Blogs are reporting the news published by a Chinese technology website that the forthcoming iPhone 6 with a 4.7-inch display will have a battery capacity between 1,800 and 1,900 mAh, compared to 1,570 for the current iPhone 5s. The larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 is expected to have a 2,500 mAh battery. Does this mean that the new phones will have a much longer battery life? Not necessarily. A larger capacity battery will be needed to power the larger screen of the forthcoming phones. In fact, large-screen Samsung models have even greater battery capacity than the rumored sizes for the new iPhones. The Galaxy S5, for example, has a 2,800 mAh battery. However, Apple's new A8 chip that's rumored to be in the new iPhones is engineered to be more efficient and to give longer battery life. It could well be that Apple will be able to increase battery life in the new phones while using a smaller battery than competitors. This, of course, has the advantage of keeping the phone thin and light.

There are always tradeoffs between thinness, lightness, and battery life. The Galaxy S5 has a significantly longer battery life than the iPhone 5s, according to testing by iPhoneArena.com. But it's also thicker. Apple always wants its devices to be as thin and light as possible. Yet they're still able to give very good battery performance due to their legendary engineering. 

Apple almost never takes a step backward. You can generally expect their new devices to be thinner and lighter, with a longer battery life. One exception was the first-generation iPad with retina display, which was thicker and heavier than the iPad 2, but they made up for that with the iPad Air.

There's no way of knowing whether this report out of China is accurate. But inevitably Apple will increase battery capacity, and these reported sizes seem reasonable.

There have been months of rumors regarding the next iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone 6" by bloggers and the media. Increasingly the rumors are coming from reliable sources, and some are now being supported by leaked images. Here's a roundup of what the rumors are saying. 

As always, it's important to realize that rumors fall short of fact and that we won't know for sure what the new iPhone will be until Apple announces it, which will most likely be in September. Accompanying this post is a rendering by Martin Hajek based on the cases that manufacturers are already making and purported specs. It shows what a bezel-free, 4.7-inch iPhone may look like. You can see more renderings on NWE.

[Update 5/12/14]: As I noted in this recent post, Reuters has reported that Apple will be releasing the iPhone 6 in August, which is earlier than most had been expecting. And they say Apple's 5.5-inch phone, sometimes referred to as a "phablet," could be coming in September.

[Update 7/7/14}: As noted in a post by my fellow blogger Todd Bernhard, earlier this month a Chinese website had reported the iPhone 6 would be announced September 15 and would launch on September 25. However, Apple almost always launches its new devices on a weekend, and September 25 is a Thursday. In any case, I think we'll most likely see the new phone in September and not earlier or later. 

Display

The rumors have converged around the new phone having a 4.7-inch display. Concrete evidence began surfacing in April, which I covered in a post on leaked photos of molds used to make the casing. The image at right shows the mold in comparison to an iPhone 4s. While earlier rumors said the phone would have a 1,920 x 1,080 display, most recently a credible rumor said it will have a resolution of 1334 x 750 (326ppi). You can read more in my post about Apple's roadmap for 2014, which relays information from Ming Chi Kuo, who usually has solid inside knowledge of what Apple is coming out with. Also, my post on leaked specs noted the iPhone 6 could sport an "ultra-retina" display at 389 ppi.

In addition, rumors have converged around Apple releasing a second new phone later in the year (or early next year) that would have a 5.5-inch display, which Ming Chi Kuo affirmed. In February I passed along the rumor that this "phablet"might not carry the iPhone moniker. Kuo also said that the phablet's display will be made of sapphire crystal or have a sapphire crystal laminate and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (401 ppi). However, he said Apple may not use sapphire crystal in their 4.7-inch phone. In late February, I posted a hot rumor that the iPhone 6 display may use Quantum Dot technology, which renders colors much more accurately. Finally, in a post in early February, I passed along the rumor that said the phablet will be a 2K device, with 2,272 x 1,280 pixels.

[Update 7/8/14]: Videos of alleged front panels for the iPhone 6 are starting to appear on the web. The panels come courtesy of Sonny Dickson, who says they're straight off the assembly line and who has been the first to post leaked iPhone and iPad parts in the past. An amazing scratch-test video of the sapphire crystal display shows just how indestructible this material is. No matter what he does, video blogger Marques Brownlee is unable to scratch or break it.

Bezels

In February we also began to get rumors that the iPhone 6 would have narrower bezels (the left and right borders on the display) or even no bezels. This would mean that while the display would be larger, it would keep the overall size of the phone as small as possible.

Buttons

I also posted a photo of an iPhone 6 case that suggests the sleep/wake button will be moved to the right side of the phone opposite volume-up button. And I passed along the rumor that the shape of the phone's volume buttons will be an elongated pill shape, similar to the iPhone 5c. In that post I also reported noted that the iPhone 6 will emulate the iPhone 5c's holes on the bottom for the speaker and microphone as well as the iPhone 5c's back, rounded edges. In my post on the bezel-free design, I passed along the rumor suggesting that the Touch ID would be incorporated into the bottom of the display, and that there would no longer be a Home button.

