Accessories

I got an e-mail over the weekend from a reader who read my earlier post, "Does the iPhone need a real keyboard?"

Ed writes:

What I would like to see is a portable keyboard for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This would be very helpful in meetings and/or traveling.

For what's essentially a minicomputer, a compact external keyboard would seem like a simple and logical accessory and would be especially appealing to those who haven't mastered--or aren't comfortable--typing on the iPhone's virtual keyboard, as good as it is. Travel-friendly, fold-up keyboards are available for the old Palm Pilots and Treos, but a quick search on Google reveals precious little on iPhone keyboards.

Way back in January 2008, Macworld wrote up some notes from the now-defunct Macworld Expo under the headline, "A Bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone?" The article referenced the small MacAlly BTKeyMini Bluetooth keyboard ($100). At the time, MacAlly reps claimed that when the BTKeyMini arrived in March of 2008, it would be compatible with the iPhone. But alas, Apple has never provided Bluetooth keyboard drivers for the iPhone and the BTKeyMini has never shipped. A note on the Web site AValive, which sells the BTKeyMini, says:

The BTKey Mini for the Apple iPhone will not ship until Apple updates the iPhone to accept Bluetooth input. No date has been given as of yet. THE iPhone 3.0 UPDATE DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS PRODUCT.

Of course, the lack of Apple support hasn't stopped hackers from getting Bluetooth keyboards to work with the iPhone. Back in January of this year, Ars Technica had a report on the Bluetooth keyboard hacking efforts of iPhone expert Ralf Ackermann. And more recently, in March of this year, a couple engineers at Perceptive Development managed to connect an infrared keyboard to an iPhone using a 1,200-baud modem via the headphone port. iPhone Central called it, "One of the most unnecessarily complicated hacks in iPhone history." Ars Technica described it as "clever," partially because it didn't require a jailbroken iPhone.

So, there you have it, Ed. Yes, it would be nice if there was an external keyboard option for the iPhone--wireless or wired--but it looks like you're going to have to wait for Apple to decide it's ready to supply the drivers for it.… Read more

Most iPod/iPhone speaker docks come up short in the bass department. If you like your tunes thumpin', I've got just the solution: Buy.com has the Philips Docking Entertainment System DC912 for $79.99 shipped. Normal price? $179.99.

Before I get into the details, I need to point out the big "but." No, it's not, "but there's a rebate." And, no, it's not, "but it's a refurb." (It's new.)

The DC912 is $79.99, but you need to pay with PayPal to get that price. For … Read more

Well, I'll be doggone. External gamepads have gone to the dogs, it seems, with the GameBone for the iPhone and iPod Touch resembling a nice juicy doggie bone, right down to the color. The good thing here is that it adds real physical buttons (eight-way d-pad with six buttons) to the buttonless iPhone, with a stand bundled to prop up the Apple device in use.

Then again, a bone of contention is that this makes for a whole lot of cumbersome when it comes to portable gaming on the commute. The good news? The folks at Australia-based 22moo have … Read more

The Apple iPod phenomenon has invaded not only your ears, but also your car, your home audio system, and now your television.

JVC's LT-P300 series include some of the only TVs on the market designed specifically to work with iPods and iPhones, allowing you to charge your iPod and play back music, videos, and photos via the TV. JVC's integrated dock goes a step beyond the dongles and docks found on AV receivers such as the Pioneer VSX-1019A-HK and TVs such as the Panasonic TX-LX1 series because it actually folds out from the front of the TV for … Read more

The WildCharger is one of those products that creates a problem that you didn't know you had. Though the product is certainly innovative and it succeeds at charging your cell phone without a wired connection, we never really thought that we needed to do so. What's more, unless you're charging more than one handset at a time, we don't consider it a practical purchase.

Yet, WildCharge (the device's manufacturer) continues to surprise us. In April, it greatly expanded its list of supported phones beyond the now ancient Motorola Razr V3. And on Tuesday, the company … Read more

T-Mobile has finally unveiled its second Android phone, but how does it stack up with the carrier's first release? If you purchased a G1 back in October, is it time to upgrade? How were the major concerns of the first phone addressed?

The MyTouch 3G won't launch in the United States until August, but the phone has been available in other parts of the world for months. The Google Ion, which made the rounds at the Google I/O conference last month, is a limited edition version of the HTC Magic, and shares the same hardware and many features with the MyTouch 3G.

Battery life One of the biggest complaints of the G1 concerned its limited battery life. Users were forced to disable many features in order to prolong use. Indeed, on my G1, I routinely had to disable Wi-Fi, GPS, and other features that I wasn't using. Normally, my phone would normally survive the day, but it was near dead when I placed it on the charger at night.

Luckily, the battery life is no longer an issue on the second Android phone. The Ion's 1300mAh battery offers increased capacity over its predecessor. Though it's only 13 percent larger than the G1's 1150mAh battery, it feels as if it has twice the capacity. Even if I leave all features turned on, my phone is still going strong at night. There have even been a few nights where I skipped charging the Ion, which is something that I could never do with the G1.… Read more

In honor of today's release of iPhone OS 3.0, which promises to add stereo Bluetooth capabilities to iPhones and iPod Touches, here's a selection of headsets to pair with your soon-to-be wire-free devices:

Buy.com has the Tritton AX BlueStream Bluetooth headset for $28.99 shipped.

Bear in mind that this is a headset, meaning it includes an inline microphone and an OLED display that shows volume, Caller ID, and music-playback status. Unfortunately, that means it involves wires, which some might say defeats the purpose of stereo Bluetooth.

For those folks, Buy.com has the Motorola S805 Bluetooth stereo headphones for $29.99 shipped. … Read more

It sure doesn't take these third-party add-on makers long to slingshot off the momentum of a new iPhone announcement. The latest company to step up to the plate is iLuv, which just announced the immediate availability of a new accessory line designed specifically for the iPhone 3G S. The selection is made up almost exclusively of cases, with one car accessory thrown in for good measure. Check out the gallery for pricing and details.

Updated at 4:50 PDT: You can read the full review of the product here.

No matter how long your iPhone or iPod's battery life is, it's never long enough. (In the case of the iPhone 3G, it's not even long to begin with). So, it's natural that you'd want to get a juice pack, which will provide extended battery power that can double or even triple the amount of time you can use your device between charges.

Most juice packs work with only a particular model of a device. The Juice Pack Air from Mophie, … Read more