Top Best iPhone Accessories for Travelling

So you want to take your iPhone to a different continent? Taking your gadget for a long trip requires you to have the proper accessories with you just in case you are stuck in a foreign country. You never know what could happen in a foreign country. Besides, you want to make sure you have everything you need to enjoy your iPhone wherever you are. While I am not a big fan of carrying too many accessories around with me when I am traveling, here are Top Best iPhone Accessories for Travelling that you want to look at if you are taking a trip to a foreign country.

Over the past ten years taking a gap year has become increasingly popular, with thousands of restless young travelers set off to go travelling around the world, many of them armed only with a backpack, a toothbrush and a copy of Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’; this is all very well and good, but what about your iPhone?! Obviously you won’t want to leave home without your most treasured and trusted possession, so we’ve compiled a list of the best iPhone accessories that you can take with you on your travels, so go on Gulliver, give it a read!

Jivo World Power International Travel Charger

iWorld Price: £12.99
Buy From: Jivo World Power International Travel Charger

First things first, the last thing that you want after you have set off on your travels is to be stuck with a dead battery because the charger that you have been using at home doesn’t happen to be compatible with the plug sockets of the particular country that you are in, so you are going to need a good travel charger. The Jivo World Power International Travel Charger seems like the best bet for all budding backpackers as it is sleek and small enough to fit into the teensiest of bags and comes with four international plug adapters, (US, UK, AU & EU) which will cover most of the countries on the typical trekker’s route map. It can also charge your iPod at the same time, as it has dual USB connections; perfect for when everybody is crowding round the only working plug in the hostel!

JBL Ontour iPod Speaker System

Amazon Price: £29.99
Buy From: JBL Ontour iPod Speaker System – White

One of the most common icebreakers in communal hostel rooms, (after, “Is the queue for the toilet really this long?!”), is, “So, what sort of music are you into?” Obviously you will get a wide variety of responses, ranging form the staples of indie rock and roll through to hip hop, jungle and drum and bass and maybe even a bit of world music, (but let’s hope just a little of that…), so you will need some good speakers for everybody to play iPod DJ on. The small and manageable JBL Ontour iPod Speaker System is fairly cheap at £29.99, and it comes in both a black and a white design, (n.b., go for black, it is more forgiving with mud and dirt stains!) It can sound a little tinny when it is played at its highest volume for too long, however, with the cramped living quarters that you will be sharing, anything above a medium setting will sound like a party!

iFlyz

Price: $29.99
Buy From: iFlyz

If you are dotting from country to country, the quickest and easiest way to get around is by plane. Catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur and the world is your oyster, with Asia on your doorstep and Australia just a quick hop across the pond. However, seeing as you will be taking so many flights around the globe, you are bound to get stuck watching the same old Rom-Com where a quirky but cute Jennifer Aniston character just can’t decide which man to go for…well, not anymore! IFlyz can clip onto your seat tray and will prop your iPhone up at eye-height, enabling you to watch whatever movie is playing in your iPhone's library. OK, so it’s not the most essential piece of travelling equipment, but as iFlyz can also clip onto other objects, you can just sit back anywhere in the world and watch whatever you desire, with or without Ms. Aniston!

Nitrox iConn Plus Extended Battery Case

Amazon Price: $69.98
Buy From:Nitrox iConn Plus Extended Battery Case for iPhone

Some travelers are braver than others and there will be certain jungle treks and mountain climbing adventures where bringing a plug adapter will be about as useful as an underwater hairdryer. But what about all the amazing pictures that you want to take with your new Hipstamatic App?! The Nitrox iConn Plus Extended Battery Case is designed for iPhone 3G and 3Gs and doubles your iPhone’s battery life, thanks to the Li-Polymer battery. With a sleek leather case, this Apple certified product gives you that little extra window of time when you are away from a power outlet, should you want to make a call, take a photo or finish that game of ‘Angry Birds’…

Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot
BestBuy Price: $49.99
Buy From:Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot

