Unofficial Mobile Blog

Deal of the Day: BlackBerry Curve 8520

Indigo Cloud — Sat, 22 May 2010 11:05:51 +0000

I don’t normally do this kind of post, but I just saw this on the Carphone Warehouse and thought it was worth a mention for anyone who’s looking for a new phone or BlackBerry.

They’re offering the BlackBerry Curve 8520 for £113.95 when you load it with £10 of airtime- silly price. It’s on pay as you go on Orange or T-Mobile, but should work with an existing contract sim – just make sure you get the BlackBerry Service added to your account.

BlackBerry 8520 Curve

For more details head over to their site: BlackBerry 8520 Curve at Carphone Warehouse

10 of the best iPhone Bike Apps

Dean — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:24:09 +0000

Following on from my post on iPhone Bike Mounts, here is the list that I promised containing the top ten iPhone Bike Apps. Some are free, some are paid but they’re all available in the app store now and are designed to make tracking your movements and recording your progress as easy as possible, in addition, some of the apps will provide some form of navigation or integrate with maps from the Ordinance Survey.

Whether you commute to work on your bike, cycle for fun or to keep fit, there will no doubt be an app here that will come in handy. I’m not going to pretend to be a cycling enthusiast – my bike only comes out of the shed about 4 times a year, but writing this gave me a good excuse to fetch it out and take it for a spin to see how these apps measure up.

Reviewing 10 apps in full would probably have killed me, so I only tested the main, basic features of the app. For a more detailed review of some of the features, you’ll need to read the reviews in iTunes, but you’ll find a summary of the app and my initial thoughts listed below.

1. MotionX GPS

I was keen to try Motion X as it’s had a lot of mentions and recommendations on various iPhone forums. As with most of the apps here, there are two versions, a Lite version and the fully functioning app. The full version has more features than the lite version and is well worth the £1.79.

It’s one of only a few apps that have iPod support built in, allowing you to change/control your music without having to quit the app and lose your data. Controls on screen are clear and simple and can be used even when cycling. It can store over 300 waypoints, 100 routes and has the option of sharing them using Google Earth, Google Maps or Facebook/Twitter. As well as recording your route, it will allow you to monitor your speed, distance and journey time.

MotionX Lite – Free

MotionX GPS – £1.79

2. RunKeeper

There are two versions of this app available, the free version and the pro version – I tried the free version and was pretty impressed. The App isn’t just for cycling, it can be used for a number of sports and has the ability to change activity in the app settings. It tracks your speed, distance travelled and number of calories burned off and tracks your progress on a map. All workouts can then be synced to a website where you can monitor your progress

It has built in support for iPod so you won’t need to close the app to change tracks or switch playlists, but as with every app on this list, if you get a call or a text it can interfere with the data it records. Hopefully when iPhone OS 4.0 comes out next month this kind of app is one that will be able to run in the background.

The extra features in the Pro version don’t add any extra features to the core purpose of the app, but allow you to do more with the camera & iPod, as well as giving you audio updates on your progress through your headphones.

RunKeeper – Free

RunKeeper Pro – £5.99

3. Cyclemeter

At just under £3 this is a great app. In terms of functionality it’s similar to RunKeeper, (to be fair, the functionality of all the apps on this list are very similar) but the main difference is that this app has been designed specifically for cyclists, with other dedicated apps for running & walking. Featurewise this is a real challenger to RunKeeper as it’s half the price, but has pretty much all the same features – possibly a couple more.

I liked the fact that you can start and stop tracking by using the answer button on your earphones instead of having to touch your phone. Voice prompts and alerts are another prominent feature of the app – you can set up alerts that tell you your speed, distance etc at pre-defined intervals, or just tap your headphone remote for an update.

Recorded routes can be uploaded to Google Maps and shared with others and it’s got twitter and facebook support too -but to be honest most of your friends will be too busy playing farmville to notice that you’ve just been on a bike ride.

Cyclemeter - £2.99

4. SportyPal

SportyPal is essentially a speedometer for your bike. It uses GPS data to calculate your speed and distance travelled. It stores your routes and lets you upload them to the SportyPal website, where you can analyse and review your trips.

