We have all been there. You know, our iPhone is about to die from a drained battery and no charge cable in sight. Well, the Seidio 3-in-1 Retractable Charger [$29.99 - TiPb Store link] is here to change that. The Seidio charger gives you everything you need for any portable situation. You get a USB cable that actually snaps into place (I love that. Most cables I see these days don’t actually snap in place, they just fit, but not securely) and the always capable wall charger and large grip-friendly car charger.

What really sets this charger apart from the competition is the retractability of the cable. Just like with other retractable cords, you pull on both ends and it expands. Of course, it is convenient if you have your iPhone charging on your Mac or PC to just let is sit right next to your computer without any extra cable mess.

I use my cable on the time. My day starts off with getting in the car for work (yeah, don’t use it at home, I have a cradle for that) and plugging it into the car adapter. I have a good 45 minute commute to work, so this buys me time to charge and listen to music, podcasts and audiobooks. Once I am work, I take the cable with me and charge at my desk as need. Yes, I am one of those people that if the iPhone 3GS tells me I have 96% battery, I must make it 100%.

As the day winds down, I repeat the morning process. Now you are probably thinking to yourself, “Why is this guy telling me how he carries his cable around all day?” Well, that is the point isn’t it? The fact that the cable retracts makes it super easy to pull out of my bag and stow it away. I have a separate cable I stash in my bag too, the one that came with the iPhone. Using that cable is annoying as I have to “stuff” it in my bag, where the Seidio cable retracts beautifully with no mess. I know, it is the little things. Because of its portability, this has quickly become my main cable. On the ever-so-small downside, there is not an airplane adapter. That would make this the ultimate in charger cables, but for now, Seidio will have to do with a “fav” rating from this reviewer.

If you are looking for a functional cable such as this, you can pick it up in the TiPb store for $29.95.

Check out more in the gallery below!

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

Seidio 3-in-1 Retractable Charger Reality Review

mophie Juice Pack Air [$79.96 - TiPb Store link] is the newer, sleeker model in town. We’ve tried out several battery extenders here on TiPb, and I’ve tried quite a few personally, but like the grail we keep looking for longer, better, and stronger power. Did I find it with the Juice Pack Air?

James has been talking the Air up for a while, but I wasn’t sure about it. There are several variations in battery charger available for the iPhone, after all. First, form factor. Some chargers are modules that plug onto the bottom and while they can pack a punch, you have to be careful how you handle the iPhone when they’re connected, lest they become rapidly unconnected. mophie makes the other kind, the case-style, and the Air — as the name suggests — is molded to be as thin and remain as pocketable as possible. In this, it succeeds brilliantly.

Some have complained that the Air’s case-like form factor reduces their cell signal strength by a couple bars. I didn’t experience that, though I’m in Canada and — apologies to my long-suffering AT&T friends — the iPhone is solid on our network.

The other variation is charging style. Some battery extenders charge via a dock port that makes them very handy since dock cables are ubiquitous and if you already have an AC adaptor, car adaptor, etc. they “just work” with those.

The mophie, by contrast, uses a USB micro-cable, but not micro-USB, which is always a concern (if your forget it, or lose it, your battery charger ain’t getting charged).

Enough about what it is, what’s important is how it works. I tested this one out on a weekend trip, and on several heavy-duty usage days. I also ended up testing it out when I negligently pocketed my iPhone while still recording video, leading it to discharge fairly rapidly.

And it worked well, pretty much in line with mophie’s specs. It recharged my iPhone fairly close to full, and on one occasion recharged both mine and a friend’s halfway during a 2 hour drive when a car charger failed on us.

So, bottom line, if you need extra power and still want something sleek enough to easily carry your iPhone easily in your pocket, (and your cell signal is typically strong), the mophie Juice Pack is well worth checking out.

For more info and full specs, check out TiPb’s iPhone Store…

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

mophie Juice Pack Air for Power Hungry iPhone Users

One of the biggest gripes a lot of iPhone 3G/3GS readers have is battery life. Now this is mainly due to not being able to put the iPhone down to give it a rest, but we now have another solution to your iPhone addiction. Enter Case-Mate’s Fuel Case for iPhone 3G/3GS, which is available in TiPb’s store for $74.95. For a full review, follow us after the break!

Design & Usability

The Case-Mate Fuel Case for iPhone 3G/3GS is integrated with a 2300mA Lithium Polymer battery, Case-Mate says it will add up to nine hours of additional talk-time, up to seven hours of internet browsing, up to eight hours of video, 24 hours of audio, and 250 hours of extra standby time.

