While their respondents favoured the mobile phone above their car or laptop, they also discovered that 74 per cent of them did not regularly back up their personal data on their phone, and 85 per cent of them would ot be able to locate their phone if it was lost or stolen.

What really made me laugh though, was that more than a third said they checked their mobile phone every time they went to the toilet. They must have pretty tough bosses…

Anyway, the upshot of this is that they could all protect their phone using the Lookout mobile app, which protects against malware, spyware, and phishing scams. Lookout can help you locate a lost or stolen device and also backs up important personal data such as contacts, photos and call history.

The app is also capable of identifying and blocking infected apps before they can have a serious impact on smartphone users and stops the user from visiting unsafe websites and locates stolen or lost phones.

Lookout Mobile Security is a free app for smartphones, iPhones and tablets and is available on the Android Market at market.android.com and Apple App Store at itunes.apple.com.

[Source: App will Lookout for your mobile phone data]

If you’ll pardon the pun, this is not the case for Griffin Technology Inc., who have teamed up with American textile designer Sandy Chilewich this month launch to market the Elan Form Chilewich for iPhone 4 and 4S. The stylish new case is available in two colours Dark Walnut and Ice and is an extension of the Griffin + Chilewich Co-Op Initiative.

The Elan Form Chilewich case provides two layers of protection for your iPhone 4/4S in a slim and pocketable design. Each case has an outer layer of designer Sandy Chilewich’s trademarked vinyl Basketweave textile. It is then bonded to an impact-resistant polycarbonate inner shell to protect and surround your phone. The Elan Form Chilewich for iPhone 4/4S allows unobstructed access to all controls, ports, cameras, and, of course, the Multi-Touch display.

The result is a functional, durable case for your iPhone 4/4S that is protective, but also pretty head turning. I got to try out a Chilewich case and the number of people who instictively reached out to stroke the textile back of the case was amazing – it was almost like being in 2007 again.

Priced at £29.99 the case is available now at Apple stores nationwide and online.

[Source: Griffin’s Elan Form Chilewich for iPhone 4 and 4]

“Sixty-seven percent of damaged iPhones are due to cracked screens and the current market does not provide users with an effective solution,” said Erik Attkisson, Chief Marketing Officer at Case-Mate. “We saw this as an opportunity to engineer a tough case that has the high-design aesthetic our customers expect while providing critical protection for both the screen and the phone.”

Designed using the principal theory that guided motorcycle helmet engineering, Case-Mate constructed TANK with a hard, impact resistant exterior and a shock absorbing interior. The textured hard shell covers the dual layer case and, like a motorcycle helmet, disperses the initial impact over a wide surface area. The interior layer absorbs the weakened impact; further safeguarding the phone against bumps and shocks. The interior is made of a soft silicone and features plugs over the phone’s ports to keep the inside free of dust and dirt. Color matching holsters complete the case. Wanna watch a video? Of course you do.

My favourite thing about TANK is the sliding screen cover that swipes across to defend your precious iPhone screen from the outside world. It smacks a little of overkill but then again I’ve scratched my iPhone 4 and 4S with keys in my pocket to perhaps it’s not so silly. It’s obviously a little bulky so the TANK is something I’d pop on when cycling, or perhaps running rather than sitting at my desk.

TANK is available for £44.95 at http://www.mobilefun.co.uk

[Source: Case-Mate TANK: Klutz-proof iPhone casing]

Alongside the launch of Apple’s latest smartphone has been an influx of iPhone 4S accessories, including a ‘special year-end edition’ of Golla hard covers for iPhone 4 and 4S.

Offering six hip, brightly-coloured, uniquely designed covers for the iPhone 4S, the Finnish design brand has certainly excelled in the ‘funky’ stakes. Although I can understand why kids may want to brighten-up their iPhone by sheathing it with a florescent pink and orange case with random letters arbitrarily sprawled across it, I cannot really understand those with more ‘mature’ tastes attempting to ‘glam up’ an already ultra-glamorous iPhone 4S. Although despite my scepticism of iPhone cases, they do, Golla assure me, have a useful function.

Made from a durable, shatter-resistant and lightweight polycarbonate, the Golla hard covers will offer protection for an iPhone 4 or 4S, which I suppose it you’ve forked out £499 on a gleaming new iPhone, making it as well protected as possible has to be desirable. Not only are the covers highly durable but their soft touch finish gives them a good grip and, according to Golla, a ‘classy matte look.’

