Eco-Friendly iPhone Covers

There are a lot of products out there meant to enhance the iPhone. SD cards, headphones, bluetooth devices… things you add on to make the most of your mobile. Cases are probably the most popular, as they can be entirely customized to your specifications. I know I have seen some really cool ones over the past few years, as the demand has grown. Even independent sellers are making them on sites like Etsy and eBay.

But many of us don’t want to buy anything if it is going to add to the increasing problem of mass industry hurting the planet. Many of these accessories are cheap to buy, but they come at a massive environment price. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get iPhone cases that were truly eco-friendly?

Look no further, because you can. These are all companies that make cases from recycled materials, which can them be recycled once more when you are done with them.

TRTLBOT

This amusingly named company makes what they call “shells” for various Apple devices, such as the iPhone and the iPad, including ones that allow you to slip your ID and credit cards into the back for safe keeping, reducing your need to carry around a wallet when you want to travel light or keep things close to your body. They have several different styles, including the KidSafe, which allows your little ones to mess with your iPhone without worry of cracking it with a drop, or spilling anything on it.

Innovez

All products here are fully biodegradable and made of recycled materials. But they are also really cool looking. There are regular or glider series phone covers available, in a ton of different materials. They are affordable, at $19.95 each. They have cases available for the iPhone 3G/3GS, iPhone 4G/4GS, and the iPhone 5.

True Bamboo

Bamboo is a beloved material for many things, and the iPhone case is no exception. These cases are gorgeous, made of smoothed and polished sustainable bamboo, an entirely biodegradable substance. Plus, it is a well made case that will be sure to last for years, and is solid enough to dampen the force of drops.

Tube

Tires are one of the hardest materials on the environment, and burning them releases a ton of nasty stuff into the air. These cases are really just portions of bike tires that have been reconfigured to make a pocket for your iPhone. They are the perfect size, pliable, and water resistant.

Bioserie

These are extremely cool, as there is no plastic in them despite the way they look and feel. They are made entirely from plants and renewable materials, and even the production is more eco-friendly than other styles. Plus, they are attractive and customizable. Most are priced at just under $35. And don’t miss this list of iphone 5 cases as well!

Miniwiz

This China-based company has quite a few products available in different categories, including various things made from recycled wine bottles. But they also have iPhone cases that are made from other cases, which have been reformed to make new ones. They come with clips, pockets for ID’s and credit cards, and a unique design you won’t find anywhere else.

Apple Preparing to Sell Nest Learning Thermostat at Retail Stores

Apple will soon offer the Nest Learning Thermostat through both its online and retail Apple Stores, iLounge reported Friday. The internet- and iOS-enabled thermostat will sell for $249.

 Nest, a digital thermostat that “learns” over time based on user behavior, was released to much media interest late last year. The product’s parent company, Nest Labs, was co-founded in 2010 by former Apple senior vice president and iPod creator Tony Fadell. The Nest attracted the attention of tech consumers and media not just due to its creator’s heritage, but also as a result of the undeniably “geeky” nature of the device. Internally, the Nest uses a “combination of sensors, algorithms, machine learning, and cloud computing” to learn from user behavior how to best maintain a home’s environmental settings while optimizing energy efficiency. Externally, the device is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing users with mobile devices to access their Nest via a free app, with which they can remotely adjust temperature settings, view historical data, and estimate energy usage. 

 The Nest itself is also beautifully and simply designed, with just a single control dial, paying homage its iPod step-sibling and it has received mostly positive reviews since its launch. If you can’t wait for Apple to start selling them, you can pick one up now at other retailers, such as Lowes, or via Nest’s website.

Apple's Next Event to Be Held on October 4, Starring Its New CEO

That’s the day Apple is currently expected to hold its next big media event, according to sources close to the situation, where the tech giant will unveil the next iteration of its popular iPhone.

While there have been a lot of conflicting reports about the exact timing of the event, including some that pegged it as taking place this month, AllThingsD had previously posted that the rollout of the iPhone 5 would be in October.

While Apple could certainly change its plans anytime, sources said that the October 4 date has been selected by the company to showcase the iPhone 5. Sources added that the plan is now to make the new device available for purchase within a few weeks after the announcement.

