Otterbox’s recent follow up to the Defender line of cases is the Commuter series. Think of it as a scaled down version of the Defender but not as specialized in purpose. It’s more designed for the everyday “commuter” who wants a case that protects their device yet remains understated. If you’ve been looking for something like this for your iPhone 3G/3GS then read on as this just might be the perfect case for you.

In typical Defender series fashion the Commuter case is a 3-part system that acts as one. First, is the included screen protector. A simple plastic film that helps to keep the iPhone’s screen from being scratched and marred. It’s not as high-end as individually purchased screen protectors but it does the job it’s built for. Next, up is the case itself which is divided into two parts. Starting with the rubber casing which doesn’t immediately appear like anything more than a seemingly flimsly rubber case cut to fit the iPhone 3G/3GS. A closer examination though, reveals that the cutouts and molding seem very precise and well made. Once you put it on the iPhone, you begin to see the amount of thought that went into designing this case. Besides the front face there are 4 always open areas for easy access to the ringer switch, speaker, mic, camera, and a cutout to show off that Apple logo. The headphone jack and dock connector are both covered by flaps that are precision cut which fit perfectly into position when closed sealing out dust, dirt and grime. The power and volume buttons are both permenantly protected by well designed moldings that look just like the actual iPhone buttons. The second part is the ridgid plastic shell that fits on top of the rubber casing. Also engineered with precision to fit snuggly into the molded area of the rubber case without adding more bulk to the overall package. Applying the shell takes some manipulation of both pieces as it is an exact fit. But once on, it’s in no danger of accidentally coming off. With all the pieces in place you now have a complete protective system that allows full use of the iPhone while still maintaining a low profile.

I have found no flaws in the design or anything not to like about the Commuter case. It offers protection that is on par to the Defender considering the open face design and thinner form factor. It’s excellently crafted to fit the iPhone 3G/3GS perfectly without developing buldges or gaps around the bezel unlike some rubber cases I’ve used and seen. Although this is an open face design dust protection is still very good. This is in part due to the tight fit and the well crafted protective flaps which stay in place at all times and remaining invisible to the user until needed. The open access points of the case are not over done either. They are designed to be just large enough for easy access and use and nothing more. This reduces the possibility of dirt getting between the the case and the iPhone and reduces the risk of that area being damaged in an accident. This is something very welcome which many case designers still don’t get. Add in the pemenantly covered molded button design which not only protects those moving parts but allows you to forget about the case entirely and use the iPhone as if it wasn’t ina case and you’ve got a excellent user experience.

After several months of use I find myself very impressed with this case. The attention to detail is outstanding and the craftsmanship is exceptional. Everyday use has been fantastic as I don’t even think about the case at all. It feels good in the the hand without restricting one-handed use while still offereing good protection under most circumstances. A big plus to this form fitting case is that it works with my Zagg full-body InvisibleShield without any problems which actually gives this case an even tighter fit. As with most cases some adapters may not work if they are larger than the one that comes with the iPhone. I highly recommend the Commuter case to anyone who wants their iPhone 3G/3GS well protected and still have full access to all it’s functions as if there was not a case on it to begin with. You can get it for $34.95 (direct from Otterbox) which is an excellent value that will do nothing but pay for itself over time.

In case no one noticed, the battery on the 3G S could be better. While it does seem to be lasting longer for me after a breaking-in period, it still is hard for me to make it through the day without rationing how much I use it or recharging through the day.

I got the Just Mobile Gum Pro from Amazon along with two extra iPhone charging cables for around $75 total with shipping. It retails for about $60.

The packaging was only notable for the picture of this guy. It was really strange and I got a laugh from him.

The battery pack is about the size of a pager or a large pack of chewing gum (think , and relatively heavy. That being said, once you connect it to the phone, you can put it in your pocket and not really notice it. There is an On/Off switch used for switching between the charging of the battery pack and charging of the phone, three LEDs that tell you the approximate charge of the Gum Pro, and two places to plug in various cables. There is the standard female USB port, and a female mini-USB port for charging the unit.