It’s simple, works well and has a nice clean interface. It’s jumped on the Facebook/Twitter bandwagon, but I’m not really sure what the point of it is.

It’s a good app if you’re just looking for simple tracking and speed data, but there are other apps that do more for slightly less, although none of them are quite as clean and simple to use.

SportPal – £2.99

5. B.iCycle

This is a really nice app that’s been designed specifically for cyclists – and it shows. The screen layout is clear and uncluttered. You have 3 screen options – split screen shows your speed and position on a map, big map for full screen tracking on a map and a data screen that shows all the stats you could possibly want to see.

There is an export option – at the end of your trip the app will ask you if you want the route emailing to you as a KML or GPX file. You can then use this file in Google Maps/Earth to see where you’ve been. Maps in the app are downloaded as they’re needed, but once downloaded, it saves it on to the device, allowing you to continue to use the app even if you’re out of signal.

It’s not as fully featured as some of the others in this list, but it’s still worth looking at, although there’s no lite or trial version, so you’ll need to pay to try it.

B.iCycle – £5.99

6. OutDoors

Outdoors is a great app, but not one for the casual cyclist. Mountain bikers, trekkers and walkers who enjoy venturing cross country will absolutely love it, but for your average city commuter it’s probably got way more than you’re ever likely to need.

It has maps from Ordnance Survey maps included with the application that allow you to browse and plan routes across your chosen region. As you’d expect with OS maps, the level of detail is excellent and in 1:250000 scale. Maps are stored on your phone, so even if you lose signal you can continue to wander about. You can build and plan your own routes on the device or import them from the web and save them on your phone.

The App isn’t designed exclusively for cycling as it gives you the choice of either walking or cycling. The only downsides to this one are that it’s not cheap – The main app is free but for more detailed regional maps, you’ll need to download them as an in-app purchase – these are currently going for around £10 each – so for the whole of the UK, it could get expensive. Having said that it’s still an awesome app. Tracking isn’t as detailed as some of the others in the list, but this is more about route planning and navigating than it is tracking your route and recording your progress.

OutDoors is free, but regional maps are £9.99 via in-app purchase

7. Every Trail

EveryTrail is similar in a few ways to Trails but has a lot more functionality. It allows you to track your routes, attach geo-tagged photo’s to your route and then share your routes with friends and family either through Facebook & Twitter, or through the EveryTrail website (Pro Version only). You can save your trips and can also search through trips made by other app users.

To be honest, for commuters and those who cycle to keep fit you might struggle to find a use for this. It can be used for walking as well as cycling, and I’m more likely to use this again then next time I go camping or on a trekking weekend than I am the next time I go out on my bike. It’s a great app for recording and sharing where you’ve been and is a must have app if you enjoy leisurely walks or bike rides out in the country.

I tried the free version which is ad supported and didn’t really bother me too much. The free version doesn’t give you the option to sync your routes with the EveryTrail servers or let you save maps for use offline, so if you’re out cycling in the middle of nowhere and lose signal, you could have problems. Start off with the free version to make sure it’s what you need, and if it is upgraded to the Pro version – the £2.39 is well worth it.

EveryTrail – Free

EveryTrail Pro – £2.39

8. The Bike Computer

The Bike Computer is a relatively simple, no frills app that tracks your route and displays information on your progress. It’s from the same developer as EveryTrail, but is clearly their budget offering.

It does an ok job, information is clear and easy to read while you’re cycling, but I found it a little on the buggy side. Updates are promised soon, so if you only cycle for a hobby and don’t need anything too serious it’s an ok app to go for.

Cost: Free

9. Trails

This is more of a tracking app than a monitoring app. It’s all about recording where you’ve been, recording gps data for photos. It has got some monitoring ability, but speed is recorded as minutes per mile, suggesting that it’s aimed more at walkers than cyclists.

I tried the free version, which was fine, but it only lets you store 5 routes at a maximum of 5 minutes in lenght, so if you’re often going out and about and want to record where you’ve been, you’ll need to pay for the full version which gives you unlimited routes. Routes can be imported and exported in the GPX and KML formats – standard formats for handling GPS data to geo-tag photo’s and record your journeys in google maps and various other online sites.

