Rohdesign Weblog: iPod

Here you'll find all posts file under the iPod category.

February 12, 2008

iPod touch Piel Frama & OtterBox Case Reviews

I've been thoroughly enjoying my iPod touch for the last six months, using it as a PDA, music player and web device. One of the most important accessories to choose for my touch was a case, to protect the screen and help reduce torque on the device when I pocket it. More than once, good quality cases have saved my PDAs.

I wanted two different types of cases: a soft leather case for daily use, which would look professional in any situation and a hardened plastic/rubberized case for more extreme outdoor situations, like walking, hiking and so on.

I contacted Piel Frama in Spain, who sent the Piel Frama iPod touch Leather Case and also talked with OtterBox, who sent two cases: the OtterBox for iPod touch Defender™ and OtterBox for iPod touch Armor™.

Piel Frama iPod touch Leather Case
I've used Piel Frama cases for years with my Palm devices, because they really know how to shape leather to a high-tech device, like an iPod touch. The leather is always very soft and supple, yet tough and reinforced in all the right places.

After living with the Piel Frama iPod touch case (65 Euros/$95, shipping included), I've noticed the precise fit of the power button, the sync slot and headphone jack openings, how well the case's flip cover protects the screen, yet wraps completely around and out of the way, when I need it to.

I carry the touch in my pocket, so I don't use the belt clip option, however there is a full swiveling belt clip option. Piel Frama also offers a variety of colors to suit your fashion taste: black, red, tan, pink, blue and green.

I love the Piel Frama iPod touch leather case. No only does it provide superb protection, it improves the iPod touch's grip-ability and enhances the fine design of the iPod touch itself. It's my favorite every day case.

OtterBox for iPod touch Defender™
I've been aware of OtterBox's tough case reputation for a while, and finally got to try their OtterBox for iPod touch Defender™ ($29.95) with my touch. For tougher conditions, when I may be hard on the touch, the Defender works very well.

The OtterBox Defender case has two parts: a hard plastic inner clamshell, with port and button openings and an outer rubber covering that slips over the plastic clamshell and seals up the openings with rubberized flaps. It's a great combo, because the hard shell protects the touch from impact and torque, while the rubber wrapper cushions impact and seals the touch's ports from the elements.

The Defender's inner plastic clamshell also features a clear plastic cover for the screen, for additional protection from impact and the elements, though I found it made some selections near the edges of the screen a little tougher. This may be due to the Brando BW UltraClear Screen Cover on my screen, which I didn't remove.

The inner clamshell is also a bit tough to separate and remove from the touch, but considering the seal it provides, I didn't mind an extra minute or two spent removing the clamshell in exchange for better protection.

While at Winterblast weekend I put my touch in the OtterBox Defender and carried it in my pocket, never worrying about impact, torquing or abuse it might get while walking around the cold north woods at Fort Wilderness. It's one tough case.

OtterBox for iPod touch Armor™

The OtterBox for iPod touch Armor™ case ($49.95) was created for some seriously extreme conditions. The iPod touch is sealed inside a hinged, two-piece, tank-like caase that's waterproof to 3 feet, dirtproof, sandproof and drop-proof.

The OtterBox Armor case is quite a bit larger and nowhere near "pocketable" as the Piel Frama or OtterBox Defender, but hey, this thing provides some heavy-duty protection to an iPod touch. This is the case you'd climb Mount Everest with.

The Armor's case closes with a plastic snap clip, and the back of the case features a plastic belt clip. Once the touch is inside, headphone access is provided by a sealed passthrough port, the screen is protected by a clear plastic shield, and there's a rubber button to activate the touch's Home button.

If you camp, hike, trek or participate in extreme sports and want to take your iPod touch along, this is the case you've been looking for. Let me tell you — there ain't nothin' getting inside this thing. :-)

Conclusion
I hope these reviews are helpful for those seeking a case to protect an iPod touch. This is only a small selection of protective case choices out there, so have a look around and do your research to find just the one for your needs.

Thanks!
Many thanks to Piel Frama and OtterBox for sending over their cases for these reviews. Both companies have been extremely helpful with questions and communications, and they both have great products.

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November 30, 2007

Square Sketchtoon Coffee Wallpapers for Palm & iPod

It seems the vertical 320 x 480px coffee sketchtoon wallpapers for the iPhone, iPod touch and Palm OS devices with vertical screens are quite popular!