Here are the notes that I took while using the Gum Pro-

First charge of the Gum Pro-
8/10-2.10-4.30 USB from computer
4.40-5.15 charged from Apple wall charger

8/10-10.30 pm plugged phone in with 23% left 12.00am 100% charged
8/12-11.05pm plugged phone in with 29% left
8/13- 3.01am plugged phone in with 29% left

Second Gum Pro Charge-
8/14- 6:50pm plugged phone in with 33% left 100% by 8:30
8/15 1:00am plugged in with 23% left 100% by 3:00am
8/17 2.22pm plugged in with 31% left

So for the first charge, I got about 2.2 full charges from the Gum Pro, while I got about 2.1 full charges. Both times, the battery was drained to under 5% judging by the fact that no LEDs were lit on the battery pack. I should be getting closer to 4 charges, but it is important to remember that modern batteries need a break-in period. Overall, I got 3 extra days of charge of 6 hour/day usage. I didn’t plug the phone into anything except the Gum Pro for a week while charging the battery pack once.

Overall, if you are a heavy user of your phone or just want the extra juice I would recommend this unequivocally. It has a much larger capacity than all battery/case combinations and I have only found one battery pack that stores more than 4400mAh. Personally, I won’t be using it everyday but it will be great for flights, subway trips, and any sort of travel where you can sit down for a while. If you need something to charge on the go I would go with something along the lines of the Mophie Juice Pack Air, because the Gum Pro does not really lend itself to being carried around in the pocket while walking around because of the need for an extra cable. Public transport commuters, frequent fliers, and people who have access to electricity only rarely should pick this up immediately!

Marware is no stranger to designing good iPhone cases. They were one of the few case manufacturers that could be found in the Apple Stores at the launch of the first iPhone back in 2007. So when Geoff said he was sending me this particular case I already had high hopes for it. Now after three straight weeks of regular use Here are some thoughts on what I’ve experienced.

The Eco-Vue case is a faux leather case designed only for the iPhone 3G/3GS. Made of 100% ecologically friendly man-made materials no animals were harmed in the creation of this case all the way down to the packaging made of recycled paper. Starting with a shell made from corn starch polymers Marware has done an excellent job in recreating a look and feel very similar to leather. The texture and overall feel of the case is very comfortable in the hand. This is complimented with a green interior made of recycled polyester creating a soft lining to keep your iPhone 3G/3GS pretty much scratch free while still maintaining a very snug fit.
Completed by what Marware calls a “tuck-in belt” strap closure design at the top of the case that secures the iPhone secure; preventing it from randomly sliding out. To close the case you simply tuck the strap in between the iPhone and the back of the case. No magnets, snaps or velcro just a simple case design that creates enough pressure that holds the strap in place. This design works surprisingly well as at no time did my iPhone 3GS begin to slide out even when held upside down in the pocket or in hand. Although I wouldn’t suggest flinging the case around as centrifugal force will eventually take over with possibly unwanted and disasterous results. It did however pass my rather unprofessional and unorthodox shake test (please don’t try this at home either) which was good enough for me.

The open face design gives you full access to the entire screen and the home button. You also have unrestricted access to the camera, power button, headset jack, silent/ringer switch, volume controls, and charging port. The speaker and mic are also open but protected by mesh screen which doesn’t seem to restrict sound at all. Calls were still clear and no one had any difficulty hearing me during conversations. Music and even the alarm sounded clear and undistorted from as far as 20 feet away.

The Eco-Vue provides basic protection as this is a simple case design for normal business like activity. For the most part the iPhone is completely covered except for the top portion. This area just below the camera is left exposed on both sides of the belt strap closure and could get damaged should it hit a hard unforgiving surface. The included screen protector is pretty basic in design as it isn’t as scratch-resistant as other higher-grade offerings currently available on the market but is still a good step in protecting your investment. Mareware also saw fit to add a small and simple cleaning cloth to help keep your iPhone shiny and new.