Trails Lite – Free

Trails – £2.39

10. Trailguru

This is a really simple, basic tracking app. It tracks distance, speed and elevation. You can view where you’ve been on a map and post your route to the Trailguru website. It’s pretty basic, but does what it sets out to do.

There’s no iPod integration either, so you’ll may lose data when trying to change track. Although it’s a free one, there are other, better alternatives.

Trailguru – Free

One app that’s worth a small mention that I already had on my phone was CoPilot Live. While strictly speaking it’s not a biking app, it does have a cycle mode and is better at getting you from point A to point B than some of the others listed above. What it lacks though is any form of tracking – but if like me you end up in a random field in a part of town you’ve never seen before you’ll be glad you had it!

So there we go, that’s my top ten iPhone Bike apps. If you use any of the apps listed here, let me know what you think of them, or if you think I’ve missed any out add it to the list by leaving a comment below.

A Dock for your Desire…

Dean — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:21:17 +0000

The Desire is a great smartphone, but it needs great content on it in order for you to really enjoy it and get the most out of it. You can transfer all your photo’s, music and video’s to it using the cable that it came with the phone, but let’s face it, a USB cable doesn’t do much to show off your fancy new phone.

If you want everyone in the office to see your new toy as they walk past, or just be able to disconnect your phone quickly and easily without fiddling around with cables, you’re going to need a Desire Dock or Desire Desktop chargers.

There are a few available, so I thought I’d take a look at some of our most popular ones to see how they compare.

1. HTC Desire Desktop Charging Cradle

This is a quick and easy way to charge your phone while keeping it up to date with your latest music downloads, TV Shows and Photo’s. It connects to a spare USB port on your PC or laptop and can be used with a USB Mains adapter to turn it into a stand alone charging dock. It has a blue LED indicator that lights up when your phone is charging.

HTC Desire Desktop Charging Cradle

2. HTC Desire Dual Desktop Charging Cradle

This is essentially the same as the dock shown above, but with the addition of a built in battery charger. This makes it the perfect choice for anyone who has a spare battery for their Desire as it means you can charge both batteries at the same time, instead of having to charge one, remove it from the phone, replace it with the dead one and then start the charge cycle all over again.

HTC Desire Dual Desktop Charging Cradle

3. Deluxe HTC Desire Desktop Charging Cradle

The Deluxe Charging Cradle is the most popular style of cradle . It looks excellent and has a hi-gloss finish. Behind the phone is a lift up cover that houses an additional battery charger so that you can charge a spare battery at the same time.

Deluxe HTC Desire Desktop Charging Cradle

4. Smart Stand – HTC Desire

While the Smart Stand won’t charge or sync your Desire, it’s still a great way to watch videos or flick through your photo’s while you’re at your desk and is the only custom stand for the HTC Desire that will hold your phone in landscape mode. If you want to sync content to your phone, you’ll need to use a Micro USB cable. The Smart Stand has a sprung clip at the top that holds your phone securely in place and a weighted base that stops it from falling over.

Smart Stand - HTC Desire

5. Desk Genie Non-Slip Charging Desk Stand

The Desk Genie is a great all round Desk Stand, but has received a mixed response in the office when it comes to the Desire. The coating on the Desire doesn’t stick all that well to the Desk Genie, so unless you’ve got a case or cover fitted to your Desire, you might struggle to keep it in place. On the bright side though, the Desk Genie includes a charging cable for your phone and also doubles up as a memory card reader.

Desk Genie Non-Slip Charging Desk Stand

There are a number of other HTC Desire Desktop chargers available, but these are the the most popular ones at the moment. Head over to the main site to check out the full range of HTC Desire Docks.

More Desire Docks are due in the coming weeks and I’ll update this post as and when they become available.

iPhone Sat Nav for just £5

Indigo Cloud — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:07:11 +0000

Yes, you read that right! You can now get a fully featured Sat Nav application for your iPhone for just £5. NDrive have just dropped the price of their iPhone App to £4.99, and despite the budget price tag, it’s actually pretty good and is good alternative to TomTom, CoPilot and Navigon.