And while the iPhone 5 is a much anticipated handset, the event itself has a lot more importance for Apple than many previous ones.

That’s because it will be newly installed CEO Tim Cook’s first big product introduction and the place where the public will get a first lengthy impression of him that may well set the tone for Cook’s new role.

And that’s why, said sources, although he’s never quarterbacked an Apple product announcement before, Cook is certain to preside over the iPhone 5 rollout.

He has to, of course. To pass the presentation on to anyone else — even one of Apple’s key executives such as Phil Schiller, who has handled the Macworld and Worldwide Developers Conference keynotes in 2009 — would undercut Cook’s new role and reinforce public perception that its legendary outgoing CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs is Apple and that it will be a different company without him.

So, like his predecessor and as Jobs’s right-hand man and chosen successor, Cook is expected to be the main presenter at all big Apple media events going forward.

That said, sources said, he’s sure to have help from Apple lieutenants, such as marketing head Schiller, iOS chief Scott Forstall and Eddy Cue, recently named SVP of Internet Software and Services.

Still, the pressure will be on Cook to turn in a good performance at the event, especially after what has so far been a very smooth leadership transition at Apple.

What will be interesting to see, of course, is if Jobs himself will also make an appearance, which is something that is likely to be determined by his health in a decision that will made very close to the event.

And while putting Jobs onstage with Cook could diminish the new leader’s first public effort, what better “one more thing” than Jobs himself making a cameo appearance?

iPhone 5 production hits 150K per day as launch nears

Apple’s suppliers are gearing up for the iPhone 5′s launch, according to supply-side sources speaking to DigiTimes on Thursday. Foxconn, Apple’s final assembler of iPhone devices, is currently putting together 150,000 handsets per day, with a goal of shipping 5-6 million iPhone 5s in September.

The initial September shipments pave the way for a total target of 22 million shipped iPhone 5 units by the end of the fourth quarter, according to the supplier sources. That’s pretty close to an earlier report by the Wall Street Journal, which claimed a sales target of 25 million iPhone 5s by the end of the year. Other component manufacturers like TPK Holding, which makes the iPhone’s touch panels, and Largan Precision, which produces the smartphone’s camera lenses, are also reportedly “operating at full swing,” DigiTimes notes.

Earlier, DigiTimes reported that Pegatron would be contracted for at least some of the iPhone 5 assembly. DigiTimes notes that this is likely still true, but Foxconn will take the lead, with Pegatron following with its orders in 2012.

If we’re headed for an early October release of the iPhone 5, ramping up production now is a logical next step. Rumors seem to be agreeing on the October release timeframe lately, and rumors of carrier and retailer staff training back that up. Also, it’s worth noting that a similar report from DigiTimes arrived shortly before the release of the Verizon iPhone, and turned out to be more or less accurate.

Tech and travel: Tips on taking an iPhone abroad

Unless you feel like splurging and spending $600 to $700 on an unlocked iPhone, taking Apple’s smartphone when traveling outside of the United States can be a bit tricky. Below is a person's experience who wants to help others by sharing his experience and giving tips to carry our favourite iphone.

Before I reflect, I should point out that the tips in this story might not be applicable to everyone. Even I was a bit surprised by a few twists, which I’ll explain below. However, certain constraints include the iPhone model, the carrier, which country you’re going to and maybe just how nice the sales person you speak to is.

So here we go. Ahead of jetting off to live in France for a year, I decided I still wanted to hang on to my iPhone (the first generation) to use abroad. I had never upgraded at this point, and at the time of departure, this smartphone was approximately three years old. (Obviously, I was eligible for an upgrade with AT&T at that point, but I was holding out for what would eventually be the iPhone 4 I have now.)

I knew my iPhone was locked, but I heard from friends who had moved abroad before that they were able to break or put their contracts on hold for various reasons. When I called AT&T’s customer service (Apple can’t really help in this regard, so don’t bother with them), I explained that I was moving for a work program, and I would be away from the U.S. for at least eight months. I asked what I could do, and the customer service rep informed me that I could only put it on hold in cases of extreme emergencies (i.e. health, death in the family, etc.) or if i was in the military. Neither exception applied to me. However, there was at least one thing I could do to save money:

Tip #1: If you’re going abroad for at least one month or more, cancel the data plan - if possible.