Afyer constant use I have only two gripes with this case. My first is that the opening for the charging port needs to be a little wider as even the minimalist Apple charger is a bit to wide. But that could just be a manufacturing defect with the case I received which slipped past quality control. My other gripe as it is with most cases of this design is that the open portion for the touch screen stops to close to the edge of the screen itself. When tapping the Q, P, [shift] or [123] keys for example my fingers always hit the case first. Both minor annoyances that hasn’t prevented me from regulary using this case at all.

Overall, Marware designed a very good, functional and professional looking case. It does not add much bulk or weight to the iPhone and fits nicely in a standard sized pocket without issue. The included screen protector and cleaning cloth makes this a complete all-in-one package not found in many other offerings on the market. This makes it an excellent value especially for someone starting out who doesn’t want to or can’t afford purchase everything separately. So whether you are a business professional, ecologically conscious or just want a good looking yet functional case the Marware Eco-Vue is may just be what you are looking for.

SPECIAL THANKS goes out to iPhone Docked crew for having the Guest Writer Contest and sending me this case.

Here’s the deal: I’m getting a replacement Griffin Clarifi (Here is Mr. Farinha’s review). It is a great case, I just got a bad one- no problem. Griffin is great with customer service, apparently, and is sending me a free replacement with only one requirement: That I send pictures of the destroyed case after I get the new one.

I guess in order to keep me from reselling the old case.

Here’s where the fun part comes in: I want you guys to pick how I destroy it. Whenever I get my new case (probably next week), I will pick the best suggestion as to how to kill this thing. The onlycaveats are 1) It has to be legal to do in New York City and 2) There needs to be a little bit of the case left for me to take pictures of to show to Griffin so I don’t get sued or kidnapped or anything. Oh yes, and 3) there isn’t really a prize to this except that I’ll praise you publicly. I’m a poor college student even before getting the iPhone!

All you have to do to enter this contest is to leave your suggestion in a comment here, or get at me on my Twitter by clicking that blue collection of letters under this sentence.

There’s likely  one thing that most of us here have in common, we own an iPhone.

That’s why the staff here at iPhoneDocked.com have come up with yet another great Giveaway Contest!

How to enter

1. Just TWEET “Entering the Sidewinder Giveaway is easy. Simply hit the “TWEET THIS” button. http://bit.ly/15DAji #dockedcontest”

OR

Click the link above

This weekend I went on a spending spree. I had to get my wife a new case for her new (my old) iPhone 3G. After much looking she desided on this one. Ultra Case Carve. I bought a new case for my iPhone 3GS, the InCase Slider in white. While I was on a spending extravaganza I picked up a charger that I have had my eye one since it’s release, the Griffin PowerDock.

I had my eye on the PowerDock 2 because I had always known we would be a multiple iPhone house, but little did I know that my 9 year old son would also have one. That lead me to the PowerDock 4.
I ordered mine off of Ebay and paid about $50 but you could pay as much as $70. With a little more patience you could probably save more. Let’s take a look what comes in the box.
It seems more and more manufacurers are using creative and minimalistic forms of packing. Griffin is not an exception to the rule. The packaging is attractive and they do a decent job minimizing the use of extra material. In the box you won’t find a seperate users manual, instead they are printed on the inside of the box. Continue Reading »

If you are like me you have more cables that you have slots and are constantly plugging and unplugging devices (iPhone). It can be a chore to dig those little guys up.  Here is a “Why didn’t I think of that solution”. CableDrop
CableDrops Neaten Desk Top | Gear Live

Tidy up your your desktop with CableDrop. Each one will keep cables not in use from falling into that scary black hole behind your desk. Use them for computers, appliances, lamps, cell phone chargers or anything else with a cord. Stick them on a desk, wall or furniture to keep the clutter to a minimum. The 1 1/8-inch CableDrops come in a pack of 6 with three different colors at a price of $9.95

www.Marware.com

A must have for those who favor a leather-type case for their phone!