NDrive Sat Nav for iPhone

In terms of features it has pretty much everything that you’d expect to find in the premium apps from TomTom and CoPilot. According to its iTunes listing, the app includes:

Fully functional SIGNPOSTS AND INFOLANES
Embedded store-inside-store in order to allow an easy download of extra features to your App such as new voices, alerts, etc.
Highly effective search engine and rapid calculations allows benefits such as a fast and easy calculation of alternative routes
Most important buildings and landmarks are presented in 3D
Car, Pedestrian or Adventure Mode, where ADVENTURE MODE will guide your way while trekking, bike riding, off-road in cars, on boats and even on light aircrafts
Simple and intuitive user interface
MULTI-TOUCH TECHNOLOGY with gesture recognition for menu, zooming, tilting and panning will enable you to control and display maps easily
POIs (Points of Interest) and favourites with phone/fax number, description, email and website address
UNLIMITED NUMBER of customizable favourites entries and user defined categories
Navigating and searching for city center, street names and numbers, crossings, postal codes, favorite places, recent locations, coordinates and nearby POIs
Advanced itinerary with multiple waypoints for enhanced planning
Keyboard available in either ABC or QWERTY mode
INTEGRATION WITH IPOD, listen to music while driving
Automatic Day/Night mode
Sound and visual alarms for desired and fixed maximum speed levels
Automatic Portrait/Landscape display mode
Free access to the NDRIVE COMMUNITY to share POIs with other user anywhere in the world
Search online from you NDrive using search engines like GoogleTM and find additional POIs in any location

The only feature that stands out as not being present is speed camera alerts, but these are available to download through the application.

NDrive UK & Ireland Sat Nav for iPhone is available in the App store now for £4.99, but given the large file size, you’re better off downloading this through iTunes on your PC and syncing it over.

I’ll be putting this app through it’s paces over the next couple of weeks and hope to have a full hands on review available soon. In the mean time let me know how you get on with it using the comments form below.

Guide to iPhone Bike Mounts

Dean — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:08:36 +0000

The iPhone is great for internet, email and phone calls, and now thanks to a number of apps in the App Store, it’s also great when you’re out and about. Since Apple added GPS to the phone, the number of location based apps has grown quickly – especially those that track your location when you’re out walking or cycling.

Use your iPhone to track your progress when cycling

If you enjoy venturing out on your bike and like to track where you’ve been, how fast you’re going or just find your way home again there are a number of Apps that will help you. One of the most popular amongst cyclists is MotionX GPS, a handy app that lets you track your route, record the distance travelled and monitor your speed. I’ll cover more of these apps in a future post.

MotionX GPS - Available from the App Store

If you’ve got one of these apps, you can leave it running in your pocket while you’re cycling, but this can often be uncomfortable and there’s always the risk that your phone could fall out.

The best way to use these kind of apps is to use an iPhone Bike Mount. These are secure cradles for your iPhone that clamp onto the handlebar of your bike, making it easier and safer to use.

I’ve had a number of enquiries recently as to which is the best iPhone Bike mount, so I’ve put this guide together that runs through some of the best iPhone Bike Mounts available.

Dahon BioLogic Bike Mount

The Dahon BioLogic Mount looks like it’s going to be an extremely popular option for bike enthusiasts. The mount incorporates a waterproof case that allows you to use your iPhone even in light showers. It has cut outs for your headphones and charger that have rubber covers to prevent liquid getting in.

Dahon BioLogic Bike Mount includes a splashproof case

You might think having access to the charger while it’s attached to your bike is a little unusual, but it’s actually a great feature as it means you can use external batteries or chargers such as the Freeloader Globetrotter to keep your iPhone charged – even when using GPS applications that really suck the power out of your phone. The BioLogic mount is bolted on to your handlebars and has a quick release button that makes removing the case from your phone quick and easy.

Ram Mounts for iPhone

Ram Mounts are one of the most talked about brands of iPhone Mount. Instead of using a bolt to clamp it to your handle bars, it uses zip-ties. The base of the holder has a rubber coating to prevent it from slipping and spinning round. It’s designed to hold your phone securely in portrait mode and has a sprung clip to keep your iPhone in place.