Since square-formatted screens on Palms and iPods can also make use of wallpapers, I've created a new set of twelve 320 x 320px wallpapers.

Each coffee wallpaper is a 320 x 320px color JPG file, available as a free download from Flickr, for personal use.

Coffee Calendar
If you like the wallpapers, please consider picking up a Sketchtoon Coffee Calendar for yourself or a coffee-loving friend as a unique gift as a way to say thanks.

Donations
Not a calendar person? consider a PayPal donation, and I will be happy to send you a complete set of 12 JPGs as a ZIP file:

Thanks, and have a great weekend! :-)

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November 26, 2007

Sketchtoon Coffee iPhone/iPod touch Wallpapers

Now that the Sketchtoon Coffee Calendar is complete and available for sale, I've been considering ways to make other interesting items with these illustrations.

Today I was inspired by Les & Ian's comments on my last post to create a custom 12-pack of sketchtoon coffee wallpapers, designed especially for iPhone and iPod touch screens.

Each sketchtoon coffee wallpaper is a 320x480px color JPG file, available at Flickr as a free download for personal use on your iPhone or iPod touch.

If you like the wallpaper art, consider picking up a Sketchtoon Coffee Calendar for yourself or a coffee-loving friend as a unique gift.

Update 2007-11-28: I've uploaded Flickr, having adjusted the images to fit properly within the clear window on the iPhone/iPod touch login screen. If you have an older version, check out the updated images and get a new version.

Palm and Windows Mobile Users: Please drop me a line and let me know if you're interested in wallpapers for your devices. I'm currently gauging whether I want to produce these in a few more sizes, like 320x320 and 240x320. Let me know what sizes you might prefer.

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October 24, 2007

iPod touch Two Week Report

It's been two weeks since I've switched to an iPod touch. I love this device. Since I'm regularly asked about it, I've decided to write a report in on my thoughts so far:

The touch's size is perfect. Thin and small. Slides into my pocket nicely, though I'm still not completely over the idea of carrying such a valuable device in my pocket just yet.

I love the density and weight of the touch. It feels substantial and sturdy, though I am very careful not to torque the thing. I still need to find a sturdy case that doesn't add too much heft.

The screen is incredibly bright. I've turned it down to 1/3 brightness to save battery life and it's still very readable. Did the same thing on my Zire 72.

Mobile Safari is very useful. I can surf the sites I regularly use, with tap and pinch to zoom as needed. Mobile specific sites, like NewsGator Mobile and Facebook, do a nice job providing essential information on the smaller screen. For a complete listing of mobile sites, visit Apple's Web Apps Directory.

I'm noticing that Safari seems to quit when it gets overloaded with a particularly detailed page, or if too many pages are open at the same time. I'm not sure what wipes Safari out, but it seems to wipe out more than it ought to.

Safari can be an e-book reader of sorts! It can read Word documents quite nicely. I just performed a tests on several MS Word documents, and it worked perfectly (go figure). The text loads in Safari, flows to the window and retains formatting, including em dashes and curly quotes properly. I am already planning on loading several Safari windows of e-books in .doc format on my touch, then going offline to read 'em whenever I like. Note that you will need server space where you can host these Word docs.

Safari also supports PDF files quite well, though if formatted for a Letter or A4 page, requires scrolling around and zooming to see fine details. I imagine one could create a PDF document optimized for Safari on the iPhone, though doing that as plain HTML seems easier to me.

Plain text .txt files are semi-supported in Safari. It complains about not being able to read the file, but seems to open them anyway. However, the text doesn't flow with the screen properly and is set in a fixed Courier font that makes reading tedious. RTF files seem to not be supported by Safari.

I'm enjoying the easier to read contact list, and editing/adding capabilities. One thing I missed from my Palm was a full and editable contact list. The nano offered the list in tiny, nearly unreadable type with no editing capabilities.

I'm pleased that Apple is releasing a Software Development Kit (SDK) to developers in February 2008, and figured they had this in their plans all along. Looking forward to cool apps like Natara Bonsai — right Bryan? :-)

I like the Video capabilities and the wide screen, though I've not taken full advantage of this yet. I've put Firefly from our DVD set, but not much more. The YouTube app is handy, though I avoid the black hole time suck that is YouTube, unless I'm looking for something specific.