Styling

[Update 7/7/14]: A number of mockups based on the specs for the new phones began to appear in June, not only giving a sense for their overall size, but also the styling. As I note in this post showing the mockups, the phones will styling continuity with the iPad Air and iPad mini, with the same sort of rounded edges. This lends a softer appearance to the hardware and is a departure from Apple's current iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s handsets.

Processor

Pretty much everyone expects the phone to have a new A8 processor. In March I passed along the rumor that new processor will be a quad-core chip with quad core graphics. I also posted in March some leaked specs, which included the tidbit that the processor will be a speedy 2.6ghz. The new processor is rumored to greatly enhance performance and efficiency, thereby giving a longer battery life.

Battery

[Update 7/7/14]: As I detail in this post, a Chinese technology website has reported that the 4.7-inch phone will have a battery capacity between 1,800 and 1,900 mAh, compared to 1,570 for the current iPhone 5s. The larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 is expected to have a 2,500 mAh battery. The large displays of the new phones will require more battery capacity, so these specs don't necessarily indicate these devices will have a longer battery life. But I suspect battery life will be improved because of the new A8 chip.

Mobile payments

[Update 5/14/14]: Rumors are about that the iPhone 6 will have a near field communications (NFC) chip for making mobile payments. The information is said to come from a source close to the matter. But given Apple's use of iBeacons and the increasing adoption of this technology, this rumor may not be credible.

Memory

In a post in early February, I passed along some leaked specs that said the there would be a 128GB option for the new phone.

Thickness

Some rumors have suggested it will be even thinner than the .3 inches of the iPhone 5s, as in this post about leaked specs in which I reported it will be in the range of .22 inches thick.

Camera

Rumors suggest the camera will continue to be 8-megapixel but will be much improved and will include optical image stabilization.

Touch ID

[Update 7/7/14]: According to Gadget Insiders, a report out of China in late June said that Touch ID in the new phone will be upgraded so that the fingerprint sensor is more durable than in the iPhone 5s. Also, many are expecting improvements in accuracy and security.

Cost

In mid-April TheStreetInsider.com reported that Apple was talking with the carriers to see what they'd think about a $100 price increase for the iPhone 6. So far, the carriers are balking, but it's possible Apple could succeed in getting them to agree to at least a small increase in price.

Bottom line

Everything points to a 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and a larger 5.5-inch iPhone that would come out late this year, or even possibly early next year. Of course it will have a faster chip, and I'm betting we'll see the A8 processor. I also think it's a good bet that the appearance will change, such as the bezels, button shape, and edges. It will come with iOS 8, a feature of which will be the new Healthbook app for monitoring health and performance, as well as a new version of the Maps app.

What we don't know

There has been little news about the battery, but I think it's safe to assume the battery life will be longer, as Apple adopts new, more energy-efficient technologies. I expect them to use IGZO technology in their future displays, maybe even the iPhone 6. An IGZO display would use up to 90% less energy. 

What it means

So is Apple copying Samsung, who's been making larger smartphones for several years? Steve Jobs was pretty clear that he thought a phone should be small enough that you could easily hold it in one hand. But larger phones and phablets have become extremely popular, so much so that a court document in Apple vs Samsung revealed that Apple explicitly acknowledged they needed a device to compete in this segment of the market. Not only does a larger phone seem to contradict the direction Steve Jobs gave, it also goes against Apple's long-held tradition of keeping its product line tightly focused. This has helped Apple be more profitable, as well as sell more devices. Research suggests that when there are too many options, consumers actually make fewer purchases. By the end of the year, we could have three phones to choose from: the iPhone 5s, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and a 5.5-inch phablet. That's quite a change for Apple.

Market analysts seem pretty much agreed, though, that the iPhone 6 is going to create the biggest splash of 2014 in the smartphone market. Many are already expecting huge sales for the device, and there are rumors that Apple will be making some 80 million of them in 2014. That's a lot of phones. In the meantime, the world awaits breathlessly to hear what Apple announces.

I still remember a poem from French class, 30-plus years ago, that includes the line "Je plie, et ne romps pas" which translates to "I bend, and do not break." It is the sentiment of a tree that survives by bending with the wind rather than trying to maintain its posture and thus lasts longer than a larger tree. Apple is trying to make screens that bend but do not break, and the key to that may be their new sapphire factories which is expected to replace Corning's Gorilla Glass, which had been used in all iPhones to date.

Sonny Dickson has been accurate with rumors in the past, and now there's a new video to check out. Sonny's video shows an iPhone 6 "glass" screen, presumably made of sapphire, being bent between two hands. It's a scary scene for those of us who have experienced a broken iPhone screen, but ultimately reassuring, if this is to be the next generation of iPhone screens. There are those who say this isn't sapphire because sapphire is too hard too bend, but they said that about glass, and Corning's Gorilla Glass can bend a bit as well. The real test will be in drop tests, which is how most iPhone screens get cracked.

If accurate, this demonstrates just how important the switch to sapphire may be for Apple. Even though replacing screens at $100 to $150 a shot (or charging for AppleCare) can be a nice revenue stream, it reflects poorly on Apple that iPhones are so fragile. With the even larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models coming, a bigger screen needs even more protection. By all accounts, the sapphire screen fits the bill.