Ram Mount Simple and effective mount for iPhone

iPhone Bike Mount

The iPhone Bike Mount is a simple, no frills holder for your iPhone. It fastens securely to your handlebars without the need for any special tools. It has a tilting base plate that also rotates, allowing you to use your phone in either portrait or landscape mode, although the cradle is designed primarily for landscape use.

iPhone Bike Holder

Arkon iPhone Bike Mount

We launched a wide range of Arkon mounts earlier this year and they’re all proving to be extremely popular. Their latest iPhone holder is this bike mount. It has a clamp that is bolted together for a secure fix and a fully adjustable cradle. It can be rotated and tilted to ensure good visibility and has 5 arms to hold your iPhone in place – 2 at the bottom, 2 at the sides and a spring clip at the top.

Arkon iPhone Bike Mount

Krusell Bike Mount

The Krusell Bike Mount on it’s own isn’t enough to attach your iPhone to your bike. In order for it to work you’ll need to make sure that your phone is in a case such as the Krusell Classic or Krusell Orbit Flex. Both Cases offer great protection for your iPhone, but personally I’d opt for the Krusell Classic. It covers all of your phone, so will give it some protection against the elements, and the clear plastic window on the front doesn’t get in the way of using your phone.

Krusell Bike Holder works with Classic and Orbit Flex cases

The Krusell Bike Mount bolts on to the handle bars of your bike, then the Multidapt clip on the back of the case slides into the mount and is held in place. You can lock the orientation of the phone, but it’s a bit fiddly and involves pushing the clip further into the holder. Customer reviews are all good, but the general feeling is that it can be a bit fiddly to remove your phone from the holder.

Stabilo Bike Mount with Cradles

This is probably the most flexible bike mount that we offer, and by flexible I don’t mean bendy! It’s adjustable in a number of ways and has an extendible arm – although I’m not sure you’d ever need it. You can adjust the angle of the mount at the base and behind the cradle. It secures to your bike using a clamp and allen keys, so if it comes loose while you’re out and about you won’t be able to tighten it.

Stabilo Bike Mount has a choice of iPhone Cradles

It doesn’t come with a phone cradle – you’ll need to buy these separately and you have a few to choose from. Personally I’d opt for the tall iPhone Cradle. This has a long support that will help keep your iPhone secure regardless of whether you’re using it in landscape or portrait mode. If you’re only planning on using it in portrait mode, then the shorter iPhone Cradle will do the job nicely.

GoRide Bike Mount for iPhone

The GoRide Bike Mount fixes to your bike in a similar way to the Ram Mount, but instead of having a rigid holder, it has a detachable case for your iPhone. This means that you can leave the case on your phone all the time, and quickly dock/remove it from the holder. Unlike the Ram Mount, this holder can be used in both portrait and landscape modes.

GoRide iPhone Bike Mount

If you’ve seen any other types of iPhone Bike mount that you think do a great job, let us know using the comments form below.

Hands on with the HD2 Extended Battery & Stand

Dean — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:44:46 +0000

The HTC HD2 is an incredibly popular phone, and even though it’s been on sale for a while now, a lot of the genuine HTC accessories for it are only just making their way onto the shelves. Last month we saw the release of the long awaited HTC HD2 Car Upgrade Pack, and this month we’ve finally managed to get our hands on the HTC HD2 Extended battery.

HTC HD2 Extended Battery

If you’ve pre-ordered one from us, then it’s good news, yours is on it’s way and should be with you in the next day or two. If you haven’t, you’ll need to be quick as these are selling fast. I managed to get my hands on one very briefly in order to write this hands on review, but it wasn’t long before that was being reclaimed by the warehouse team!

Features

There’s not a lot you can say about a battery so I’m not going to. It’s a higher capacity battery – 2300mAh compared to 1230mAh in the standard battery, which should in theory almost double the battery life of your phone. It’s almost three times fatter than the standard one though which is why you get a replacement back cover included with the battery.

Extended battery gives your HD2 more power

The back cover is what makes this bundle so interesting. Instead of just making it a bigger cover, HTC have built in to the back cover a fold away kickstand.