Golla’s six new designs will be available to purchase worldwide from the beginning of December, just in time for Christmas!

For more information head to Golla

[Source: Golla’s Special Year-End Edition of Hard Covers for iPhone 4S]

To the rescue comes Griffin Technology, who have come up with the Woogie 2. This cute fuzzy chappie comes in pink or blue and has an integrated pocket, into which you slip the iPhone. This is then velcroed shut and the child accesses the touchscreen through a screen protector. No more sticky fingerprints and the Woogie will happily sit on the floor, table or a lap. It also makes it far less likely that your phone will be stepped on should it be left on the floor!

The Woogie 2 costs £12.96 from www.GriffinTechnology.com.

iPads are also becoming the playthings of the young – a very kind adopted auntie let my five-year-old play with her iPad during lunch at her flat, but I was on edge the whole time, waiting for him to damage her top-of-the-range iPad 2 in its leather case,

What would have been useful in this case is the Crayola Trace & Draw, which has been designed to use with the free Trace & Draw App. The product is a combination of art station and protective case. The app turns the iPad 2 into an animated colouring and drawing centre for budding artists. They can try out more than 35 different characters and have fun trying their hand at animation and other activities.

The Trace & Draw offers a shatter-resistant protective shell, along with a fineline felt-tip and 50 sheets of pre-sized tracing paper. The static peel screen protector keeps fingerprints and smudges off the screen and a handy drawer offers a home to the pen when not in use.

The Crayola Trace & Draw costs £29.95.

Griffin and Crayola have also produced the Paint & Create App (£1.99 form the App Store), which offers hours of activities, panting and colouring to the iPad – there are more than 40 puzzles, mazes, games dot-to-dots, colour-by-numbers activities to try out. Using the app, children’s fingers can be used as paints, coloured pencils, markers and crayons. They can even colour in animated pages. All their artwork can be saved and then emailed, printed or uploaded to Facebook.

[Source: The iPhone? Thanks to Griffin, it’s child’s play]

Renowned for making quirky and ingenious gadgets, Thumbs Up’s latest invention enables users to interrelate the convenience of a desktop phone without being forced to endure the limited capabilities of such as ‘old-school’ device. And it couldn’t be simpler. Simply dock your iPhone 4 into Thumbs Up’s desktop phone, connect it through the headphone jack, and make calls through the desktop phone. In encouraging ‘executive living on the move’, this innovative device is not only portable, but, as your iPhone 4 sits cradled on the desktop phone instead of ringing in your ear, you can browse the web, check emails, make notes, or rearrange your calendar, all whilst you chat – Talk about multitasking!

Thumbs Up’s desktop phone for iPhone 4 is compatible with any MP3 player or iPod, meaning that once it is connected through the headphone jack, you can play your music aloud on your desk. There is even a space for your charger on the desktop gadget meaning that you can charge your phone whilst making calls.

Whilst some may consider this gadget to be a little unnecessary, other iPhone users who are worried about the potential radiation damage having our mobiles pressed against our ears for worrying lengthy periods may welcome Thumbs Up’s latest creation with open arms. Either way it will only cost you £19.99, meaning we’re giving the desktop phone for iPhone 4 the thumbs up!

Check it out here

[Source: Thumbs Up’s Desktop Phone for iPhone 4]

This is all being the case it was vital that Apple delivered the goods with their upgrade of the 4, and in general it seems they have.  Below we are going to take you through the best bits of the best reviews of the new Apple icon, and let you work out for yourself whether it’s time to upgrade.

Appearance

Much has been made of the fact the 4S is just an upgrade of the 4, and thisismynext has this to say:

‘there isn’t anything notable about the exterior of the iPhone 4S in comparison with the company’s previous flagship phone. Really, if you’ve ever seen an iPhone 4 or even looked at photos, you will have a crystal clear idea of what this phone is like.’

It does add the caveat, however, that ‘Compared with most (if not all) of its Android competition, this industrial design looms tall.’

Hardware Improvements

iPhone 4 owners may be able to update the features on their phone to 4S standard with the free i0S 5 upgrade available, but Apple doesn’t just want you to do that. It wants you to spend your hard earned on the brand spanking new!  Is it worth it though?  T3 seems to think so when it says ‘Apple has built its best phone to date’ and that ‘apps launch quicker, web pages load faster, multi-tasking is more fluid.’

