OK, so I thought I saw and heard everything in the land of accessories for the iPhone.  I mean, cases, docks, remotes, speakers, screen protection, and even battery packs, but this?  No way.  Never would have thought of this.  It’s the Ampliphone!

Rightfully named, it uses no batteries, no plugs, no speakers, nothing but a good old fashioned horn to amplify your iPhones built in speaker.  Of course the horn is plastic, and if your looking for any bottom end sound, just stop reading here, but if your looking for a good way to really amplify your built in speaker (and i mean fill a room with sound), this works.

The other nice feature is that you can charge your phone while it’s in the Ampliphone, there is a cutout below the dock that lets you sneak your plug through.

I could absolutely see taking this thing with me to outdoor events where some nice background music (not high quality sound), is all that I’m looking for.

At $34.95 its a toss up for value, but its light weight, durable, and definately the only choice for non powered amplification.

Check it out here.

We just got our hands on Dexims New Dual Dock Charger.  The fact that we have 2 iPhones in the house makes this item something thats actually going to get used quite a bit.  Over the last week, this has been the case and it has worked flawlessly.

Simple to use, the Dual Dock comes with 8 different fittings ranging from various iPods to the iPhone (the only one that doesn’t work is the iPod shuffle).  I also like the LED light that goes on when you put something into the charger.  The blue glow makes it easy to see your phone / ipod at night in case you need to take it off the charger  (although its really bright and could almost act as a night light).  The only thing this dock is missing is the attachment to your computer in case you wanted to sync.

At $44.95, this isn’t the cheapest charger available, but the ability to charge up 2 of my devices at the same time is definately nice.

You can pick one up at richardsolo.com.

GoGo makes an iPhone case that is lightweight and durable. It weighs less than 1 ounce and measure less than 1mm thickness, and its probably one of the thinnest iPhone cases on the Market.

Their cases are made from polycarbonate and some of the cases employ a matte finish thats easier to handle than the glossy finish.  All the cases offer an easy snap on aplication, and they have cases available for both 2 and 3G.

Sound like something you might want?  Then read on…

We love leather, and this case definately has some of the finest Italian leather available.  The Octo case for the 3G is made out of a rich, embossed Italian leather with a soft interior.

We love the fact that its so thin but yet tough enough to protect the screen and body in case of a fall.  Although the case we recieved for review doesnt have the screen cut out, you can easily get to your phone by pulling a ribbon on the back of the case.

This stylish case has a nice soft microfibre interior and the pull ribbon is finished with a stainless steel logo fitting.

Although we received the black case, It is available in a variety of other colors which can be had with either plain finish or crocodile embossing.

Pros:

Very Stylish and Unique, Slim Profile, Italian Leather

Cons:

There is no screen access (there is another case which does have screen access from OCTO, and it would have been available for you in this review if UPS didn’t loose the package).

Visit OctoStyle.com to check out all of their options.

Here is a great little accessory for your iPod or iPod Touch — and one that I’m getting a tremendous amount of use from. 

The reviveLITE from Scoche  allows you to charge your iPhone or iPod Touch without the hassle carrying the cable and wall charger. It has the added benefit of including a night light that can be used to gently illuminate a corner of a room on the dark nights.

The unit itself looks like a small rectangular plastic box. Since it has no portruding pieces it can get tossed into a gadget bag without a thought.

Hidden in the low profile unit, however, is a wall plug and a flip-down iPod charging adapter. The included foam inserts secure various iPod and iPhone models to the unit and the whole thing meets Energy Star performance standards. 

No, the unit won’t sync your iPod or iPhone but it is a super convenient way to carry a charger with you.

The unit comes in "arctic white" or "java black" and retails for $39.99. Considering a usb wall plug for the iPhone 3G retails for $29.00 the price seems reasonable. It is available directly from Scosche.

Over the past few weeks we’ve had a chance to get to know AudioEngine’s products and have, in the process, become huge fans!

This week we get to look at yet another product in their line- the Audioengine 2 (A2) Premium Powered Desktop Speakers- and, once again, are appropriately impressed.

Dimitri loved the big sound and excellent build on the high-end A5s. At about 1/3 the size of the A5s, the A2s are like the smaller sibling and while they don’t pack the SAME punch, they hold their own rather well.

Let’s take a look…

Over the last year or so Dan reviewed a number of cases from OtterBox.  A month ago, I reviewed their Defender series case and even tough it’s a little bulky, it offers great protection for your iphone!

Recently, OtterBox offered us a chance to take a look at their Impact Series Case ($20) and we were happy to do so.

At first look, the design characteristics of the Impact case seem straight forward enough, but its not until we take a closer look that we discover…

As some of you might already know I am an audiophile.  Over the years I’ve heard my share of both really bad stereo speakers and really high-end studio quality speakers.  I use varying setups throughout the house based upon which type of speaker works best for the job it’s meant to do.  For example, the surround sound system connected to my hidef tv consists of Polk Audio center channel, with a combination of Mirage front and back speakers, and a Nakamichi sub. That combination works best for the type of surround sound amp I’m using and the room in which I watch movies.

Even though those components are all high quality, I have a completely different set up for my music.  Why?  Because music is recorded differently than a movie track.  It requires the ability to hear separate instruments without blending all of the sound together, and in my case, I love to hear each individual instrument clearly and as close to the original recording as possible.  I choose the components in my stereo system not only because it reproduced sound well, but because the combination of components I choose doesn’t require a minimum wattage level to hear all the details in the music at low levels (my music system is in the living room, and I cant blast it too loud there).  It lets me ‘feel’ the sound even at low volumes.

I’m an audiophile.

Last week, Audioengine sent us their Audioengine A5 bookshelf speakers.  What did I think?

I recently had the opportunity to review the iVoice’s Baby-ai bluetooth headset. I had not heard of the company previously but was certainly glad to have had the opportunity to see their products in action! I was quite impressed with the diminutive headset. I was taken by its small size and high quality audio. Incorporating the latest technology, it was one Bluetooth headset that actually lived up to its hype. At the same time, I had the opportunity to review their R1 car kit, as well. I was similarly impressed, which isn’t a surprise since it incorporates much of the same technology.

Let’s take a look–

My biggest complaint about the iPhone 3G is its battery life. Sure, the lack of being able to run 3rd part apps in the background stinks and the crippled Bluetooth unneccesarily limits the device, but the battery life is a CONSTANT struggle since I use my iPhone so much during the day. Thankfully there are a host of options available for juicing up the device on the go. This week I’ve been using one of the newest- the Mili Power Pack from PhoneSuit – and I’m more than a bit impressed.

The company claims…

The MiLi will give you the freedom to use your iPhone without the daily worries of running out of battery life! Enjoy your iPhone for voice, music, video, games and business applications with extended, stable power. You can now experience a full day, two days or more of uninterrupted iPhone power, depending on your usage. We know you only want products that compliment your iPhone’s appearance. So we developed a design that would appeal to all senses. The MiLi is made of the best quality materials and integrates the best in technology.

Let’s see if it lives up to the hype…