Brando Workshop sent a BW UltraClear Screen Cover to test, which works well. Brando's screen covers are tough and easy to install. Thanks Brando! :-)

Having a synced copy of iCal on hand is useful, though I wish for calendar editing. I know there's a hack (thanks KeVroN), but I'm avoiding hacks, since Apple just announced the SDK for '08.

Using the iPod touch in the car is a problem. I feel uncomfortable having to visually interact with the touch, so I make changes at stoplights, or queue playlists or podcasts to run uninterrupted. One solution I'm considering is an Apple Universal Dock with remote, for manual control on the road.

Battery life is a little less than I would like, though I think reasonable considering WiFi feature and screen size of the touch. I'd be very open to an iPod touch with the same dimensions as the iPhone if it had a bigger battery. I'm exploring shutting off WiFi when not in use, to see if it extends battery life.

I love that the touch pauses tracks when you remove the headphone jack.

I'm getting used to the keyboard, which works decently for most needs, though I wouldn't want to write any kind of long post using it, just yet. I'm hoping ThinkOutside will develop a version of their foldable keyboard for the iPod touch and iPhone. I'd buy one.

The iTunes Mobile Store is well done, though I won't use it terribly much. Still, I have to admit it's very cool to have access to any track I might want directly from the touch. Might come in handy some day.

I'm getting used to the multi-touch interface after years using the nano's scroll-wheel. I like the iPod touch interface, though there's a pretty big trade off versus a scroll-wheel interface for pure music management. The touch's software-based interface and lack of control buttons, require visual and tactile interaction to manage what I listen to. If you need a pure music player, then a scroll-wheel iPod would be a better fit.

Summing it Up
I feel there's a huge potential for this device to expand and adapt to my needs, especially in 2008 when applications start appearing. As it is now, the touch is quite useful and fits my lifestyle well — with a few more key native applications I can envision it becoming more and more useful as time goes on.

The iPod touch integrates well with my most useful tools. I can carry a lighter load in my Cafe Bag for logo sketch sessions: my Moleskine planner, Miquelrius sketchbook, Faber Castell pencil and iPod touch. It's great!

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October 5, 2007

iPod touch: My New PDA

I've been Palm PDA-less for about a year and a half now, successfully switching to a hacked Moleskine Planner system for my personal calendar, tasks and notes.

In fact, the Moleskine has worked well in combination with my iPod nano, which provided access to my contacts in nearly unreadable 4pt text.

When the iPhone launched, I was quite interested, even though an iPhone doesn't suit my needs or budget. I was more interested in the iPhone as a mobile data device, with Safari, Mail and other features it offers.

Enter iPod touch
When Steve Jobs announced the iPod touch, my ears perked up. Now here was a device I could make use of, without a 2 year contract. It had the features I'd actually use: music and podcasts, contact info in a font I could actually read, WiFi and a mobile version of Safari, video play, and access to iCal calendars on the go.

So, this week, for my birthday I got an iPod touch, and so far I'm very impressed.

First Observations
Here are my first observations after having the touch a bit over 24 hours:

The size and thinness are amazing, compared to the Palm devices I used to carry round. it's a little disconcerting carrying a $400 iPod with a full glass screen in my pocket, so I'm working on a case and clear screen/body protectors.

Mobile Safari and WiFi are quite nice. I'm investigating mobile-specific sites for the iPhone and iPod touch, like PocketTweets and Mobile NY Times, picked up from Janet Tokerud's update on her iPhone. If you have sites to share, please share the links.

I've already been able to play audio at IT Conversations, and video from Google Video, so the browser is pretty handy and flexible for my needs.

I love the Contacts app, with super-readable text. I like that it syncs from my Address Book on the Mac. I like that I can add new contacts on the go. This was one of the most-missed feature of my Palm PDA.

It's handy to have my work and family calendars synced from the Mac as well. We've just setup a common family calendar with iCal on our Macs, Google Calendar on the web and SpanningSync to connect everything together. Having a mobile view of our shared calendars adds a nice access point. I wish I could add events, and hope this feature is added in a future software update.

Widescreen video is wonderful. I've moved a few videos over with iSquint and have been pleased with the results. Since my nano had no video capabilities, this is an interesting new option to explore. Now I can watch The IT Crowd wherever I want! :-)

Audio is great, though I'm having to re-orient myself a little to to the touch way of navigating through my music and podcasts. I think it's more a matter of me adapting to the new features the touch offers.