Much has been made of the dodgy antennae that was the 4’s principle bugbear.  If the 4S truly wants to define itself as a model in its own right, it needs to see that these problems are fixed and, thankfully this seems to be the case with the antennae being moved to the same place as on the CDMA iPhone 4. Engadget says this should mean that ‘the iPhone 4S can now intelligently and instantly switch between those exterior antennas, in real-time, even while you’re in the middle of a call.’  They say it lives up to this promise when ‘in testing a Vodafone 4S against a 4 we found the 4S to be consistently one bar higher, and did a far better job of holding on to 3G data.’

Siri

The big ace up the sleeve of the 4S is the Siri program, which is what we might term a digital media assistant. Thisismynext describes it thus:

Utilizing a combination of voice recognition, logic processing, and text-to-speech, the software can interpret requests and follow conversations. Through Siri, you can use natural language to get directions, send text messages, schedule reminders or appointments, get suggestions on where to eat, and lots more. Not only does Siri understand what you’re saying to it, it understands the context in which you’re saying it — so for instance, if you try and schedule a meeting on top of another meeting, Siri will warn you and ask if you’d like to change the time of your new appointment, and it’ll listen as you tell it a new time.

Of course, the problem with something like Siri is that it can be seen as more of a gimmick than an essential, especially when it’s the first edition of the program and as such is probably not yet at reaching its full potential.  However, despite this Daring Fireball was pretty effusive with its praise and said:

The best sign I can think of regarding Siri’s practical utility: after a week of using this test iPhone 4S, yesterday, while using my regular iPhone 4, without thinking I held down the home button to create a new reminder for myself, and when the old Voice Control interface appeared, my mind went blank for a few seconds while I pondered what went wrong. I missed Siri already.

I wouldn’t say I can’t live without Siri. But I can say that I don’t want to.

Processor/ Battery Business

Numbers alert!  Pocket-lint give all the rundown of the boomf under the bonnet with:

The Apple A5 chip has a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor clocked at 1GHz. On the graphics front, it’s an upgrade to a dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU and there’s, again, 512MB of RAM in support. According to Apple, what this means in real terms is a chip that has a CPU twice as powerful as its predecessor and a GPU that can work seven times harder.

Cnet goes on to say that the new A5 chip means that Apple have promised a battery life of ‘8 hours of talk time over 3G, 14 hours over 2G, 6 hours of browsing over 3G, 9 hours via Wi-Fi, 10 hours of video playback, and 40 hours of music playback,’ though whether or not the reality of that is going to be different than the promise, only time will tell.

Camera

Positive reaction to the camera runs throughout each review, with Cnet saying that ‘the iPhone 4′s 5-megapixel camera was already great, but it’s about to get better. The iPhone 4S has an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, flash, f/2.4 aperture lens, and a backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that allows 73 percent more light than the previous sensor.’   Thisismynext then carries on where they left off with the most unreserved praise of all: ‘The iPhone 4S took some of the nicest, cleanest photos I’ve ever seen from a mobile device. If you’ve ever thought about using a phone as a replacement for your point-and-shoot, feel free to start taking that concept seriously.’

Conclusion

As you might expect, reviews have been unanimously positive, but slightly backed up with a sense of caution and/or regret that it isn’t that much of a change from the iPhone 4.  Engadget says: ‘if your contract happens to be up and you want an iPhone and you haven’t already jumped on the iPhone 4 then yes, this is the one you want,’ but goes on to add ‘if you’re mid-contract or haven’t quite yet been wooed by all that iOS has to offer, we’d recommend sitting this one out. The iPhone 4S does everything better than the iPhone 4, but it simply doesn’t do anything substantially different.’

Thisismynext continues in a similar vein when with: ‘The iPhone 4S is a great device for some, but what if you’re thinking of upgrading from an iPhone 4? That’s a tougher call. The phone is faster, to be sure, and has an amazing camera. And of course, you can’t get Siri unless you have a 4S… but I just don’t know if any of those reasons are compelling enough to convince previous buyers to upgrade.’  Saying that, they do go on to finish their review with ‘the iPhone 4S is pretty damn cool.’

http://www.t3.com/reviews/iphone-4s-review

http://daringfireball.net/2011/10/iphone_4s

http://thisismynext.com/2011/10/11/iphone-4s-review/

http://www.pocket-lint.com/iphone+4

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/14/iphone-4s-review/
‘

[Source: iPhone 4S review of reviews]

Imail’s brand new postcard iphone app enables users to digitally capture classic moments of their holiday and send them to friends and family in traditional postcard form. In integrating iPhone’s innovative camera software, personalised images are then sent in A5 glossy postcard format direct from an iPhone for physical delivery.