This could be catchy for some users as contracts often stipulate that you have to have both a voice and data plan. However, since I was well beyond the end date of my contract, I could do whatever I wanted with the plan. So I dropped the data plan, which meant I only had to pay $40 each month I was gone. (You might be wondering why I didn’t cancel altogether and just pay , but I still wanted to keep my U.S. number for personal and work-related reasons here.)

The next problem was figuring out how I would be able to use the iPhone abroad with another carrier’s SIM card. I had already resolved to put my AT&T SIM card in a Motorola Razr (which can be unlocked by oneself by just going to the AT&T account page and obtaining a code specific to that model). Using the Razr allowed by to have my U.S. number accessible when needed and then I would put a French SIM card in the iPhone as I would be using that more often and I planned to get a data plan over there.

Tip #2: Go to a local brick-and-mortar AT&T and Verizon store and ask for advice in person.

This is where I might have just gotten lucky based on who I spoke with. When I explained my situation to the employee, he actually gave me a 10 percent off coupon for another private mobile phone shop that would unlock my iPhone for $35 (when you incorporate the discount). This could have been because that local (and truly official) AT&T store had some kind of deal with this shop, and/or because my iPhone was so old that AT&T didn’t care about it anymore.

Tip #3: Have your iPhone unlocked by a professional.

Unless you are really good with rooting devices, you could really screw up your iPhone by just downloading the software to do this from some random website. I paid a bit more than one would online, but not only did I have the green light from AT&T to visit this store, but I was able to check it out in person and make sure the device worked properly before leaving the shop.

Tip #4: Don’t get an Apple software upgrade until you are ready to have your iPhone locked up again.

This tip came directly from the store owner who unlocked my iPhone. Apple typically includes codes to re-lock iPhones that have been unlocked with each major software upgrade, so watch out for that. You wouldn’t want to have to go through the whole unlocking process and pay again.

Thus, my iPhone was ready to leave America.

Tip #5: When getting to Europe, the easiest place to get a new phone contract or even a pre-paid phone is The Phone House (as it is referred to on the continent. It is also called the Carphone Warehouse in the United Kingdom and Ireland).

This retailer offers multiple plans from multiple carriers, so you can compare and choose all at once, saving a lot of grief from going store to store.

For shorter visits, you can get a local pre-paid SIM card fairly cheaply. If you plan on staying for a long time (like say, a year), you could sign up for a subscription - provided you have all the required paperwork for the country. (For example, in France you need a bank account with an ATM card as well as proof of a permanent address, among other things.)

I ended up selecting Orange (versus SFR or Virgin Mobile) because I was most familiar with that brand, and it offered a few extra amenities like unlimited TV on my iPhone. (Seriously.)

Thus, I was set up with an Orange France 3G SIM card on my iPhone (which still only used Edge network, unfortunately) with a voice and data plan for that country, and then I had my AT&T SIM card in my Razr flip phone.

When it came time to leave and go back to the U.S., I had to tie up a few loose ends. Namely, I had to cancel my contract with Orange. With this carrier, as well as many others (even in the U.S.), it is possible by providing evidence that you are leaving the country and not coming back (at least permanently). This was fairly easy as I’m not a French citizen, so obviously to Orange I was leaving at some point. So I just had to mail in a copy of my work visa that showed an actual expiration date.

When I got back to the U.S., I got my data plan back when upgrading to a new iPhone finally.

Naturally, there are a other ways of going about this for short and long-term time frames. One is that if you’re only going abroad for a short time and want to use your iPhone, remember the following items before departure:

Sign up for a short-term add-on plan with your mobile provider that will enable your iPhone to work abroad

AT&T has short-term plans specific to Canada and Mexico as well as the World Traveler Plan for a few extra bucks per month. (I had to implement the latter one to be able to use my Razr phone at all.)

Verizon also has its own Global Travel Program

Don’t forget to turn off the Data Roaming and Cellular Data settings. You’ll rack up charges beyond belief if you miss this.

Certainly my experience and approach might seem like a roundabout way of doing things, but maybe you’d be surprised how difficult American mobile providers have made using their locked smartphones when traveling internationally.