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Reviews by The Church of Apple

Monthly Archives: April 2013

Forward LifeJacket iPad Case Review

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The Forward Lifejacket iPad Case is a Tank case for the iPad designed to protect it from any submersion of water, so now the problem of dropping your iPad in the toilet is solved. Kidding aside, the case protects your iPad when you know you will be in water environments such as on a boat, near a body of water, or even under water. It is available for $94.99. Let’s see if this is the waterproof iPad case for you.

Form

Don’t expect this case to be the nicest looking case you have used. It is a tank. It makes the iPad turn from one of the thinnest “books” you can use to one of the thickest. Similarly, it turns from light to heavy with the addition of this case. One could simply say, bulky is the word for the dimensions of the case. It is made up of a black, hard plastic that would take a tank to dent it. The case is awkward to use because there are several hatches on the case that keep it closed. The back looks like the backing of a bland looking stereo receiver backing, except without all the ports of course. Protecting the iPad’s screen is a sheet of a see-through screen protector. The only color on the case is the white and blue logo of the company, all of the rest is a bland black color. Inside the case, there is no clear way of putting the iPad in the case. The only way I see is to just lay it on top and close the lid. The inside of the case also looks bland and cheap. Of course, don’t get me wrong, the case is not cheaply made, it just has the appearance of it, particularly on the inside. The case does not fare well in the form category, but how can a tank be nice looking anyways?

Function

If it’s one thing this case does well it is to protect. This case will protect your iPad from drops and from water. In fact, it does it so well, it’s military grade. I tested it myself and it indeed passed the submersion test. Of course, I’m not one to want to submerge my device if I don’t have to, so I took it out before testing. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay to get this protection. First of all, we’ll start at putting the iPad in. There are four hatches that you need to open to get the case open. I wouldn’t normally complain about this but you have to have strong hands to open this case. People with weak hands will not be able to open this case. The hatches just hatch it closed too tight to even be able to open it. Next, after you pry it open, there is, once again, no clear way to put the iPad in. There are no corner things that you attach to the corners of the iPad or anything of that sort. You just put the iPad in and hope it is even, because if it’s not, you’ll have to reopen and adjust and try again. After you close the case, you will discover that a few key features have been stripped of their use. The camera, volume buttons, sleep/wake buttons, charging port, headphone jack and the rotation lock switch are all inaccessible. That’s right, you can’t listen to music in your headphones nor the speakers since they are almost entirely blocked, you can’t turn the rotation, you can’t change the volume of the music you can’t hear, you can’t charge the iPad while in the case, and you can’t even turn the iPad off. What is the point of using a device if all of it’s primary functions are blocked even if it does provide military grade protection from drops and water. If the case protects your device but the device isn’t usable, what’s the point? Unfortunately, this case did not do well in it’s function either.

Conclusion

Pros

-Military-grade protection

Cons

-Too thick and heavy
-Weak aesthetics
-Hard to open
-Questionable placement of the iPad
-Limited functionality, too limited for most to sacrifice for the protection

Ways to Improve

To be honest, Forward should consider a complete overhaul of it’s case. As a matter of fact, I believe much time and resources should be put into R&D to fix the many problems of this case while still keeping protective abilities, even if one has to sacrifice the thinness of the iPad for it. If that was all one sacrificed, I would use the case. However, so much is stripped away that it renders the iPad useless.

The case very much reminds me of communism. We’ll take away your rights in exchange for protection. Your right to audio, turning your iPad off, switching the rotation and even charging the iPad are stripped away. Of course, you can get these rights back if you open the case (remember, difficult to open) and take the iPad out. Then, after you take it out, you won’t ever put it in again. The case receives a 1 star from me, for at least providing protection for the iPad. Unfortunately, the costs are too high to keep that protection. Besides, who’ll drop it in the toilet anyways?

Thanks for reading,

Joe

Telme2 BlueBox Speakers

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The Telme2 Bluetooth Speakers are wireless, bluetooth speakers that work with any bluetooth enabled device to produce a loud but clear and well balanced sound. What is unique about these speakers is that as a pair, the speakers can produce a stereo sound, unlike single-set speakers which can not achieve this. The speakers are available from Telme2 for $172.00. Let’s see it they are the speakers for you.

Form

These pair of speakers probably some of the nicest looking speakers I have reviewed. First off, they are small. They are small boxes that remind me of the square (not rectangle) kleenex boxes, in terms of size anyways. They definitely aren’t ugly like kleenex boxes but a that’s about the size of one speaker. The speakers are white and black. The speaker has a middle part that is all black. This is where the speaker is housed. Surrounding it is a creamy white colored chrome textured material. The back has the port to charge the speaker. On the bottom is a latch to attach the the wall attachment. The speakers are attached to my wall, in it’s permanent spot. They look good in an office to use for speakers for your office computer. They look professional and clean. They are ready for any office or any place. I am using them as my office speakers because they look nice and, as I will discuss in a second, they sound great.