Wherever you are in the world, you will always appreciate a good Wi-Fi connection. Whether it is to update Facebook with photos and videos of your exploits, email your friends back home to make them turn green with envy or book the next flight out of whichever country you are in, a decent Wi-Fi connection will be incredibly beneficial. The Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot uses a 3G signal to share Wi-Fi with anyone with your personal access code, (a great way to make new friends in hostels!) and is compatible with iPhones, touches and notebooks. It certainly isn’t cheap, as you have to pay for the monthly line rental which can be anything up to $60, but it does mean that you can cut frustrating rants at dilapidated computers in Thai internet cafes out of your trip.

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10 Must Have iPhone Apps for 2011

Every year brings new Apps breakthroughs for our trusty iPhones, and 2011 is looking set to be no exception. In this list of promising Apps for 2011, I’ve gone for a variety of games, utilities and just outright brilliant Apps that will enhance your relationship with your phone in various ways.

 

1. Instagram – By Burbn Inc, Updated 27th January 2011, FREE

Photo-altering app that has effectively become an image-based social network

Spearheading the recent social networking trend of sharing images rather than words is Instagram. This app allows you to take photos, enhance them with a series of effects, and seamlessly share them on social networking sites.

What makes Instagram stand out from other photo-sharing apps is that it has effectively become a social network unto itself. You can build up a network of friends and contacts whose photos you appreciate within the app itself, making it a pure image-based social network.

Instagram is great for those wanting to (literally) share their visions with the world and track down people with similar outlooks. Instagram is certain to continue growing throughout 2011 as the relative anonymity of photo-sharing is proving to be a popular digital pastime.

2. Star Walk – By Vito Technology, Updated 4th January 2011, £1.79

A deep but accessible astronomy iphone app

Ok, so not everyone is interested in astronomy, but for those who are then this is a beautiful app to get lost in. Whether you just want to do some star-gazing, travel through time, or look at Meteor showers in deep space, Star Walk has it all.

The great thing about this app is that it is accessible to astronomy beginners while also being useful for those specialised in the field. The Telrad feature allows you to measure angular distances between stars (not that I understand astronomy enough to know the purpose of this), and there is a considerable catalogue detailing objects in both deep and shallow space. All of this presented through an intuitive and sleek interface that never distances you too much from the wonders of space.

Star Walk received design awards in both 2009 and 2010. Its regular updates should ensure that it remains the most comprehensive, visually pleasing and enjoyable astronomy app to indulge in throughout 2011.

3. Schedulicity – By Schedulicity Inc

For the uninitiated, Schedulicity is a web-based service that allows individuals and small businesses to manage their appointments and schedules online.

Now, the popular service has found its way to smartphones and tablet devices, allowing appointments to be managed from the palm of your hand. Edit client accounts, receive appointment reminders and organise you calendar whenever you like! Of course, this could spawn a generation of workaholics who, having their business in the palms of their hands, obsess over their schedules every waking moment of the day, but it certainly makes businesses more manageable. Everything you do in the mobile version will, of course, be streamlined with your web-based account.

Already recognised as an important trend in streamlining business operations and customer services, Schedulicity looks likely to catch on as an integral aspect of managing small businesses.

4. Blackstar – By Spacetime Studios,Release Date: Q2 2011, Price TBC

From the makers of Pocket Legends, Blackstar is likely to be the next big thing for iPhone MMOs

While a Massively Multiplayer Online game a.k.a. MMO is certainly not a must-have App for everyone, there certainly is a niche crowd of geeks who’ll be drooling over this one.

Blackstar is the successor to the popular iPhone MMO Pocket Legends. However, while that was based on a world of elves and pixies, Blackstar takes place in a conflict-filled 41st Century.

Few details have been disclosed so far, except that the developers are promising that it will not be ‘content-light’ and that it will support just about every relevant technology out there (EDGE, 3G, Wi-Fi, 4G). It’s safe to assume that this will address the various issues raised with its fantasy predecessor, and reel in the sci-fi-geek masses.

