the iPhone. this works like a charm. You can call anyone or play music all from the press of the green button.

Speaking of music, you can use the Blueant S1 as a standalone speaker in your car. You can use the Blueant S1 for making calla but plug in your iPhone to your csr stereo and enjoy the freedom of Apple’s Voice Control.

Outside of using the Blueant S1 as a car-based hands-free device, you can also just slip it in your bag and use it as a desktop Bluetooth speaker, or as I have, use it as a portable speakerphone! During the last month I have been away from my desk at work and have been working in random meeting rooms across campus. Not all of these rooms had phones and some of the rooms were quite large. As an iPhone owner we all know our speaker phones are not very loud, problem solved with the Blueant S1! This little guy came in handy in many of my meetings!

Personally I could not be happier with the Blueant S1. The only improvement I could suggest is a more robust speaker. The audio when playing music is tinty, but sounds great with spoken words. This device has come in handy on many occasions and I know it will for you too!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Blueant S1 Sun Visor Bluetooth Car Kit for iPhone 3GS- Reality Review

Gigaware and RadioShack have teamed up to bring you an exclusive HD Radio iPhone/iPod touch solution with the Gigaware In-line Control with HD Radio for $80. Previously, if you wanted a portable way to listen to HD radio, your options were limited — the best solution being the Zune HD. This version’s highlights include:

• Easily connects to your iPhone and iPod touch via the dock connector
• Receive HD radio signals that offer CD-quality sound
• Song information, such as title and artist, appears on your iPod’s display
• iTunes Tagging saves artist and song information to your iPod for purchase via Apple’s iTunes
• Discover HD2 substations hidden between your regular stations that only HD radio can deliver
• Play, Stop, Pause, Forward, Backward and Scan controls that your fingers can locate by touch

So at $80 a crack, is this something you would be willing to try out or are you happy enough with your own music and iTunes?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Gigaware HD Radio for iPhone/iPod touch Now Available at RadioShack for $80

Marware’s C.E.O. Premiere for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. [$34.95 - TiPb Store Link] is a horizontal case with a belt clip and top flap. Either you love that style or you hate it, but there is no denying their popularity among iPhone owners. Marware has been making iPhone cases since day one and some pretty good ones at that. What did we think of the Marware C.E.O. Premiere?

Follow us after the break!

The Marware C.E.O Premiere has the classic horizontal holster case design that covers your iPhone in a textured, soft leather with quality stitching and an ultra-slim non-removable belt clip. The interior of the case is made up of microfiber cloth which is a welcomed addition that promises not to scratch your device while it is in use.

The flap that encloses your iPhone stays closed with the help of Velcro. Though I would have preferred Marware to use magnets, the Velcro does it’s job. However, when I am in a quiet room and need to get to my phone I’d like to get it out in silence rather than hearing the sound of Velcro tearing open.

The C.E.O. Premiere is designed only to provide access to the headphone port while your phone is inside. This design allows you to listen to music or take calls with the iPhones headset while you are out and about, but like all other cases of this style, no other controls can be accessed when the it’s is closed. Keep that in mind if it’s a deciding factor when you’re looking for a new case.

Marware was kind enough to include a decent screen protector in the package as well.

If you prefer the horizontal case and can get past some of the Marware’s minor shortcomings, the C.E.O Premiere as it’s truly a quality case.

Learn more at TiPb’s iPhone Store >>>

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Review: Marware C.E.O. Premiere for iPhone 3GS & iPhone 3G

In these tumultuous times you need some sort of protector; the kind that will prevent your iPhone from flying off the seat to who knows where. What kind of protector is here to save the day? The iGrip cigarette lighter mount of course! [$19.95 - TiPb store link]

This handy mount plugs right into your existing A/C power or cigarette lighter plug. The iGrip does not charge your iPhone, rather it is a holder so you can keep the iPhone at hands-reach easily (base don car model). For me, the iGrip has worked really well. I always have my iPhone a hands-reach away, and the iGrip makes it that much easier.

The holder does an excellent job of keeping the iPhone in place while not making it difficult to remove. Say, you get a call on the road. The last thing you want to do is have a challenge removing the iPhone from the mount. Instead iGrip has developed a way in which the iPhone simply slides, or rests in place and is kept from moving by a flexible “hook” on the top left of the device. This hook is made from soft plastic and moves out of the way when you remove the iPhone. This works really well as there is no where for the iPhone to snap into place, it “rests” in place instead.

In my trials of using the iGrip mount,  I only came across two issues: 1) The mount’s close proximity to my gear shifter made it difficult shifting (yes, even in an automatic). This is not the holder’s fault, but something to keep in mind before purchase- where are you going to place this thing and will it work in the location that you find? And 2) Once the mount is in place, it really, really does not want to come out. You have to exert a sizable amount to remove the iGrip from the clutches of the cigarette adapter.

Overall I could not be happier with the iGrip 3G mount. Of course, part of me would like the same setup with power, but it would ruin the simplicity of this configuration as you would not be able to quickly remove the iPhone like you can now. If you are looking for a simple but effective iPhone holder for your car, take a look at the iGrip.

For more information, check out the TiPb iPhone Accessory store…

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iGrip Custom Fit Cigarette Lighter Mount Reality Review

Just bought that ~$100 TomTom iPhone app and have $120 ($119.95 to be exact) bucks more burning a whole in your wallet? What luck! The matching TomTom car kit has just become available via the Apple Online Store! (Shipping in 2-3 weeks!)

Yes, that’s $220 total cost of ownership for TomTom lovers, but it’s so hard to set a price on convergence, isn’t it? (Especially when that convergence now comes in two parts!)

Anyone buying it? If so, tell us why. If not, tell us why as well!

[via AppAdvice]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Got $120? Apple Online Store has TomTom Car Kit for iPhone!

Dark Horse Comics, purveyors of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Angel, Hellboy, among other licensed and creator-owned fare have teamed up with Gelaskins to produce a series of comic and pop-art inspired protective coatings for your iPhone, iPod touch, and laptop.

They were kind enough to send TiPb a sample of the Buffy and Hellboy iPhone 3GS skins, and the art was bold and beautiful, and the product every bit as good as I’ve come to expect from Gelaskins (I’ve been using them for a long time, as those who’ve seen my iPhone 3G with Dragon skin in our videos can attest.)

They won’t protect your iPhone from severe impact, but they’ll keep scrapes and abrasions at bay, (and if an imaginary vampire attacks, maybe, just maybe, Buffy or Faith will jump out and dust them for you).

Each skin has a matching wallpaper available for download. iPhone and iPod touch skins are $14.95 and available via the above link.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Quick Look: Dark Horse and Gelaskins Brings Buffy-grade Protection to Your iPhone