Function

These speakers sound great! Because of the stereo provided by these speakers, you feel like you are surrounded by the sound, so of course, you could also call these speakers surround sound. Because of the fact that I have not heard surround sound out of any other bluetooth speaker set that I have reviewed, it sounds better than all of the bluetooth speakers I have reviewed thus far. The sound is clear, well rounded and just sounds great. In addition. the process of connection is seamless. Turn them on and connect to them on your computer, thats it. There are no wires connecting the two speakers. The only wires you will ever need to use is the charging cable so that you can charge them when you need to. The batteries hold up well so you won’t need to charge often. It should be noted that this is an European company and it’s chargers are for European outlets. However, Euro to US outlet adapters are available for a dollar or two for a set of six or seven. They are very cheap. Don’t let the charger discourage you. I would just order some Euro to US adapters before purchase. I appreciate the fact that they can attach to the wall so that I can keep them level with my computer and allow easy access to the on button. The speakers only have an on button, bluetooth discoverable button and volume buttons, but that is all that is necessary when the controls are on your computer on on your device a stroke or touch away anyways. Overall, the speakers sound great and provide seamless bluetooth integration.

Conclusion

Pros

-Great sound
-Looks great in any setting
-Seamless bluetooth connection
-No wires except for charging
-Can be taken anywhere if needed

Cons

-None

These speakers are great speakers that I could highly recommend to anyone. If speakers can earn their place as my permanent computer speakers, then they are an obvious winner.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

iSkin Aura2 Review SPECIAL PROMOTION 60% OFF

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The iSkin Aura2 is an iPad case made to protect your iPad in a stylish way. To accommodate the lavish look, there is a lavish price tag. The case is available for $99.99 from iSkin. However, you as a reader of my site get a special promotion. Enter aura60off at checkout if you buy the case by April 30th, you will get 60% off the case, making the case only $40. Of course, let’s see if it is worth this great discount.

Form

My opinion here is very mixed. The case is actually very nice. The case is made well in terms of stitching and how it is put together (where stuff goes and such). The material used is a good leather material and the case feels solid to use. The ports and cameras are not blocked in any way. The case has nice pockets put in for good measure. The case’s stand design is interesting and it probably isn’t something I would personally put into a case should I ever make one. However, whether you like the stand or not, I think, is more based on personal preference. What isn’t based on personal presence, however, is the bending, or warping, of the case. The front cover bends inwards. The borders around the iPad’s sides come up and sometimes prevent the front cover’s magnets from making contact with the magnets on the iPad. There is a good 1.5-2.0 mm of space between the case and the iPad itself, the right side even went as far as 3 mm from case to iPad. It seems like the iPad is too thick for the case causing the cases edges to come up. Since I am using an iPad 2, the thinnest iPad made to date, this should not happen. I was sent two cases with the same defect. However, I read online that many people did not get a case with this defect. This problem is the source for other problems. Because of the warping of the case, it is uncomfortable to hold. The case is a bit thicker than it normally be. However, the case is too thick even without the warping. Overall, the warping is the only thing wrong with the form of this case but it is a major problem. The problem to fix all other problems.

Function

Before once again tackling the problems with the warping, I’d first like to address the positives. First, the case, despite the warping, still protects your case well, probably better than a lot of other cases. The case also has pockets for credit cards, paper and other small things. The case does have a stand, whether you like it or not its up to you. I personally do not because of the extra work required to get the case standing. I never have been a fan of folio case stands, the ones where the front cover lays on the table and a flap comes onto a nudge on the front cover. Of course, that is something that is more of opinion. One interesting function is that when you have the stand in typing mode, which by the way is the hardest to get to, you can make the front cover flap go over the iPad to protect the screen from prying eyes. It offers a little bit of privacy. Whether of not that was intentionally done or just a coincidental result of how they made the case will remain unknown. Again, I do need to mention the warping. The case comes up off the iPad so much that sometimes it can prevent the magnets on the case and on the iPad from touching. This is due to the front cover being so far away from the iPad itself, it can not reach it and thus sleep the iPad. Also, holding the case is uncomfortable and that is not how handling the iPad should be. Overall, my reaction to this case based on it’s function, as you can tell, is mixed.