Imail ensure us that its new app boasts a simple-to-use interface, although how difficult could writing a postcard be? The simple-to-use interface comes complete with space to write a message on the reverse of the postcard. Not only will friends and relatives back home be able to be reminded of what a fantastic time their loved ones are having by receiving a personalised picture and message, but thanks to a functional U.V coater, all postcards created by the imail app will have a high gloss, polished finish and feel, really sticking the knife in to how ‘glossy’ and ‘glamorous’ the lives of their ‘techno know how’ buddies have become!

Unlike the shoddy and unreliable postal services of many a country, including, may we add, British Royal Mail, imail guarantee that all UK-bound postcards are delivered in two days later, with international postcards taking four to six days depending on the destination country.

So how much will a fast, functional and fashionable ‘Wish you were here!” memento set travellers back? Not much at all actually, just 98p for all UK-destined postcards and £1.48 for all internationally-bound cards regardless of how far afield their destination – That’s got to be a cheaper alternative to being robbed by a local tobacconist, blatantly stinging tourists when they ask for a book of stamps!

Available on the app store

[Source: Imail’s new postcard app: Desktop to doorstep’ in a few simple steps!]

For the fashion conscious amoung you, Proporta, the Brighton-based mobile device and gadget accessory manufacturer, has launched a new range of cases for Smartphones, inspired by the Japanese art form of origami and Far Eastern floral patterns with fashion brand, Kenzo.

How can a smartphone case be influenced by Origami? Well the influence is twofold. I jest, but the Kenzo Origami Leather Case is inspired by the elegant simplicity of origami and is a protective leather pocket for your phone. Available in red, it offers protects your phone from bumps and bruises (whilst in transit – it does nothing for your phone when you remove it to take a call), is slim enough for clutch purses of skinny jeans, fastens securely with a magnetic tab and is finished with a stylish floral print lining.

Not a fan of origami? The Kenzo Patent Leather Case is s similar sleek, patent leather exterior embossed with the Kenzo logo, so you can broadcast your brand loyalty. Like the Origami, the case protects against scratches, knocks and scrapes, and is finished with a pretty floral lining you can glimpse when you pop your phone in.

Tough guy? You’ll probably be more into the Kenzo Leather Tokyo Pouch, which offers a more robust feel. Matte leather, an embossed Kenzo logo and six eyelets make for something a Hell’s Angel would be comfortable sporting and the interiors are finished off with unique floral prints so you can still have an outlet for your softer side. The red pouch comes with a wrist strap, whilst the black pouch comes with a handy belt clip and both feature a magnetic closure

Out now

Kenzo Leather Tokyo Pouch – £44.95 / $59.95 / €54.95
Kenzo Patent Leather Case – £24.95 / $33.95 / €29.95

[Source: Kenzo and Proporta team up to make smartphone cases]

It goes without saying that kids – geeky computer know-alls aside – are generally more impressed with the appearance of their gadgets rather than their internal functions. This said, Peelzone may be on to a winner here, as its fun, funky and custom-made Peels go several steps further than kids covering their iPhones and iPods in stickers in an attempt to stave off boredom in a biology class.

With Peelzone’s ‘Peels’ you can upload photos to an easy-to-use website, play around with them by adding graphics and texts, and then plaster them all over your favourite gadget. These glorified stickers are, Peelzone assure us, made from high-quality 3M material that can manage to stay free from bubbles and can be easily removed leaving no lasting residue or marks. Oh and there is a practical function – Peels offer protection for gadgets  against potential scratches.

So if you are intent in making your iPhone, tablet, mobile or games console ‘stand out from the crowd’, check out, http://peelzone.com/, create a Peel, starting from £9.99 for small devices and increasing to £17.99 for bigger ones, and personalise your fave gadget.

[Source: Make your iPhone ‘stand out from the crowd’ with a Peelzone vinyl ‘Peel’]