Design

The back cover is styled exactly the same as the standard one. It’s the same finish, with the exception of the kickstand which is has a brushed metal finish. The kickstand folds away flat into the back of the cover and is spring loaded to prevent it from coming out when it’s not needed.

Kickstand folds away when not needed

The kickstand is perfect for watching videos or flicking through your photos in landscape mode. HTC do state that you can use the stand in portrait mode too, but I found it to be a little unstable and at the wrong angle for comfortable viewing – having said that, I can’t really see anyone settling down to watch a movie in portrait mode, so can’t see this being a problem.

Metal Kickstand is perfect for viewing videos

What some people might have a problem with, is the increased size of the phone with the back cover fitted. It adds 7mm to the depth of the handset, taking it from a slim and sexy 11mm thin to a rather bulky 18mm thick. It’s worth pointing out that all of this extra depth is because of the battery and not the kickstand – the kickstand sits lower down the back of the phone, just above the sim card.

Side profile of the HTC HD2 with extended battery fitted

To give you a better idea on the differences between the two, here’s a quick size, weight and power comparison between the two.

	Original Battery	Extended Battery & Cover
Battery Capacity	1230mAh	2300mAh
Battery Thickness	4mm	11mm
Phone Size	120 x 67 x 11mm	120 x 67 x 18mm
Phone Weight	157g	approx 200g

In the Box

No real surprises here, the box contains just the battery and back cover.

Why Buy

If you know you’re going to be away from a power supply for a couple or three days and need to use your phone, or spend a lot of time on trains/planes watching films, then the extra battery power is worth the increase in size. If you want to use this as your everyday battery, you may find it a little on the bulky side, and may prefer to use an external battery pack instead.

Genuine HTC HD2 Extended Battery

We like: Kickstand is great for movies, extra power is welcome on long flights or train journeys
We don’t like: Increased size renders most cases and car holders useless as they won’t accommodate the thick battery

My Rating: 7/10

How to protect the screen of your HTC Desire

Dean — Sun, 02 May 2010 11:58:32 +0000

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The most important part of any phone is the screen, damage it or break it and it renders your phone pretty much useless – especially if it’s a touch screen handset like the HTC Desire.

There are a number of ways to protect your phone – Cases for the Desire will give your phone more bounce if you drop it and will help preserve the finish of the phone, but not all of them look after the screen as well as they could. For that reason a Screen Protector is an essential accessory for the HTC Desire, but not all Screen Protectors are the same. To give you an idea on the differences between them, and to help you decide on the right one, here’s a quick guide to HTC Desire Screen Protectors.

HTC Desire Screen Protector

These high quality screen protectors are made by HTC for the Desire, so as you’d expect they fit the phone perfectly. They are probably the best fit to the screen of your phone and don’t interfere with the operation of the capacitive touch screen. You get two included in the pack, although they last a long time and you may not need the second one for several months.

HTC Desire Screen Protector SP P360 - Twin Pack

InvisibleSHIELD Screen Protector – HTC Desire

InvisibleSHIELD have often featured in my recommended accessories for phones as they offer exceptional protection for such a thin film. With the HTC Desire you’ve got two choices, you can either opt for a screen protector, or a fully body phone protector. As the names suggest, the screen protector just covers the screen, where as the full body protector covers the whole of the phone.

The film is less than 1mm thin and protects your phone against scratches and scrapes. It can be removed easily and leaves no sticky marks on your phone.

InvisibleSHIELD Screen Protector - HTC Desire

Martin Fields Screen Protector for the HTC Desire

Martin Fields are the market leaders in high quality screen protectors. They’re slightly thicker than those from HTC or MFX and do an excellent job of protecting your screen. They don’t interfere with the use of the screen and it doesn’t distort colours. Martin Fields Screen Protectors are available individually or in a twin pack.

Martin Fields Screen Protector - HTC Desire

MFX 12 in 1 Screen Protector Pack

Unlike the other protectors listed here, the MFX 12 in 1 pack isn’t designed specifically for the HTC Desire. Instead, it consists of 12 different sized sheets that you can cut to size and use on numerous devices – everything from Sat Navs to MP3 players to your mobile phone. The reason that I chose to include this in with the Desire ones, is that it has a couple of different protectors in there too – namely a mirrored screen protector and a privacy screen protector.