5. Kindle – By Amazon, Updated 14th February 2011, FREE

Will Kindle succeed on the iPhone?

So the Amazon’s digital-book-reading App has been around for a while, but 2011 will be a crucial year in finding out whether it will catch on on Apple’s devices. Its case will not be helped by the recent revelation that Apple have forbidden Amazon from providing web links for purchasing their books.

Politics aside, the Kindle App is probably the best book-reader App out there. It allows you to synchronise all your e-books between devices, meaning that as long as you have a device, you always have access to your books; stick in the mud that I am, I don’t see how carrying an actual book around is such a burden, but then this whole e-book craze seems to be catching on quite nicely so I’m obviously just wrong in my cynicism.

Among the neat features on the Kindle App is the option to look up words on Google and Wikipedia and also tap words into an in-built dictionary. While 2011 seems destined to be a good year for the Kindle device, whether it will catch on with Apple’s devices is not so certain due to the recent changes to Apple’s terms of use. Either way, it will be an interesting year for the Kindle App!

6. Dead Space – By EA Mobile, Released 25th January 2011, £3.99

One of the most intense horror games has arrived on the iPhone

Most gaming enthusiasts will know that Dead Space is probably the most terrifying game to play on the big consoles. Naturally, this fear is hard to translate to the small iPhone screen, but that doesn’t stop it from being EA’s best mobile offering to date.

Dead Space looks and plays brilliantly, utilising the minimal interface of its big console counterparts. There is a plethora of brutal weapons, varied scenery, and the gameplay utilises the touch-screen very smoothly.

At £3.99, Dead Space can be considered one of the more pricey iPhone games, but with a 5-hour storyline and some intense action sequences its price tag (which, let’s be honest, isn’t that high anyway) is perfectly justified.

7. CoPilot Live 9 Release date: Q2 2011, Price TBC

The social-network-friendly GPS App

A relatively unexpensive Sat Nav App for the Facebook generation. The latest version of CoPilot is set to feature an overhauled interface and provides multiple routes to your selected destinations.

Aside from these functional upgrades, CoPilot 9 will also feature an integrated Bing search engine made for tracking local businesses and services. And for those hopelessly addicted to the trivial activity of letting the whole world know where you are through Facebook Places, this App will feed your habit by letting you post updates to Places in real-time; after all, everyone wants to know when you’re stuck in rush-hour traffic in London, don’t they?

Other unique features include the option to save the exact location of your car, driving directions to ‘geotagged’ pictures taken by your smartphone, and a walking mode which helps you navigate cities on foot. Yes, CoPilot is making our dependency on our own sense of navigation a thing of the past.

8. Bear Grylls – Bear Essentials – By Chillingo, Updated 6th January 2011, £3.99

Bear Essentials is a functional and substantial app for those interested in their own survival

People often say that their iPhone is a ‘lifesaving’ device, helping you find your way from A to B, work out train times and general assistance with other such urban activities. But with Bear Grylls’ heavily branded ‘Bear Essentials’, your iPhone can save your life more literally.

In the admittedly unlikely case that you find yourself in a Bear Grylls-like scenario of being stranded up a mountain or in a jungle, or shipwrecked on a desert island, this App gives essential advice in surviving these situations.

As well as offering videos and interactive diagrams, there is a whole wealth of extremely useful survival information for you to refer to. At the end of each section you look through, there is also a quiz to test your survival knowledge; granted, you won’t be quizzing yourself while hunting for snakes and making camp-fires using flints and sticks, but it’s good to be prepared. Essential for the more adventurous iPhone owner.

9. Hipstamatic – By Synthetic Corp Updated 10th February 2011, £1.19

Hipstamatic allows you to choose from plenty of vintage looks for your photos

Retro is always ‘in’, so it seems natural that an App would come along that lets you take photos with a distinctly retro make-over. Hipstamatic is an extremely fun App that allows you to take photos using various lens, flash and film types to give your photos that Analog feel.