When it rains, it pours. And when the sun shines, particularly in North Carolina, it powers Apple's data centers. As Apple increasingly relies on such data centers for iCloud, Siri, and more, they are also increasingly relying on the sun to power those data centers. And now Apple has struck a deal with Claremont City Council in North Carolina to setup a 100-acre solar farm, and spend up to $55 million to build it. This is in addition to the other solar powered Apple data centers in Maiden, NC.

Apple prides itself in being ecofriendly, and has seen a sharp turnaround from a decade ago when they were called out by environmentalists for unfriendly policies. Since then, Apple has launched several initiatives, including recycling efforts, cutting back on hazardous materials, and turning to renewable energy where possible. Apple reports that all of their data centers now use renewable energy sources such as solar or biogas, and 94 percent of their corporate facilities do as well.

While $55 million will be spent in the local economy to build the structure, over five years, the Apple facility will only add about 75 jobs. Still, its impact is a positive one, energy-wise, and shows that a company can be eco-friendly, and profitable. Super profitable in fact!

I have to smile remembering when I worked at Sun Microsystems in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At one point, Apple's stock was so low and Sun was flying so high, Sun tried to buy Apple. Eventually, Oracle bought Sun, and Apple is spending millions harnessing the actual sun!

At CE Week, I got to try WHOOSH! Screen Shine cleaning solution ($19.95). To be honest, I've used a lot of cleaning products on my iPhone and they pretty much work the same. They clean fingerprints, dirt, and gunk off your touchscreen. But WHOOSH! is different. First, it's safe and non-toxic. In fact, WHOOSH! products do not contain alcohol, acids, ammonia, chlorine, solvents, petroleum distillates, phosphates, or VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds). WHOOSH! Screen Shine is odorless, streak free, haze free and anti static.

What really sets WHOOSH! apart is that it keeps working after you clean your touchscreen, thanks to a nano-thin invisible coating that also provides resistance to fingerprints and dirt buildup so it stays clean after you use it. 

And I found that it's not just for the screen. My Touch ID fingerprint sensor had been a little wonky and I had to touch my finger several times to get it to read. The Touch ID sensor is a screen of its own, like a camera lens, and it gets dirty too. By using WHOOSH! on the Touch ID sensor, my fingerprint scans better.

WHOOSH! is available online at whooshscreenshine.com or at Apple.com and in Apple retail stores.

The iFrogz Coda Forte($99.99) are a pair of headphones I really wanted to like. Their parent company, Zagg, tends to make some great products and at first glance they seemed like a pair of headphones with great potential. The reality wasn't so impressive. Having spent some time with these headphones I'd like to share with you my impressions of where these Bluetooth headphones shine, and where they could use some fine tuning.

Pros:

Available in several fun, vibrant color tones, the Coda Forte come with a convenient carrying bag, and a 1.2 meter cord with 3.5mm audio connections for wired listening. They also include fairly standard features like hands-free playback control and phone calling. The headphones have a decent enough pair of speaker drivers in the earcups, which deliver clear and crisp audio with balanced bass for an overall sound that's pretty good. In fact, with a different enclosure and design they might even rate as great sounding headphones, but the Coda Forte have a lot holding them back, even with good quality speakers.

Cons:

The list of cons for the Forte is a longer one. From a minor quip like its cheap plastic feel, to more more significant ones like its poor design. In this day and age headphones are the latest rage, and companies like Beats, SteelSeries, SMS Audio, and Skullcandy are all intent on setting themselves apart from the crowd. Unfortunately, the Coda Forte doesn't manage to achieve this feat.

The design of these headphones is lacking in several areas. First of all, unlike many other pairs of headphones on the market these days, the Coda Forte have very little comfort flexibility. Most headphones are hinged or gimbaled so that the earcups fit ergonomically against your head, but the Forte has zero adjustability other than the compulsory extendable arms of the  headband.

The earcups don't swivel at all, so depending on the unique shape of your head, these headphones may or may not fit. Additionally, the speaker drivers are placed inside of the earcups in a really strange fashion. They protrude outward from within the earcup toward your ear lobe, and when combined with the fact that the ear cushions add little clearance within the cup, your ear lobe will likely be pressed up against the hard speaker driver, and unlike some other headphones, there's no internal padding over the hard speaker driver either.

Verdict:

These headphones have a somewhat flimsy and claustrophobic feel to them, and compared to what I've come to expect from over-ear headphones, they aren't very comfortable. Even though they are billed as being over-ear headphones, they don't deliver the comfort and passive noise isolation of many other comparably priced, over-ear headphones. Perhaps if you are shopping for a relatively durable pair of headphones without a lot of breakable moving parts for a young child to use, then these iFrogz headphones might fit the bill, though I'd definitely consider them on the pricey side for a youngster's pair of headphones. Otherwise, if you are looking for a great pair of over-ear headphones in the $100 price range, I'd have to encourage you to search elsewhere.

iPhone Life rating:

2 out of 5 stars

It's a known fact that Apple has invested heavily in sapphire crystal and plans to increasingly use it in their products. This material is virtually impossible to scratch. And for months there have been rumors that the front panel of the iPhone 6 will be made of sapphire crystal or will have a sapphire crystal laminate. And now Sonny Dickson, who in the past has been the first to score leaked parts for forthcoming iPhones and iPads, has allegedly gotten his hands on iPhone 6 front panels straight off the assembly line. Video blogger Marques Brownlee got a front panel from Dickson and has uploaded a video to YouTube showing just how indestructible sapphire crystal can be. He tries hard to scratch it with keys and a knife point. He stabs the panel. He puts his shoe on it and tries to break it. As the embedded video below shows, nothing he can do has the slightest effect. No marks whatsoever, other than fingerprints.