12 in 1 Universal Screen Protector Pack

The Mirrored screen protector turns the screen of your phone into a mirror when the display is off, and the privacy screen protector restricts the viewing angle of the screen so that only those looking straight at the screen can see it – anyone trying to read the screen of your phone over your shoulder won’t be able to see anything.

If you want to see the what difference a screen protector will make to how clear your screen is to read, then take a look at my guide to choosing the best screen protector.

More screen protectors should be arriving over the course of the next few weeks and I’ll add more to this post as and when they arrive. Once you’ve sorted the screen protector for your Desire you’ll want to sort yourself out with a HTC Desire case. Not sure what you want? Read our blog post on the top 10 Desire Cases.

Review: Ten of the Best HTC Desire Cases

Dean — Sun, 02 May 2010 11:48:21 +0000

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The HTC Desire is an awesome phone. It’s fast, responsive, has a great screen and it looks gorgeous. It’s so good in fact that I’m tempted to switch to the Desire from my iPhone 3G.

The Desire looks great – our test handset was the black/grey version and has a soft touch finish, but I doubt it will stay looking this good for long. The finish looks like it will scratch quite easily, so you’re going to need a case for it. As the Desire is almost identical to the Nexus One, most Nexus One Cases will fit, but a couple of subtle changes to the keypad and bottom of the screen mean that not all of them will fit.

The HTC Desire Cases listed below have all been tried and tested with a working phone and we’ve found them to do a great job of protecting your phone.

1. Noreve Tradition A Leather Case for HTC Desire

A luxury phone deserves a luxury case, and you don’t get much more luxurious than a Noreve Case. What I love about them the most is the way that they hold your Desire securely without having to slide it into a stitched pocket that interferes with the light sensors and blocks the edges of the screen. The Noreve case looks excellent, is made from high quality leather and is surprisingly slim once it’s on your phone.

Noreve Tradition A Leather Case for HTC Desire

2. FlexiShield Skin For The HTC Desire

If you want to keep your Desire safe, without adding any extra bulk to your phone then this is the kind of case you need. Flexishield skins are thin, flexible gel cases that cover the back, side and corners of your phone and protect it against scratches and scrapes. They leave all the vital parts of your Desire (such as the camera, headphone port, charging port) fully accessible and can be removed quickly and easily if needed. They don’t cover the screen though, so you’ll need to invest in a HTC Desire Screen Protector.

FlexiShield Skin For The HTC Desire - Black

3. HTC Desire Carry Pouch

If you prefer to put your phone away somewhere safe when it’s not in use, then a carry pouch will suit you down to the ground. This case is made specifically for the HTC Desire & Nexus one and holds your phone securely when it’s not in use. It has a soft lining that helps to keep your screen free from fingerprints and will protect your phone well in the event that you drop it. The case has a stitched in belt loop on the back that you can use to attach the case securely to your belt or bag.

HTC Desire Carry Pouch

It’s still early days for cases for the HTC Desire and more cases should be arriving daily. As they do I’ll update this page with any cases that I think work really well with the HTC Desire. Head over to the main Mobile Fun site to see the full range of HTC Desire Cases and HTC Desire Covers.

[UPDATE: 22/04/2010]
Since writing this post Mobile Fun have had a number of other cases arrive that all deserve a mention, so here are a few more recommended cases for the HTC Desire.

HTC Desire Flip Case

4. Flip Case – HTC Desire

Simple and effective, the flip case protects your Desire against knocks and scrapes. A built in belt clip lets you secure it to your bag or belt, and an open top means you can use your headphones while the case is closed.

HTC PO S491 Desire Pouch

5. HTC PO S491 Desire Standard Leather Pouch – White

Depending on which retailer you got your phone from, you may have got a case in the box with your phone. If you didn’t, or you’ve lost it, this is the original HTC Desire leather pouch that’s included as standard. It’s a simple slip pouch that protects your Desire against minor knocks and bumps.

HTC PO S491 Desire Pouch

6. HTC PO S491 Desire Standard Leather Pouch – Black

This case is the same as the one above, only in black leather rather than white. You can use your headphones with your phone in the case as the top is open.