Such is the popularity of this App that it even has its own ‘Hipstamart’, where you can purchase further flashes, films and lenses for your omnipotent analog camera. There is even a monthly competition where the community votes on the best ‘HipstaPrints’, giving you the chance to win ‘fabulous’ prizes.

The fact that Hipstamatic has managed to create a community around itself and even have its own store for additional content suggests that the ball has only just got rolling on this one, and it will be interesting to see how it develops throughout 2011.

10. The Shadow Sun – By Ossian, Release Date: Q2 2011

The Shadow Sun looks tear-jerkingly beautiful

While the iPhone has slowly established itself as a worthy gaming platform, it still lacks an immersive, epic RPG experience. Initially, it was thought that this was due to the technical limitations of the iphone, but The Shadow Sun looks should put that theory to bed.

The Shadow Sun promises in-depth character development, a varied game world and, as you can see, beautiful graphics of the sort rarely seen on the iPhone. Your choices affect the story, the gameplay is fast-paced, and you can even take on party members. In other words, this isn’t the ‘Lite’ RPG experience iPhone users have come to accept, but the full-on thing.

Ossian have delayed The Shadow Sun until Spring 2011, suggesting that they are striving for perfection with this ambitious project. Could this be the RPG that iPhone gamers have long been waiting for?

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Most Wanted iPhone Accessories for Music Lovers

Most Wanted iPhone Accessories for Music. “Music is power…” Ah, Richard Ashcroft, that fine lyricist, poet, and all round cool rock star who was sitting on top of the world as the front man of The Verve, before the Rolling Stones’ manager drained every penny from the band’s bank account for nicking a loop from an old Stones song…anyway, I digress. Over hundreds iPhone Accessories out there, we present you the Most Wanted iPhone Accessories for Music here.

What Richard is singing will ring true in the ears of any music fan, who will agree that there is nothing quite like the awesome power of music that can transport you away from humdrum of everyday life. However, if you are always on the go, it can be hard to truly appreciate your music if it is coming out of tinny radios or old car speakers. So, why not use your iPhone to harness the power of music and check out these top 5 accessories that can help you listen to the music that you love wherever you are in the world?!

iPhone and iPod Bubblegum FM Transmitter
Link: iPhone and iPod Bubblegum FM Transmitter
iWorld Price: £12.99

Whether you’re a fan of X Factor or think that is the tool of the devil, you just can’t beat that countdown on Radio 1 to see who is going to be Christmas number one…will it be the latest manufactured pop star or will it be a subversive rock band, like 2009? (Well, this year it was a mixture of the two, but let’s not go into that…) Well, wherever you are in the world you will never be far from the radio if you have your iPhone and this handy FM Transmitter with you, with its ability to tune your phone into any FM frequency. Great if you want to keep up with the charts, or listen to static in order to drown out Matt Cardle’s latest TV appearance…

Wiki Wireless iMusic Pillow
Link: Wiki Wireless iMusic Pillow
iWorld Price: £24.99

If you have trouble drifting off to the sound of the traffic outside or your partner’s snoring, then this is the iPhone accessory for you. Instead of wearing headphones in bed to make sure that your dreams are soundtracked by the music that you love, then replace your old pillow with a Wiki Wireless iMusic Pillow that will gently pump tunes into your ears as you lie down to sleep. As this is the wireless version of the innovative sleeping accessory, then you can transmit your music from any audio source, ensuring that you don’t push your music tastes on other people joining you in the land of slumber!

WESC Headphones
Link: WESC Headphones
Price: £25-£90

Any music fan will tell you that sound quality is the most important element of the way in which you play your music; being able to hear the depth, ambience and correct tone of any style of music is paramount to an optimum listening experience. Plus, it’s also important to look cool. That’s why I recommend WESC headphones; not only do they get the balance of the audio output just right, you also look uber-cool wearing the enormous wrap-around headphones as you strut down the street, even if what you are actually rocking is Daphne and Celeste’s Greatest Hit(s). They can be a little on the pricey side, but hey, accessorize any old outfit with this and you will be the cat’s pyjamas!