If this is indeed an actual panel from an iPhone 6, this is going to be a remarkable step forward: a smartphone that you don't need to worry about damaging. You won't need a case or a screen protector. This is typical of Apple, always making their products better. Because he only had the front panel, Brownlee wasn't able to do a drop test, but his efforts to break the panel suggest that the iPhone 6 face will be unfazed by any sort of drop. 

Apple already uses sapphire crystal for the rear camera lens cover and for the Touch ID, since scratching would hinder the performance of both. Now, hopefully, they'll use it for the phone's front panel. It's also rumored that the material will be used in the rumored iWatch. The material is more expensive than the Gorilla Glass that Apple has been using, so it's not a given that Apple will use it in all its products. But whatever Apple intends, they've clearly expanded production of the material, with the new plant in Arizona going online this past February, and other efforts Apple has made to corner world supplies of the material.

Since I'm primarily an iPad user, I dream of a sapphire crystal display on my iPad. But it's probably not going to happen anytime soon, given the expense.

If you have ever wondered how those marvelous photographs from iPhone enthusiasts are captured, wonder no more: they weren’t captured, they were crafted. If you want to craft eye-catching photos yourself, then you will need to get a copy of The Art of iPhone Photography.

Bob Weil and Nicki Fitz-Gerald have compiled entries from a wide range of iPhone photographers. They cover everything from the basics of taking portraits to capturing landscapes and street scenes, to how to best use panorama settings and HDR.

There are dozens of examples in the book, each one meticulously documented with step-by-step procedures, lists of software you will need, additional hardware required, and gorgeous illustrations that pop on the high quality paper. Rocknook, the publishers, produced the book wide format so it stays open more easily than books with shorter page widths (though I still use a book weight for good measure).

The books applies very thoughtful teaching. Each tutorial begins with learning expectations along with the tools, but then quickly moves to a backstory about the photo example, which offers a deeper emotional connection between the learner and the book and a heightened interest that will likely help the material soak in and stay soaked in. Each tutorial ends with a summary that reminds you of what you should have learned. The overall tone of the tutorials is that of a trusted mentor. And even though some process conformity has been applied, what comes under the steps sections seems to be purely from the heart and mind of the photographer offering the guidance.

There is one caveat to all of this. The book is intended for enthusiastic hobbyists and professionals. Both of those categories of people invest in hardware and software, much of it not free. That means that if you want to match the artistic finesse of these photographic wizards, you will need to invest money as well as time.

Given that the editors didn’t write the entire book, you will find instances where a particular effect, such as removing something from an image, employs different techniques and software from tutorial to tutorial. Having written several tutorials over the years, my guess is that each photographer has mastered his or her own toolset, and that is what they cover. No attempt has been made to smooth out the variability in techniques to create a universal list of must-have tools. And I think that is fine. What it means for the reader, however, is experimenting themselves with tools that may or may not fit their style and workflow—and that may translate into buying tools you don’t end up using (as an aside, keep an eye open for free offers on these tools which occasionally happens, and of course, most of these tools are relatively inexpensive compared to traditional desktop software).

What I like most about this book is its ability to stretch artistic sensibilities. It doesn’t just instruct photographers on how to take good portraits, it teaches them how to turn their work into fine art – how to combine images, change pallets and how to create moods – it teaches them how turn something relatively mundane into something marvelous (see the following page examples that describe how the vivid, lively cover image was created).

One other caution: iPhone apps evolve all of the time, so over the long haul, some of the approaches and screenshots may not look the same or work the same, and some of the apps might even disappear from the app store. Like all good art books though, much of the value here is helping people think about how to execute on their chosen passion—how to think about their approach, rather than the particular tools used in execution.

With The Art of iPhone Photography Weil and Fitz-Gerald unleash a wonderful volume of step-by-step tutorials for how to truly transform point-and-click camera phone photography into high art. Hell, the book is a visual feast worth looking through even if you never plan to recraft your own images—but be warned, maybe you will be inspired by the pictures, and by how easy it is to apply many of the techniques, and decide to up your game anyway.

The Art of iPhone Photography 
by Bob Weil and Nicki Fitz-Gerald


Retail: $44.95

Available at Amazon.

People live busy lives. Apple understands this, which is why many of their apps are able to interact with one another across multiple platforms. But if you’re like me and not the biggest fan of AirDrop, here is a quick and simple way to begin an iMovie on your iPhone or iPad and continue editing it on your Mac later using Dropbox. 

Step 1: Download Dropbox on your Mac and sign up for an account.

