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Case

The Phoozy spacesuit for your smartphone

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

What is a Phoozy?

The Phoozy is a NASA space-suit inspired jacket for your phone that protects it from the searing rays of the sun or the frigid battery killing cold of winter.

Have you ever gone to the beach and noticed your phone refusing to start with a temperature warning message (even though it was "protected" from the sun by a sun-umbrella?) The same happens at the other temperature extreme where the phone refuses to start because the components are too cold and the phone tries to protect itself.

The Phoozy is a well-insulated purpose-built capsule (made out of space material used to protect astronauts). The Chromium Thermal Barrier can reflex up to 90% of the sun's heating rays.

This is an important distinction some online testers didn't remember. These geniuses cooked their phones in the oven or left it in their locked cars, then complained the Phoozy didn't work. The Phoozy is not air conditioning, and work's by reflecting the sun's harmless rays but won't help if the ambient temperature is oven-like (a car under the direct sun can reach 170 degrees within an hour).

During the summer, I tested the Phoozy while at the beach, hiking or the amusement park. I used an old iPhone as my unprotected test "victim" and my Pixel 2 XL as my protected device. My Phoozy protected device never shut down because of heat, while the control iPhone regularly displayed that dreaded temperature warning message and refused to start until I cooled it down.

Water protection

The Phoozy case is buoyant and will float but the top isn't waterproof sealed (it's velcro). The Phoozy shouldn't be your go-to water protection solution. The fact it will float is a nice to have feature just in case.

Compare the Phoozy Apollo and XP3

I bought and tested the newer XP3. The Apollo & XP3 offer the same sun and cold protection, but the XP3 has slightly more padding (which is better for drop protection), it has attachment points (so you can hook it to the outside of a backpack) and an internal stash pocket (to store cards or cash).

The XP3 easily accommodated 5 credit cards and an iPhone XR, Pixel 2/3XL, or Samsung Galaxy S10.

Conclusion

I love my Phoozy and it has found a permanent place in my everyday carry backpack (which is high praise coming from me). Many colleagues and friends have also bought Phoozys and every one of them is extremely satisfied.

The Phoozy performs as advertised and is well made.

The Apollo XL retails for $29 which is a very fair price for the protection being offered. I believe most customers should opt for the newer XP3, but this retails for $49. I still recommend it, but think they should cut $10 from the price.

The smartphone case for the selfie generation

technologyEdward Kiledjian

The current generation of smartphone totting youngsters seems to be obsessed with taking selfies but don't you hate the fact you have to hold the smartphone out at arms length? Doesn't that limit your creativity?

Now iLuv has the solution for iPhone, iPad and Samsung Galaxy users via a special smartphone case called the Selfie. You slip on the case, pair the bluetooth trigger and you're ready to use this case with any app you already have.

All of this fun can be yours for only $50... You can preorder your very own Selfie now (link)

WIFI 3G enhancing Absolute Linkase Pro for iPhone 5s Review

technologyEdward Kiledjian

We are a society that prides itself on always being connected and there is nothing more frustrating that having weak WIFI or 3G that causes intermittent connectivity flickering. I experience this most often when using hotel WIFI. Sometimes my room is just at the edge of the reception range and I have to walk around trying to find the best spot to get a signal.

Absolute (link) developed its Linkase (for iPhone 5 and 5s) specifically to help you get a signal when you might otherwise not. It does this using an Electromagnetic Wave Guide to direct more of that signal goodness directly into your devices internal antenna. 

Anytime I do a review, the question I want to answer is: "Is the device worth the $39 asking price?" Read on to find out...

Let's get physical

The case itself is made from a hard solid feeling plastic. It has a slightly graining feeling which makes the (normally) slippery iPhone much easier to grip. It measures 126.4mm x 61.2mm x 10.8 mm, which means it is extremely thin and doesn't add bulk to your phone. It is smaller and more compact that the original Apple brand leather iPhone 5s case.

It has 2 EMV antennas:

  • Top one for WIFI boosting
  • Bottom one for 3G boosting (LTE versions available by region)

As you can see, there is a cutout for the camera and there is a cutout for the side control buttons and the bottom (speaker, microphone and lightning connector).

The EMW sensor is a special material that traps the WIFI or 3G signal and forces it towards you devices internal antenna (without requiting any plugs, cables or device modification). When the antennas are not in use (you can use 1 or both at any given time), they cleanly slide into the case and disappear. 

I used the case with a ZAGG InvisibleShield screen protector and it worked perfectly together.

All of the original iphone controls work very well and are easily accessible. The only difficulty is getting the hard shell on and off.

Unlike the "real" protective cases, this devices primary job is boosting your WIFI /3G signal and therefore it doesn't offer much protection if your phone is dropped. It will prevent scratches but don't expect real dependable drop protection. You give up drop protection in exchange for sleekness.

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Does the Linkase Pro work?

I tested the WIFI portion at home, at work and in a coffee shop. Each time I tested network performance using the IOS Speedtest.net app and performed at least 4 pairs of tests (1 pair = with case then without the case).  I ensured that for each pair, the phone didn't move and that the same Speedtest.net endpoint server was being used. I performed 4 pairs of tests to ensure the results where one-off issues.