The times that Case-Mate claims are pretty much dead on. If you have trouble putting your iPhone down and typically end up with a dead battery sometime during the day, Fuel is the right case for you.

Usually when I get into my car after a full day at work I would have 20%-30% of my battery left. With the Fuel I’ve been leaving with anything from 80% to being topped off and that’s still with some juice left in the case itself. Not too shabby. I think it’s also important to note that you do not need to remove the phone from the case to use the iPhone in any way, including phone calls.

On the bottom front of the case you will find 3 built-in LEDs that allow you to see exactly how much “Fuel” you have left and a power button that allows you to turn the charger on or off as you see fit. Both of these are nice little bonus features.

To charge the case you only have one option — you must use a standard 5-pin USB cord. One is included but it would be nice to have the option to charge the case without using my laptop. On the plus side, Fuel fully supports syncing while iPhone 3G is docked into the case.

One nice features Fuel has that other iPhone charging cases lack is a belt clip that rotates 180-degrees. This sounds great but unfortunately Case-Mate dropped the ball on this one. I found myself worrying about the lack of protection on the upper half of my iPhone and the screen. Since you have to place the iPhone face-out, the screen is left completely unprotected. This means you have to be careful not to bump into anything or you will damage your device.

So, the next possibility would be to place the phone in your pocket. There’s only one thing wrong with that — the belt clip is not removable. Granted it still would be a tight fit without the clip due to the added size it gives the iPhone, but the option would still be better.

As to the belt clip itself, it does it’s job well. Rest assured, your iPhone is locked in place and will not fall out on you.

Conclusion

Even with the complaints about the belt clip, I still like this case. The pros outweigh the cons by far. I found myself using the case at work around my desk and at home when I was lounging around. Even though the size adds to the iPhone it still feels good in the hand while using it.

Overall the Case-Mate Fuel Case for iPhone 3G/3GS does it’s job and it does it very well. Since Apple chooses not to make the iPhones battery replaceable companies like Case-Mate have stepped up and offered us some solutions. For $74.95 you can’t go wrong with this one, Fuel will give your iPhone the boost it needs to easily make it through your entire day and, in some cases, days.

Pros

• Battery life as advertises.
• Feels good in the hand
• Reasonable price
• Ability to sync while your iPhone is in the case
• Works with the new iPhone 3GS

Cons

• Lack of screen protection
• Belt clip is not removable
• Case only chargeable via micro USB cable

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

Review: Case-Mate Fuel Case for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS

The Belkin TuneCast Auto with ClearScan for iPhone 3G is available and can be purchased in TiPb Store for $79.95. If you are looking for a charger/ FM transmitter in one for your iPhone, this might be for you. Let’s see how it measures up after the break!

Design

The Belkin TuneCast Auto is a charger/FM transmitter that sends your iPhone’s audio directly to your FM radio.  The device is made of plastic and has been quite resilient. The cord length is just about perfect. I currently plug it in under my car’s arm rest and it is just long enough. The transmitter is compact and easy to use.

Daily Use

I admit it, or perhaps I shouldn’t, but I am one of those people that sometimes drives with my headphones in. I liken this to the same as someone playing their boom-box loudly in their car. So, being a good citizen, I wanted do the right thing and find a way to listen to music without headphones; in comes the Belkin TuneCast Auto!

I have a 45-minute commute each way to work, so I use this thing A LOT and for extended periods of time, driving through several parts of town before arriving at my place of employment. Why is this important? Well, the way this device works is, it sends the the iPhone’s audio to a radio channel that is not currently being broadcast on. So, in theory, you find an “empty” channel and you are in business. Well, like I said, in theory anyway. The reality is where I live, there are very, very, very few stations (like 3) that don’t broadcast anything. What is the magic station for me? 96.1, for about 75 percent of my commute. Since I am driving from suburbia to downtown, as I approach the city, there is more and more static encroaching on the crystal-clear audio I enjoyed from my home; frustrating indeed.

So how do you resolve this? Well the Belkin TuneCast Auto gives you a few tools at your disposal. First up is the scanner. You press the button and if finds a station, based on your location, that has the least amount of static or stations to transmit to the radio. You can adjust by numerical increment if you like too. For example, the device select 105.4, but you find that 105.5 provides a slightly clearer listening experience, you can adjust at that level.

Next, you can save up to two favorite channels. This is quite helpful in my instance. I choose one channel for most of my commute, then as I get closer to work, I switch to another. It would have been really handy to have more then two saved presets, but alas, what can you do.