Conclusion

Pros

-Good stitching and craftsmanship (besides the warping)
-Protects the iPad well
-Ports and cameras protected but not blocked
-Pockets provide extra support for carrying your stuff
-Without the warping, it would be a much better case (maybe yours won’t be warped)

Cons

-Warping and the problems as a result of it.
-Stand may not be for some people
-A bit too thick

Ways to Improve

If it is true that the leather warps in changes in temperature, consider sending the case in a package that will keep a certain temperature. In addition, the company should consider thinning the case’s profile a little bit. I also think the case should be redone perhaps to resemble more simple stand designs

I am unsure how the leather warped however it may be that the case was handled in changing temperatures before arriving to my house in California from Canada. In addition, I read online that people received their cases in perfect condition without any problems. If my cases did not have the problem of being warped, this review would be much more positive and despite my on-the-negative-side review, you should consider purchase anyway since if the case does not have the problem, it is a wonderful case. It is on discount with the coupon code above and the customer service was friendly and courteous, so what do you have to lose? Due to the case’s warping, I do have to rate it at a 2 and a half. However, that is with the warping. If you receive a case without the warping, that rating is a 4 and a half. Many people have received cases without the warping so it may just be bad luck. Try your luck with the case, you may or may be disappointed.

Thanks for reading,

Joe

ION Room Rocker Review

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The ION Room Rocker is a bluetooth speaker designed to rock your room, hence the name. The speaker has a wide range with an emphasis on the bass. The speaker is not small so it is not meant to be moved around much. Why would you want to? You could accidentally damage this nice looking speaker! The speaker is available from ION for $149.99. Allow me to show you why it’s worth the price.

Form

The speaker excels in it’s form. The speaker is big and it is wide so it does take up a lot of room but it is not bulky. On the front, it is a simplistic design. The standard black cover that protects almost all speakers is on this one as well. Surrounding it is a silver trim. Inside the black mesh there is a light that shows a blue color when it is on and shows no color when it is not. Right below that is the cool ION logo. Below that is gray bar that also projects sound. The sides are all black and have a texture like that of other high quality, high price speakers. On the top, most of it is the same black material. However, on the top there is also a dock and four buttons. The dock is handy for when you want to listen to music but you are almost out of charge. I find it nice to have that option to just put it on the dock. Some bluetooth speakers do not offer the functionality of a dock just in case you need it. The buttons included are the off/on button, volume buttons and a connect bluetooth button. The bluetooth button has a light that allows you to know if it is connected to something bluetooth. On the back, there is a bass speaker as well as on the bottom. Included with the speaker is a remote that allows for much more functionality than the buttons on the speaker itself. It is solidly made, unlike many remotes that come with speakers. Overall, this speaker shines in it’s form.

Function

What? What did you say?! This would be something you would say to your friend sitting right next to you if you were to put these speakers on full blast. These speakers are that loud. If you want a room rocker, this is it. If you want a house rocker this is it as well. Of course, this is at high blast. It’s not a representation at mid-level or, of course, low-level. This speaker has great sound at any volume level, something some speakers have difficulty in accomplishing. Some people may want to put the bass reducer function on their devices on with these speakers. These speakers have an incredible bass ability, better than many other speakers on the market. That said, the sound sounds great across the board. This speaker is meant to stay in one place for most of it’s life. The speaker is not that light and is not portable. It is, however, perfect for a shelf or an end table. The buttons on it signify that it relies heavily on controlling the sound from either the device or the remote, considering only the power button, volume buttons and Bluetooth button make a debut on the speaker. The remote has power, volume, mute, Bluetooth, rewind, play/pause, forward and shuffle buttons. Whew. Thankfully the remote is included with this speaker since all of us prefer to use remotes then get up and change the song. I appreciate that ION added the remote in since without it, the speaker would not work. Of course, an alternative to that scenario is if there was no remote but more functionality in the speaker itself, but the way they chose to do it is better. This is a great speaker that I could highly recommend.

Conclusion

Pros

-GREAT sound
-Whole musical range sounds great with a good emphasis on bass
-Made well and well designed
-Remote allows for quick, easy wireless controls
-Bluetooth

Cons

-At this time, there are no cons to report

Ways to Improve

Although I did not mention this in my cons list, I do think that the company should consider adding additional buttons to the speaker. Of course, this is nothing to pull off all the merchandise off the shelves to fix but it is something to consider should they ever make an improved version of this speaker.

This is a really great speaker. I could recommend it to anyone, including those who don’t want a lot of volume, because of the power, the sound, it can bring at 80% volume and at 20% volume. If you are looking for a bluetooth speaker, I would highly consider this one. How could I refrain from giving this speaker 5 stars? I couldn’t, this speaker easily gets five stars from me! Great job ION!