Goodmans Clock Radio Alarm iPod Speaker and Dock
Link:Goodmans Clock Radio Alarm iPod Speaker and Dock
iWorld Price: £27.99

Sure, sure, the radio alarm clock is nothing new, especially in this wonderful world of ever-changing technology…however, this is a neat little accessory that will charge your iPhone while you sleep and can wake you up to the sound of your favourite tunes. No more will there be that frantic battle between plugging your alarm clock and your iPhone charger in the same socket while you think of some dramatic new excuse as to why you are late for work…just hum along to your iTunes collection as you enjoy your breakfast!

iDuck Floating Wireless Speaker
Link: iDuck Floating Wireless Speaker
iwantoneofthose Price: £24.99

Now, playing with a rubber ducky in the bath may not seem like the ultimate cool thing to be doing when you are past the age of, say, three; however, this little rubber ducky has a difference. The iDuck Floating Wireless Speaker will play the tunes that are loaded on to your iPhone while joining you for a dip in the bath, all the while ensuring that your iPhone is a safe 10 metre transmitting distance away from you. A wonderful little extravagance…quack quack!

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Top 10 Most Unusual Solar Gadgets

The human race has entered into the new millennium with great expectations of what futuristic products will become available to them. While flying cars and teleportation devices may still be well out of our reach, solar gadgets are going from being far fetched to becoming intertwined into our everyday use. It’s true that a lot of the futuristic gadgets certainly appear to be nothing more than a waste of intelligent thought and time. However, behind each comical contraption is what appears to be the common motivation to preserve the environment so that perhaps our children’s children can enjoy that flying car.

1.Solio Universal Hybrid Solar Charger

Now almost any mundane gadget can harness the power of the sun to power itself. Winner of the Mac World best of show 2005 the Solio Universal Hybrid Charger recharges any handheld device that you would normally plug into an outlet. This device is sold for $ 99.95 and comes in four different colors including a Quicksilver design. Besides the normal cables included in the box, they also throw in different tips which can be used to power a wide variety of cell phone brands. The battery holds energy for up to a year and can be recharged by the sun or wall outlet. At 5.6 ounces, carrying the hybrid charger in your purse or fanny pack won’t hold you down. For those of us who prefer not to be sporting a fanny pack to the office or out skateboarding, a handmade case called Tread has been developed to protect the charger under even the most extreme conditions. At $ 24.95 a pop they wouldn’t put you back any more than a cell phone or iPod case.

2.Art Haines’ Solar DIY Car Kit

This solar DIY car kit will enable you to build your own street legal Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (Low Speed Vehicle). No special tools are required. The manual has exploded view drawings and step by step instructions. Telephone and email support is available during business hours. They are now taking orders for these cars to be delivered in the spring. A small deposit will reserve your kit. Starter kits should run for $ 2900.00. More information at Art Haines’ Solar DIY Car Kit

3.Wireless, solar powered, weather proof speakers

The wireless amplified speakers are great for inside, outside and even from one room to another. They’re compatible with all audio devices that require speakers; from MP3 players and CD players to TV’s and PC’s. Sunlight is caught through a solar panel located in the top of the base and used to charge the battery, and generate sharp vibrant sound even when the transmitter is in one room and the speaker in another.