Step 2: Download the Dropbox app on to your iPhone and sign in using the same account you used on the computer. 

Step 3: Allow Dropbox to wirelessly upload content from your camera roll (this is also a great way to safeguard your photos). You will have the choice to do this over a cellular network or with Wi-Fi only.

Step 4: Take some really awesome video.

Step 5: Open your video footage in iMovie and begin the editing process. 

Step 6: If you aren’t finished editing your movie and you know you’ll want to work on it later using a larger screen, save your movie to your camera roll.

Step 7: Find the nearest Wi-Fi location, open your Dropbox app, and sync your camera roll with your Dropbox account. 

Step 8: When you get home and back to your desktop, open up iMovie on your Mac.

Step 9: Create a New Project in iMovie (or add new clips to a preexisting movie).

Step 10: Go up to File at the top of your screen. Click on File>Import>Movies.

Step 11: Find the Dropbox folder on your computer. 

Step 12: Find the movie you previously worked on. 

Step 13: Import.

Step 14: Continue working on your movie. 

Just Mobile has been working on phone and tablet styluses for several years. Their AluPen line has consistently delivered attractive and high-quality products. With the release of the company’s AluPen Digital, does that expectation-setting trend continue? Read on to find out.

The AluPen Digital ($49.95) is unlike most other styluses on the market. Rather than relying on a large, spongy rubberized surface to interact with the phone or tablet’s glass surface, the AluPen Digital uses a charged hard tip to deliver a much finer, pen-like writing and drawing experience. The tip is activated by twisting the barrel of the pen. This not only exposes the tip but also switches it on, powered by the AAA battery housed within the barrel itself. The electronics in the pen are also smart enough to turn off the current flow if the pen is idle for more than a couple minutes.

Holding the pen feels perfectly weighted and the smooth aluminum body gives the tactile sensation of high quality. Unfortunately, I found the fine writing and drawing control to be hit or miss. When it works, it transforms the scribbles and blotches typically created by styli with large rubbery tips into a true pen-like experience. However, whether it was the angle at which I held the pen or the fact that the sampling rate of an iPad is designed for a blobby finger versus a precise point of contact, I found lines that I drew with the AluPen to be slightly off or inconsistent, as if the contact point briefly lost its place and found it again. This didn’t happen often, but it was mildly annoying. Another much smaller issue was that the height between the edge of the tip and the barrel was not high enough to accommodate the case I had surrounding the edge of my iPad’s screen, so when I drew close to the edge of the screen, the tip would lose contact as a result of being bumped upward.

These two annoyances aside, the AluPen Digital brings the iPad as close to a premium digitizing tablet as any stylus I’ve used previously. However, by pushing the tablet well beyond Apple’s intention to put fingers first, AluPen Digital is also coming close to exceeding the fine digitizing capabilities of what the current generation of touch screen tablets are capable of detecting. I would suggest trying out the AluPen Digital yourself before buying to see if it meets your needs. If you can’t try before you buy, purchase it from a reputable dealer that allows returns in case the mild annoyances that I encountered manifest themselves with your use of the stylus.

Product:AluPen Digital
Manufacturer:Just Mobile
Price: $49.95
iPhone Life rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I’ve been a fan of Scott Jordan’s SCOTTeVEST products for years. Every once in a while, they get excited enough about a product to send me one, or I ask for the latest while heading off to some land far far from Seattle, Washington.

Most recently, I received the new Sterling Jacket for Men ($150), which is my favorite so far. It is stylish, has pockets for everything (24 in all) and includes an RFID pocket for protecting credit cards and passports. For weather and spills, the jacket sports a Teflon-treated overcoat of its own to repel all but the most egregious attacks from nature or humankind.

As I’ve written in the past, some of my small items find their way out of my pockets and into the lost world of tiny electronics and socks. I can proudly say on my most recent trip to Amsterdam, I lost nothing. I battened down my headphones in SCOTTeVEST Personal Area Network or PAN, a series of interconnecting tunnels and conduits through the jacket that links those still wired parts of our lives (like headphones and external batteries) to those less wired things, like iPods and iPhones.

One of the learning journeys associated with the Dutch workshop was a trip to the Rijksmuseum. I had already worn the jacket and people were intrigued. It started raining, out came the umbrella. Somebody needed a phone jump-start, out came a battery and a cable. I hate carrying things when walking, so attendees also watched as souvenirs disappeared into the jacket’s hidden recesses. At one point during the tour, we were standing by the 1615 Amsterdam Admiralty Canon and I was asked if my jacket had a canon pocket. I said yes, of course. After the museum, we walked back out into a rainy Amsterdam evening, and to dinner. When I walked into the restaurant, I whipped out the microfiber chamois from the glasses pocket and removed the raindrops from my eyewear. The evening eventually ended up with my Sterling Jacket transforming me into James Bond. After that, all I can say is what happens in Amsterdam usually stays in Amsterdam. But there are pictures.

The internal and external illustrations speak for themselves. You can’t but be amazed at the number of places to put things, things as big as an iPad 2. Like any indulgence, after too many items the jacket does get to feel a bit bloated, but the weight management system holds its pretty steady. I personally would rather distribute the weight of things I’m carrying than let one shoulder sustain the burden with a shoulder bag, or feel gravity pulling me backward with a backpack.