Lastly, you have “Pro” settings that help improve the audio performance. There are Pro levels 1-3 that essentially increase the volume of the music if it is muffled over the air with the FM reception. The last level plays in mono, further decreasing static.

Conclusion

I really like the Belkin TuneCast Auto for iPhone 3G. The problems I have with it are really just inherent of the technology and its compatibility in my city; there just aren’t any available stations that don’t have anything being broadcast on them. This issue, however, is not Belkin’s so I feel it is unfair to knock them any points for this. Instead, the disappointments I have with the device are listed below, that just prevent it form being a 5-star device.

Pros:

• Hey, instant iPhone to Stereo transmission in your car!
• Ample cord length
• Good reception (when there is a available channel)

Cons:

• It would be nice if the 30-pin connector snapped into place to make it more secure
• Having more than 2 presets for stations would be nice

TiPb’s Rating:

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

Review: Belkin TuneCast Auto with ClearScan for iPhone 3G

The iPhone doesn’t have a user-changeable battery. To some that was a non-starter. To others, that was a call to action. Enter the iPhone external battery charger. We’ve seen them in several forms now, from built-in cases like the Mophie Juice Pack to plug-in units like the RichardSolo 1800 for iPhone.

TiPb had a chance to meet with the very gracious Richard Thalheimer at Macworld, who shared his enthusiasm for the RichardSolo 1800 and asked us to give it a try. Seeing as how, between email, twitter, blogging, texting, and calling, I was draining our iPhones near dry, I was more than happy to.

So how did it do? Read on after the break!

What’s in the Box

The RichardSolo 1800 for iPhone comes with the battery charger itself, which is shaped roughly like smaller, thinner version of the iPhone, and includes a locking dock connecter (yes!), charging light, and two buttons which activate the laser pointer and the LED flashlight.

Yep, it’s a multi-tasker, and while I haven’t yet found a use for the extra features, it is kind of reassuring to know they exist in case I ever need to find my keys in a dark room, or simply annoy a friend.

Also included is a retractable mini-USB to USB cable for charging with adapters for both an AC outlet and a car charger. Since the purpose of RichardSolo 1800 is to keep you juiced up on the go, it’s nice to have multiple options for charging the 1800 itself. However, while USB is a standard, I can’t help but think if the RichardSolo 1800 itself used a dock connector for charging, just like the iPhone, that AC adapter and car charger could do double duty charging the iPhone as well. (Note: you can work around this by plugging the iPhone into the RichardSolo, and the RichardSolo into the USB cable, so it’s a small niggle).

Lastly, the box includes braces for both the iPhone 3G and the original iPhone 2G. If you’re ever in a pinch and need to use your iPhone while charging it with the RichardSolo 1800, the brace will help keep everything more stable. It’s not as solid as a case-form external battery charger, of course, but if you’re careful, it’s usable enough.

How it Works

To charge the RichardSolo, you plug it into the retractable USB cable, and plug that into a handy USB socket — or into either of the adapters mentioned above. RichardSolo recommends you charge the 1800 for a minimum of 5 hours, twice, to get maximum initial capacity. That’s probably a fair indication of ongoing best practices as well.

Once the RichardSolo 1800 is charged, you plug it into the iPhone and move that charge on over! Thankfully, the 1800 will “lock” onto the iPhone dock, and requires you to pinch two buttons on the side to release it — a nice feature to prevent unintentional disconnection. Since the 1800 charges through a dock connector, you could theoretically use it to charge the iPod touch — or any other iPod — as well, though I personally haven’t tried that out yet.

From nearly dead to fully charged, it took somewhere between 1:30 and 1:45 to completely recharge my iPhone, and the 1800 still had power left to spare.

Final Thoughts

Is it unwieldily? Sure, hanging even a slim battery sized object off the bottom of your iPhone can be annoying, but what’s more annoying is running out of power halfway through a conference, nary a port or outlet in sight. So it comes down to a choice, something less obtrusive like the aforementioned Mophie Juice Pack, which only works on the iPhone 3G, or the RichardSolo 1800, which isn’t as elegant but can be used on all iPhones and iPods alike?

Pros

• Can charge any iPhone or iPod
• Slim profile makes it highly portable
• Includes USB, AC, and car charging options
• Built in flash and flippin’ laser beam!

Cons

• Dongle-like solution less ideal for using-while-charging

TiPb Rating

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

Review: RichardSolo 1800 for iPhone Battery Charger