4.Solar Car Fan

The solar panel, which is 5 inches by 4.5 inches, powers the fan, which exchanges hot air inside the car for the presumably cooler air outside. If you park in the shade and want to use the fan, there’s a plug-in adapter for the car. One retail Web site says the fan can reduce your parked car’s interior temperature by 25 degrees, though that’s not much solace considering another Web site cited 160 to 180 degree temps inside a parked car on a sunny day. You can get one of these solar gadgets on ebay for around $ 10. More information at Solar Car Fan

5.Cooking without Carbon

Remember those kids who used to burn ants with a magnifying glass? Well something useful has been created because of the thousands of ants who put their lives on the line. This solar lighter can be bought for a mere $ 7.50 and in six different color shemes, including rainbow. This device is used as a lighter specifically for cigarettes. Face the hinge towards yourself with the cigarette top end though the hole and catch the sunlight with the mirror so that it reflects onto the cigarette, and voilà , you’re smoking. This is probably one of the most useless solar gadgets as smoking is starting get banned in more and more places.

6.Bizarre Summer Style

This bamboo fan cap works just as you would imagine. Sunlight is absorbed through the disk on the top of the hat, which powers the fan that blows onto the forehead of the person wearing this unfortunate fashion faux pas. Ladies don’t distress, there is also a more feminine style for those of you who are more apt to go for a floral design. Both styles are for sale in the UK at just £11.00 each. For the joker or those of you just wanting to keep it cool.

7.Rotating plant holder

For the person who has everything else. This plant holder uses the suns rays to continually rotate the base so that sunlight is evenly distributed onto the plant. This could be deemed useful to dedicated gardeners lacking time to be fully attentive. One could envision something of the sort in Dr. Emmett Brown’s garage in Back to The Future; and running in at only $ 24.95 US dollars, this solar gadget is affordable and somewhat usefull.

8.Solar Power Rodent Repeller

This nifty little solar device has a battery built in that charges itself using the sun’s rays. Powerful sonic waves are produced at 20-40 second intervals, which in turn scare off rodents in the surrounding 4,500 square foot area. This product eliminates the use of harmful toxins which would normally be used to get rid of rodent inhabitants. The repeller operates off a NiCad battery, which has a low discharge rate when not in use. The internal battery is recharged by sunlight collected through the solar disk protruding toward the sun, saving electricity. The repeller is conveniently weather proof, but results and durability vary based on location and wear and tear. These babies are being sold at the low price of $ 59.95 each or at a reduced price when you buy them in twos.

9.Direct sun lighting

The direct sun lighting is not a single futuristic product, but a wave of new technology known as Hybrid Solar Lighting (HSL) that is reducing our need for old-fashioned electricity by harnessing the natural power of the sun. The lighting system boasts that the light redirected into your home is identical to the actual light of the sun. There is an option to filter the additional natural colors of the sunrise and sunset. So why isn’t the HSL found more commonly around the average household? The HSL3010 model, delivering 50,000 lumen of sunlight, is set to be available for commercial buildings early 2007 and won’t begin to be tested for residential housing until 2008. Until this product is produced in mass quantities, which will drive costs down, will this technology be implemented into every day living.

10.Solar Watering Can Fountain

The Copper Solar Watering Can is yet another charming accent piece for your patio or garden. Operating on pure sunshine, thanks to its solar panel, this fountain recycles its water, and pumps it into the watering can, which then showers the basin below. The solar panel is attached to the fountain by a 16-foot cable, so you can hide the panel out of sight. Its multi-position holder comes with a 5.75″ stake. With no wiring necessary, all you need to do is simply install and enjoy. Made of 100% copper, it can also be used indoors with the supplied AC adapter. To create a more organic look, spread some decorative rocks in the base of the fountain to hide the tubing (rocks not included). Solar panel operates in direct sunlight.

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Top 10 High-Res Wallpaper Games

There’s nothing like a slick-looking wallpaper — be it an in-games rendering or artwork — from an upcoming and highly anticipated game. We’ve put together our top 10 wallpaper games, although they may vary on your list. Just click the images for a high-res version (it’s easier if you open in a new widow or tab).

 

1: Forza Motorsport 3

2: Battlefield Bad Company 2

3: Left 4 Dead 2

4: Gran Turismo 5

5: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

6: Assassin’s Creed 2

7: StarCraft 2

8: Mass Effect 2

9: Army of Two: The 40th Day

10: God of war 3

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