My only complaint about the Sterling is the fit, but it may be unique to me. At 6’4”, I need a tall, but also a XXXL. The XXXL doesn’t come in tall (but n XXL does). Unfortunately, the sleeves are slightly too short, but I really only notice that when driving or reaching for the top shelf. Regular walking is just fine.

A few add ons recently arrived for the jacket (not from the SCOTTeVEST team, but from the far reaches of the United Federation of Planets,) which will be accompanying me to Comic-Con in San Diego. Watch twitter starting July 24 (@iphonelife and @DanielWRasmus) to see how I’ve transformed my Sterling for the Con.

The 65-35 poly blend Sterling Jacket for Men sells for $150 at scottevest.com.

iPhone Life rating: 4.5 out for 5 stars

IK Multimedia is a company whose products I have been reviewing for several years, and they continue to impress me with their prodigious release of new hardware and software. Their latest batch consists of substantial revisions to their popular iKlip and iMic product lines. This review roundup takes a look at these to see if they are worthy of your purchase consideration.

iKlip Xpand

I still use the initial release of the iKlip for my first generation iPad every day. Whether it I'm using it for reading guitar tabs, studying documents, or watching movies, the iKlip has never failed me. Unfortunately, due to its very specific spider arm design length and depth of clip edges, this initial release does not secure other iPad releases in place. As a result, IK Multimedia had to release several iterations of the iKlip just to keep up with Apple’s changing form factors. It also meant that in addition to being tied to Apple-specific releases, the iKlip could not be used with other non-Apple phone or tablet hardware.

With the release of the iKlip Xpand and iKlip Xpand Mini, that constraint has been lifted. Instead of the spider arm design approach used in previous iterations, the new iKlip has switched to a spring-loaded clasp instead. This allows iPads, iPad Minis, and the variety of iPhone models to all benefit from the iKlip and iKlip Mini concept. It also allows non-Apple hardware like Android tablets and phones to be held in the new iKlip’s embrace.

Assembly of the iKlip Xpand and iKlip Xpand Mini has also been simplified with only four parts to assemble, two of which are mounting screws. I had both iKlip Xpand models assembled and attached to my mic stand in under a minute. While the initial process of clasping an iPad or iPhone within either iKlip Xpand is slightly more cumbersome than simply sliding it into the older iKlip design, I felt confident that the new iKlip Xpand clasps held my iOS devices more tightly and securely than its iKlip ancestors. Both new iKlip Xpands also look more attractive and less intimidating in their bare states since their function is obvious thanks to their new industrial design.

While I continue to use my original iKlip, my mic stand has become populated with these two additional iKlip Xpands to accommodate all my iPads and non-Apple tablets and phones. Using the iKlip Xpand and iKlip Xpand Mini not only provides a rewarding hands-free experience, they now also provide a degree of future proofing for future iPads and iPhones to come.

Product:iKlip Xpand and iKlip Xpand Mini
Manufacturer:IK Multimedia
Price: $49.99 and $39.99 respectively
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

iRig Voice

The iRig Voice is a more playful, less potent version of IK Multimedia’s well-received iRig Mic. I gave the iRig Mic a perfect 5 out of 5 star review when it was originally released a few years ago. Read on to learn if the iRig Voice attains the same high praise.

Compatible with both iOS and Android devices, the iRig Voice is intended for fun karaoke sessions and parties where fun trumps professional recording quality. Like the original iRig Mic, the iRig Voice features a headphone jack at its base for active audio monitoring. It also has an on-off switch at the midpoint of its neck and works with the free EZ Voice app which frankly doesn’t do much that's very interesting until the In-App Purchases for various effects are added to the program.

The quality of the iRig Voice is slightly above average, but not nearly as notable as IK’s beefier iRig Mic HD. The feel of the iRig Voice is also not as weighty and feels a tad cheaper, hence the nearly $100 difference in price between it and the professional level iRig Mic HD. Still, for karaoke and simple PA broadcast needs, the iRig Voice offers a passable handheld microphone experience while helping you project your voice to an audience of one or even thousands of listeners. And it comes in a variety of colors (except for black, obviously reserved for the more serious high-end iRig Mic HD) to suit your playful audio broadcast needs.

Product:iRig Voice
Manufacturer:IK Multimedia
Price: $39.99
iPhone Life Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
 

If you haven't moved away from your native calendar app, now is the time.

Sunrise Calendar (free, Sunrise Atelier) is, in my opinion, the best native calendar app replacement out there. The design boasts beautiful, simple and modern design as well as a monthly view and daily view like the native iOS app. It also allows users to add Google, Facebook, and iCloud calendars with ease. Reminders can also be seen in the calendar view, if you wish. The latest update lets users add "interesting calendars," like sports schedules, moon phases, and holidays.

The app first came to the iPhone. Next, the developers brought it to iPad. Then, web. And now, to the Mac app store. 

All three of my calendar apps (iPhone, iPad, and Mac) update seamlessly and are easily managable from any platform. Even though it is visually similar to the native Apple calendar, my favorite addition is the logo next to each event. When certain keywords are typed into event titles, like "dinner", "game", or "meeting", the colorful calendar logo changes to a fork and knife, a championship trophy, or speech bubbles.