One thing I miss from the nano is the scroll wheel. I listen to podcasts and music when I drive, so having a physical wheel there for jumping tracks or adjusting or pausing the sound has been useful. Now I need to eyeball the iPod touch to make these changes. I've heard from friends there may be headphones or docks with this feature, so I need to do some research. If you have tips on this, let me know.

I'm trying to secure some things to review for the iPod touch in coming months. As I get hold of those and try them, look for reviews, to help out other touch owners.

Battery life seems OK, not extensive as my nano though. But hey, this device has a huge screen and WiFi, so I have to be realistic about my expectations coming from an iPod nano.

It's nowhere near as featured as a Palm PDA, and doesn't have near the tools that are available on the Palm OS, However, it has the items I need it to have. Over the years I've found that the right features in a tool or device are better for me than every possible feature, especially if I never use 80% of the features offered.

After 24 hours I'm impressed. We'll see what quirks arise after a few weeks. I'l be sure to post again after a month or so and let you all know how things are going in iPod touch land. :-)

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January 9, 2007

iPhone Rockin' the World

I'm right now spending my lunch break watching the live Macworld Keynote blogging at Engadget, chatting with my good pal Michael Ashby about the iPhone. We are both in shock (in a good way).

The iPhone is a smartphone running some version of Mac OS X, complete with a full web browser (Safari) what look like Widgets, and apps on the device far beyond any mobile phone apps out there.

Watching the Steve Jobs keynote unfold, we both agree that this announcement of the iPhone is big — really big. So big that it could impact nearly every aspect the tech world — mobile phones, smartphones, phone service carriers, PDAs, MP3 players, computers, Mac software developers, and web-based software developers... and probably others I haven't thought of.

From the Engadget live blog:

We've been pushing the state of the art in every facet of this design. We've got the multi-touch screen, miniaturization, OS X in a mobile device, precision enclosures, three advanced sensors, desktop class applications, and the widescreen video iPod. We filed for over 200 patents for all the inventions in iPhone and we intend to protect them."

This is the kind of device I would be compelled to carry, and I've more or less stepped off the PDA bandwagon last year. It's looking that cool and useful.

This is going to be very, very big.

Amazing! Conan O'Brien gives us a sneak peek of everything the iPhone can do! :-)

Related Links:
The Ultimate iPhone FAQ (David Pogue, NYT)
Cingular's iPhone Signup Page
Apple Unveils iPhone (Macworld)
iPhone a 'wake-up call' for the industry (Macworld)
Does the iPhone hit the spot? (CNET)
Investors dump RIM as Apple launches iPhone (Washington Post)
First iPhone Pics (engadget)
Raw commentary on the iPhone announcement (Michael Mace)
Apple's iPhone: That isn't a phone, it's a PDA done right (Michael Mace)
Impact of the Apple iPhone (Michael Mace)
Apple aims to shake up cell phone industry (San Jose Mercury News)
Top 5 Worst Things About The iPhone (Wired Gadget Lab)
iPhone: The Newton's Revenge (Wired Cult of Mac)
The Apple iPhone (Kottke.org)
Apple's New Calling: The iPhone (Time)
iPhone: The Most Revolutionary Device Since 1984 (JeffCroft.com)
iPhone Not Touchy Feely (37signals)
iPhone and the End of PC Era (Om Malik)
The iWipe
You could call iPhone perfect (Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times)

Image via Apple.

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December 28, 2005

iPod nano: 5 Case Mini-Reviews

This year, I was a recipient of a Christmas gift of an iPod nano. After a bit of use, I can honestly say the nano is a wonderful little music player, perfect for listening to music, podcasts and audiobooks walking, driving and shoveling snow.

However, the iPod nano does have its problems, most notably, the tendency for the surface to scratch and potentially serious screen damage, even under even gentle use. Below are several items I've tried with the nano to help protect it while in use.

Power Support: iPod nano Crystal Film Cover Set
The first thing I did was to purchase a $15 iPod nano Crystal Film Cover Set from Power Support. This thin, clear plastic film kit covers the front, click wheel and back designed to protect these surfaces from scratches.

It takes a little patience to apply the films, but once in place they're hardly visible and have a nice gloss to match the original iPod nano surface. Because they use static cling they are easy to reposition.

I found that the static cling of the surface grabbed lint and debris, so I removed these tidbits using Scotch tape on the sticky side of the film. This film set is a must-have for any iPod nano owner concerned about scratches. I immediately felt the nano was safer once these films were applied.