I discovered that when I was in a good WIFI zone, the case actually seemed to slightly negatively impact WIFI performance. Standing about 10 feet from my Asus 801.11n router, I was downloading around 26.5Mbps without the case and 23.2-24.9 with the case. Surprisingly upload speeds seemed not affected.

But the case is built for low signal boosting so I walked far enough to where the WIFI signal was at 1 bar without the EMW antenna deployed. I then performed the tests again and the case didn't improve download or upload speeds. At this distance, the case had no performance impact on download/upload speeds.

For each test, I also loaded popular websites CNN, Kiledjian.com, Yahoo, Google (clearing cache between each test) and performance wasn't materially different (with or without the case).

My final test was WIFI boosting capabilities in a dead spot. I walked just to the point where my iPhone lost the wifi signal (walking a couple of feet back would bring the signal back). I deployed the WIFI EMV and then checked the network settings app to see if the iPhone could see the WIFI network beacon (with and without the case) and it couldn't. 

What about the 3G boosting capabilities?

I performed similar tests on the 3G boosting capabilities which was easy because I work in a building and area with bad cell reception. The 3G boosting capabilities were just as bad as the WIFI ones. 

For the purpose of comparison, I also tested signal boosting ability of my Wilson Electronics 3G/LTE Active powered booster and this one made a difference to reception quality and strength. Of course I expected the Wilson to perform better since it is powered and has active electronics.

Verdict

This was one of those products that I really really wanted to work. I loved its promise of signal boosting and could imagine dozens of different uses for me (especially when travelling). Unfortunately (in my tests), it didn't provide any benefit WIFI or 3G.

For the purpose of completeness of testing, I installed the case on a non-technical friends iphone 5s and asked him to give me his feedback. A couple of days later he said he didn't notice any change (positive or negative). His exact comment was "With the case, I have the exact same reception as without the case. Dead spots are dead and when I'm in the basement, I get the same abysmal wifi I have always had".

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Blackberry sues Ryan Seacrest's company

technologyEdward Kiledjian
Image by bigpresh under creative commons license

Image by bigpresh under creative commons license

You may not know this but Ryan Seacrest is the founder of an iPhone accessory company called Typo. Typo designed and sells an add-on iPhone physical keyboard which Blackberry claims is a copy of its own proprietary design.

Here is a picture of the Typo keyboard installed on an iPhone 5s

Here is a picture of the Typo keyboard installed on an iPhone 5s

A report by CIO magazine says Blackberry has submitted a request to the US District Court in Northern California to block Typo from "making, using, offering to sell, or selling within the United States, or importing into the United States, the Typo Keyboard.”

Blackberry has said it will "vigorously" defend its unique keyboards intellectual property and of course Typo has said ”BlackBerry’s claims against [us] lack merit and we intend to defend the case vigorously.”

The first shipment of Typo keyboards is already sold out and new orders are expected to be delivered in March (each kit costs $99). If you own an iPhone 5s, be aware that you lose the fingerprint capabilities when this case is installed. You can order one directly from Typo keyboard if interested (link).

Review of Apple's iPhone 5s leather case

technologyEdward Kiledjian
iPhone5s_Apple_case_2.jpg

Along with the new iPhone 5s, Apple released a lot of leather covered iPhone 5s cases being sold for around $US30. (depending where you are). But with all the case options available to consumers, is it even worth considering?

The case itself is beautifully built. It is leather covered on the outside, microfier covered on the inside and reinforced with a plastic skeleton in between. Unlike most cases, this looks premium and feels premium.

The leather is smooth and clean masterfully molded without any seams. The Apple logo on the back of the case lines up with the logo on the device perfectly. To push your iPhone into it requires a little bit of push but once installed, it feels like a glove. It doesn't move, wobble or bend. It is obvious that this was designed to fit perfectly with this phone.

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Every button and interface lines up perfectly. A friend of mine, lucky enough to get an iPhone 5s on release date but foolish enough to test the drop resistance of the phone with this case on ceramic proved just how incredible this case is. He performed multiple drops from 6 feet on commercial ceramic tile and the case kept the device perfectly intact. No scratches, nicks or bumps. The case took the brunt of the falls so your phone doesn't have to. Clearly this case will keep your device safe during everyday "normal" use.

The Caveats

There are only 2 negative comments I can make and these are the same comments I make fore most smartphone cases: 

  • The lightning dock opening is big enough for any lightning cable but won't allow you to use it with a dock. Since the case is so snug, it is not practical to install and remove it frequently
  • The headphone jack opening is large enough for the standard Apple headphones. It also worked well with many of my headphones from Shure, Etymotic, Sony, Bose, etc but some of the devices with larger plug coverings won't fit

Verdict

If you can accept the 2 caveats listed above, this is a truly fantastic case that looks and feels as premium as your iPhone 5s. I have never understood why people protect a $800 phone in a cheap $5 plastic case, so now Apple gives you a great option.

I say buy it.