Other features that you may find useful are the Evernote connection, Facebook event connection, Facebook birthday connection, and more. Try it out—but make sure to turn off notifications from your native calendar once you do!

Your iPhone automatically locks itself after a set period of inactivity. This saves battery life, makes unauthorized access to your iPhone less likely, and prevents butt dialing and the sending of nonsense text messages to random contacts. The default auto-lock setting is one minute; but if you find yourself constantly having to unlock your phone in the middle of using it, you may need to change the delay time.

To change the delay time, go to Settings>General>Auto-Lock. You can set your iPhone to lock after a delay of one to five minutes or never.

Keep in mind, the longer the auto-lock delay, the more likely your friends are to play one of these iPhone pranks on you while you are in the bathroom.

Top image credit:  NOBUHIRO ASADA/Shutterstock.com

I had some fun this weekend. I broke the screen on an iPhone.

Well, it wasn’t my iPhone, and it wasn’t attached to the iPhone itself, it was actually part of a kit that arrived from Taiwan from Evolutive Labs, the makers of Rhinoshield (iPhone 5 $24.99, iPad Air $39.99).

Many manufacturers of iPhone and iPad cases show videos of various stunts. They even stage stunts at shows like CES. I’ve seen screens pecked at, scratched at, dropped from airplanes, hit with rocks, and submerged in water. But in all of those demonstrations, I was never the one doing the whacking. Until now.

When the package arrived, I found it a little heavy for one iPhone 5 front/back protector and one iPad Air screen protector. After opening the plastic FedEx envelope from Rhinoshield, I found both screen protectors in their flat, cardboard covers, but I also found a box. In the box were a couple of screen protectors, a couple of pieces of glass, a slab of granite, and an iron ball. That’s right, Rhinoshield was so convinced of their ability to protect my iOS devices that they offered me an iPhone screen destructo kit.

Well, needless to say, I started to play. Not only was the box a container, the inner lining popped up to reveal a measuring stick of sorts in order to see how far up the ball dropped without causing damage. To the credit of the engineering team at Rhinoshield, I had to go several inches above the safety mark before my steel ball made a mark. This kit was not a cheap way to make a point, but a point it did make.

So what about the screen protectors? Well, my iPad Air is now sporting one. It is the first one that didn’t end up with any bubbles in the screen area, and the first one I’ve actually used for more than a few days. A couple of the edges aren’t perfect, but part of that is my fault for not reading instructions. I didn’t realize the screen protector was itself protected, so I ripped off the “front” sticker that was supposed to pull up the protector’s protector. I thought it was odd that the glue was so sticky, but I whipped it away. Only after the experiment with the iron ball did I realize my iPad’s Rhinoshield was still wearing its own coat. So out of the BookBook comes the iPad, and with a couple flicks of my finger I separated the covers. With iPad covers there seems to be at least one corner that is an issue.

As the picture below illustrates, the RhinoShield not only protects the screen from the impact of  impacts, but deploys multiple layers to include scratch resistance and oil repealing features.

I mention the Twelve South BookBook because with this kind of cover, it is the kind of case you want to have: one that doesn’t depend on tight edge tolerances. I put the iPad inside the Twelve South Hoover Bar attachment and found the Rhinoshield immediately bubbled up at the contact point, so I quickly removed it. No harm, no foul; but with sustained pressure the cover would have distorted permanently or let dust in, ruining that edge. It is very hard to get an iPad screen protector aligned well. It always seems one screen protector edge is closer to the device edge than the other, which causes issues with tight-fitting cases. NewerTech makes the NuGuard KXs Screen Armor for iPad Air, which comes in a version that is “case friendly,” meaning it runs slightly smaller than the screen, leaving room around the edge for cases to attach without pushing on the screen cover.

Overall I found the RhinoShield to be a well-made, well-packaged product. The packaging included screen cleaners, dust removers, and bubble smoother. As I’ve said, this is the first cover to every really work on my iPad Air. I didn’t try the cover on my iPhone as it is already happily wearing a Qmadix Tempered Tech-Armor glass cover, but if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t hesitate to use the RhinoShield.

Do read the manuals for installation, even though I didn't. And if someone sends you a destructo kit in the mail to test their product, have some fun. We all need to take a little time in our day for some creative destruction.

iPhone Life rating: 4 out of 5 stars

If the latest rumors are true, Apple is bulking up the vibration unit in the next iPhone to allow for more specific kinds of vibrations and in a greater variety of areas. Apple Insider is reporting that a new, more expensive motor could be part of the iPhone 6 and it will allow for "haptic feedback" which, depending on where the user touches the screen, can give physical feedback instead of just an audible click.

Perhaps this could make touch typing easier, or more likely it could make gaming more interesting. With iOS 6 and 7, Apple has added more schemes to their vibration mechanism, allowing blind users to be notified who is calling using specific vibration patterns. It's like physically based Caller ID. This new motor could make more patterns possible.