I suggest buying this film as a minimum, even if you plan to use a heavier case around the nano. In my brief research on nano scratches, many owners reported scratches even from seemingly soft cases.

Brando WorkShop Aluminum Case
Brando WorkShop Aluminum Case, which has quickly become my favorite, wraps a thin shell of aircraft grade aluminum around the iPod nano, The $28 case has openings for the screen, sync connector, earphones, lock switch and click wheel.

The case hinges open on the right, while the left side features a snap closure. The back features a lanyard neck-strap attachment point (and strap). The opening for the screen is covered with a thin layer of plastic, to protect against scratches. My case has a metallic black, pebbly surface, from the electrostatic paint process. The case is available in either black or silver. Brando, give us a white version too! :-)

The interior is covered with a soft, neoprene foam, to reduce scratches. The nano fits snugly, which at first seemed freaky, but didn't create scratches on the nano. Now I like the tight fit, as I know it won't pop out easily.

Overall, I love this case. It has a solid feel, and the minimal thickness it adds to the nano. After all, the attraction of the iPod nano is the small size, so the thinnest, strongest case possible is best. I feel very confident carrying the nano in my jeans pocket while using this very sturdy case.

Crystal Jacket for iPod nano
My second favorite nano case is the $20 Crystal Jacket for iPod nano, because it too provides a hard layer of protection against scratches and torquing of the nano's body. The construction is very much like a plastic CD case, with two pieces hinged on top, and two locking mechanisms on the sides.

The case has openings for the click wheel, hold switch, sync port and headphone jack, and a slot on the back to accommodate a armband or thin belt. There is a slightly thinner layer of plastic covering the screen, to protect it from damage and scratches. The nano slips inside easily, then the cover closes around it, and is secured using the locking mechanism on the right and left sides of the case.

Now, this case is actually designed to be worn around the neck with an included white rope inserted through the hinge of the case on top. However, I will most likely never use this case round my neck, so I removed the rope, but it is easy enough to re-insert.

Overall this case is good — it seems quite protective. However, it is bit bulkier than the aluminum case. The locking sliders on either side add a little girth and the slightly raised the belt/armband strap on the back means the case cannot sit flush on a flat surface. I'd actually prefer the Crystal Jacket from Power Support, which has a similar yet sleeker design than the jacket from Brando. Still this is not a bad case.

iPod nano Silicone Case
For a thin case that provides protection and a sticky surface to keep the nano from sliding, I like the $17 Brando iPod nano Silicone Case. This case slides on like a boot and features openings for the screen, hold button, sync slot and headphone jack.

The back of the case features two slots for carrying a nano on a strap or belt. On the right and left sides of the case are two lanyard neck strap mounting points, if you prefer to carry the nano round your neck. It's also available in 9 colors: black, purple, blue, white and more.

The silicone case is slightly difficult to put on the nano, as it takes some sliding and working to move it up the glossy nano surface. Every time I take it on and off I fear I'll rip the case, but I never do. It's a tough little case! I do like that the click wheel is covered up, protecting it from scratches, yet being thin enough to maintain the tactile feel.

Overall, I like this case, but I feel much more comfortable with the aluminum and clear hard cases, because I often keep the nano in a pants or jacket pocket. I think this case would be great if you leave your nano on a car dash or other slippery surface, where you need a little cling. It also adds a nice soft touch to the nano, if that's important.

iPod Armband
The Brando iPod Armband is a optional $10 add on the the Silicon case, allowing joggers, walkers to strap their iPod nano on their arms. It's a pretty straightforward addition, if you need this kind of thing.

doPi Showcase for iPod nano
The $25 doPi Showcase fashion case is not quite my style, but it seems very functional, and for those who like a neck-strap approach, it'd be useful for that purpose.

It features a very soft leather material, which wraps around the nano, secured with velcro on the back, with holes for the click wheel, screen, hold switch and headphone jack. However, the sync port is covered by the neck strap unless it's unwrapped. It comes in white/orange and black/ornage.

Overall, the doPi is a functional case for nano neck-wearers, but for me it's not quite protective enough for placing the nano in my jacket or pants pocket.

Conclusion
I hope these mini reviews are helpful for those seeking a case to protect an iPod nano. This is only a small selection of protective case choices out there, so have a look around and do your research to find just the one for your needs.

Thanks Brando!
A special thank you to Brando of Brando Workshop was kind enough to send along several cases for review in use with the iPod nano.

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