Thanks for reading,

Joe

Ozaki iCoat-Slim-Y Review

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The Ozaki iCoat Slim-Y is a slim lightweight-profiled folio case for the iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad 4 (who calls the iPads by their real names? I don’t). The case is available from Ozaki for a steep price of $79.99. Let’s see if it is worth it’s hole in your wallet price tag.

 

 

Form

First off, the case is thin. It’s slim, it says it in the name. It adds about 1-2 mm in thickness to the iPad, which you know is already very thin. The case is also light as a result. This provides more comfort when holding the case. The case comes in black, white, brown, and red(other variations of this case like the Slim-Y or ++ have other colors). The front cover of the case is a very thin Apple Smart Cover like cover but is built quite a bit stronger than it, at least in terms of material. On the back the case gets harder and provides a good layer of protection for the iPad. All the ports are easily accessible but not so much where they can be accidentally damaged. The material on the case adds to it’s comfort. The stand is quite unique and I enjoy it a lot. It is an origami stand that allows for different positions without having to slide the cover into a slot. Very useful. Overall, the aesthetic is clean and well thought out.

Form

The primary function of a case is to protect your device. This case does exactly that. What’s impressive about this case is how much little space it takes up and still protects the iPad well. The case doesn’t sacrifice thinness for protection or vice versa, it has both. The magnets are strong enough to catch. I have never had a problem with the case accidentally opening and having the battery drain. The case has a unique stand that allows to stand in different positions. It uses the origami stand and I have found it to be the best way to add a stand on a case and I think that other case companies should add it to their cases. The sleep/wake function works every time and I have never had a problem with it. All the ports are protected enough but not protected too much to where we can’t access them. I think that some may complain about the price, but it is a great value since it is thin yet protective.

Conclusion

Pros

-Thin, light
-Protective
-Unique Stand
-Great aesthetic
-Magnets latch, ports are easily accessible, and other small details

Cons

-Price may be a bit high for some.

Ways to Improve

At this time, the only way to improve would be to decrease the price a little to make this great case available to more people.

This is a well-made solid case. It is definitely one of my favorites. I will continue using this case in the future. Obviously, this case earns five stars form me!

Thanks for reading,

Joe

iLine Mobile Music Cable Kit Review

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The iLine Mobile Music Cable Kit is a set of six very useful musician’s cables. The cables include a mono output adapter, an input output extension, a standard stereo aux cable, a 3.5mm stereo headphone splitter, an RCA output adapter, and a mono output splitter. It also includes a toolbag-like bag to carry all the wires in. The bag is rollable allowing for easy storage. Many musicians have had the pain of losing or missing most if not all of the cables included and this “Swiss Army Knife” of music cables is sure to please any musician. The cable set is sold by IK Multimedia for $59.99, less money than what you would pay for one of these wires elsewhere. Let’s see if this pack of cables are for you musicians out there.

Form

There is not much to say about the aesthetics of these cables, since the aesthetics don’t matter as much as how they work but I will mention a few things. First, the cables are color coded for your convenience, that way, once you learn the colors, you know which cable are which with just a glance. Second, the cable are made well. I don’t think they will fray for some time. Third, the carrying case that comes with it is cheaply made but it does the job, it stores all the wires and it rolls up so you can store it easily. Fourth, the tips of the cables are plated in 24K gold to prevent corrosion and improve sound quality, which it does well. Overall, the aesthetic of the cables is excellent.

Function

The iLine cables have great quality. The sound is either not hindered by the wires or  benefits from the wires. These wires that every musician should have in his or her arsenal. These cables are not cheap junk that come with cheap junk that you buy off of China Wholesale, these cables are high quality. This is signified by the use of high quality gold plating and high quality, very pure copper used inside it. I also appreciate the balance of Mono and stereo cables. These cables compliment the other products that IK Multimedia sells so if you have their other products, I would recommend these cables. But even if you don’t these cables still come in handy. I would have liked to have seen some cables a bit longer, especially the Mono Output Adapter, but for your average musician who has everything packed together in a tight space, it is no big deal. Overall this a great pack of cables.

Conclusion

Pros

-Great quality cables
-Great sound from the cables
-Well made
-Carrying pouch

Cons

-Carrying pouch could have been made better
-Some cables could be longer
-Would have appreciated a male/female headphone splitter

Overall, these are great cables and I can highly recommend them to any musician who finds themselves without cables when they are needed. This “Swiss Army” Cable pack receives 4 and a half stars from me.

Thanks for reading,

Joe