The timing could be right. A motor pushing against the screen, in different locations, might cause the glass screen to crack, with the current iPhone. The next iPhone looks to have a much more flexible and robust screen, likely a result of Apple's sapphire factories, and such a screen could accommodate the vibrations. We shall see—and feel—soon!

A new iOS app called Polymo ($1.99) will keep your mobile photos organized before you actually shoot them. Add tags while you take pictures and all of your images will be curated automatically. Once your photos are organized to your liking, they can be shared or sorted even further. And with Multi Select, several photos can be edited or tagged at once.

The tags used on images will transition to hashtags when they're shared on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Conversely, Private Mode can be turned on to set up passcode protection if you want that selfie to remain hidden.

The simplistic interface doesn't stop at tagging either. Polymo's camera design is relatively unadulterated, utilizing only a small bank of buttons and an area for tags.

By design, Polymo may work best for those dealing with a substantial photo library (e.g. vacations, graduations). Although, the simplicity of searching and sharing photos can benefit sporadic photographers. 

In its short run on the App Store, Polymo has garnered positive acclaim. It recently appeared on the App Store's "Best New Apps" lineup, and continues to win praise from customers.

There's no shortage of photography-related apps, but Polymo's added emphasis on organization sets it apart from other Photo & Video options. Inspiration for the app was derived from the creators observation that people often spend more time searching for photos rather than enjoying them.

We can expect a few more tweaks in future updates, but you can take a look at the team's support page if you want a better idea of what it has to offer so far.

If for some reason the iPhone 6 doesn't have a sapphire crystal front panel, there will be a lot of disappointment. The buildup of rumors has been tremendous. It's almost as if Apple's main competitor isn't other smartphones but rather the expectations that build up surrounding the rumors. In any case, whatever Apple announces, it's clear they're focusing on sapphire crystal in a big way, as evidenced by their increased procurement of the material and, most recently, by some patent applications that have been filed. 

According to AppleInsider, Apple has filed several patent applications related to the use of sapphire in the iPhone. One of them covers processes for strengthening specific areas of a sapphire front and back iPhone panel that are prone to breakage. This appears to be yet more evidence that we'll see a sapphire crystal front panel on the iPhone 6. Or if not on this model, then certainly a model in the future. 

In addition, a second application describes the use of sapphire to make control mechanisms such as the home button and volume rockers. Imagine a phone in which everything—front, back, and buttons—is made from sapphire crystal. As this is only a patent application, it's not clear that Apple actually intends to take this step (since companies file many patent applications just in case it's a direction they want to take). But clearly they're thinking out of the box for various ways to use this super-hard material. 

A third patent simply describes a method for making markings on sapphire. If you're going to have a phone made of sapphire all over, you'll need a method for putting the Apple logo on it, for example. That's the mundane purpose of this patent.

A related patent, also discovered by AppleInsider, is for a method of building seamless all-glass iOS devices, monitors, and TVs. It covers a method of fusing glass structures used on casings of electronic devices. Their proposed method will allow for greater durability, light weight, and pleasing aesthetics. Of course, the question is: Once all the electronics are fused inside, how do you open up the device to repair it? I guess Apple's thinking is that if the design and materials make it indestructible, then you'd never need to open it up. Yet more evidence that Apple continues to be a visionary company.

Siri is an awesome time saver. Want to view your most recent calls, text someone, get directions, or post to Facebook? Just ask Siri. You can even do all this from your lock screen. The problem is, so can anyone else.

If your settings allow for it, anyone can access your call history, send a tweet, or get directions to a contact's home from your lock screen just by bringing up Siri and asking.

If the idea of anyone being able to access this information from your lock screen freaks you out, go to Settings>Touch ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and scroll down to Allow Access When Locked and toggle Siri off.

You can still ask Siri to sort your call history for you, tweet, and send messages, as well as do a host of other things, just not from the lock screen.

Top image credit: cunaplus/Shutterstock.com

On Thursday 9To5Mac passed along a prognostication from market analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the iWatch will be available in November. Kuo has been relatively accurate in the past, so his investor reports have credibility. He had originally predicted that it would appear in late September, but has pushed back the date, saying that this first-generation product requires complex hardware and software engineering. Kuo also said in his report that he expected the iWatch to feature a flexible AMOLED display, sapphire-coated display cover, higher waterproof standards, and new system-on-a-chip components.

This all sounds about right to me. Clearly Apple is ramping up for this product, given the personnel they've been hiring over the past year, and given their new HealthKit platform. Like other smartwatches, the iWatch will likely connect with your iPhone via Bluetooth and will display incoming calls, alerts, text messages, etc., as well as give information such as time and weather. Plus, it's expected to have a variety of sensors that will let you track your health and fitness. Rumors have suggested it will use optoelectronics to monitor pulse and blood oxygen levels, and will likely have functionality similar to current fitness bands, such as keeping track of your steps and calories burned.

Some rumors have suggested it would be more in the shape of a band than a watch with a face, and that it will have a curved display. One rumor reported that the version for women would have a 1.3-inch display and the men’s watch would have a 1.7-inch display.

In February, Apple was reported to have a team of 200 engineers working on the device. 9To5Mac predicts Apple will announce the iWatch at an event in October.