Tuff-Luv Napa Leather Case For HTC Desire

7. Tuff-Luv Napa Leather Case For HTC Desire

Another Flip Case, but this time from Tuff-Luv. Unlike the flip case at the top of the list, your Desire isn’t held in place using a stitched pocket. Instead, two padded runners hold your phone securely, while leaving your screen and keypad fully accessible. The flip is hinged at the top of the phone and has a cut out that allows you to use the headphones while the phone is in the case.

HTC Desire Pull Case - PO S520

8. HTC Desire Pull Case – PO S520

If you like the idea of a pouch for your Desire but don’t want to wrestle with your phone every time you want to take it out of the case, then this is what you need. It’s a slim case that has a built in strap that, when pulled, gently raises your phone out of the case making it much easier to get to your phone when it rings.

Sena Ultra Slim Pouch For HTC Desire

9. Sena Ultra Slim Pouch For HTC Desire

The Sena Ultra Slim Pouch is a form fitting case for your Desire. It doesn’t feature a pull tab like the HTC case, but is made from a soft leather that folds easily, allowing you to push the bottom of the case upwards to remove your phone.

PDair Vertical Leather Pouch Case

10. PDair Vertical Leather Pouch Case For HTC Desire

PDair are one of the most popular brands of case Mobile Fun sell. They’re made from a high quality leather and are lightly padded to give your Desire as much protection as possible. Each PDair vertical pouch has finger cut outs on the sides for easy removal of your phone, and a sprung belt clip on the back.

Top 10 HTC Desire Accessories

10 of the best Apps for the HTC Desire

Dean — Sat, 01 May 2010 11:33:57 +0000

Following on from my post on the Top HTC Desire Cases, I thought I’d take a look at some of the other ‘must have’ items for the HTC Desire – the Apps.

It’s been just over 7 months since I posted my last top ten of Apps for Android and though it was time to take another look at what’s out there.

Android Market is available on the HTC Desire

I’ve been playing with the HTC Desire & Android Marketplace for a few days now and have been trying out some of their most popular apps. I’m still using my iPhone 3G so again you’ll see some comparisons between the two, but having spent some time with the Desire I’m extremely tempted to switch!

Shopsavvy

ShopSavvy was featured heavily in T-Mobile’s first TV ad (the one where they all start dancing in the train station). It allows you to scan in the barcode of a product using your phone’s camera and it will then compare prices locally and online so that you can check to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

You can also see reviews of the product and set the app to alert you when the price of the item falls below a set limit. This is a great app that is currently only available on Android.

ShopSavvy for Android

Movies

I’ve been using Movies on my iPhone for about a year now and it’s definitely one of the best movie apps available, so when I saw it available for Android it’s gone straight into my top ten. Movies allows you to search for nearby cinemas using your GPS location, search by film, see upcoming films & trailers and share ratings with your friends on Facebook. It provides contact details for all cinemas, but lacks the ability to book your tickets through the app – hopefully this is on it’s way.

Movies by Flixster on Android

Opera Mini

Opera Mini is probably the most popular third party web browser that you can get for mobile phones. Instead of rendering pages in the standard way, your request to view the page is handled by Opera’s servers instead of the phone. This process strips out any unneccessary information and compresses the data being sent to your phone. Not particularly exciting to the end user, but what it does mean is that your web pages load almost twice as fast as they would using the default browser – especially when you’re connected to 3G.

Layar

Augmented Reality is still the next big thing to hit Smartphones. Layar is still leading the way, but we’re still way off from it being a llife changing app! Having said that Layar really takes a step in the right direction. If you’ve not come across augmented reality before it’s where the ‘real world’ and internet based information services come together.

Your Desire uses its GPS and compass to determine where you are and which way you’re facing and then uses the camera to show your surroundings on screen. Augmented reality applications such as Layar then display information on top of what you’re look at – hence the name. These ‘layers’ of information can be turned on or off and there are layers available to show you information such as nearest cashpoints, train stations hotels – even which of your friends are nearby.

As you move the camera around this information updates in real time, with Icons on screen indicating where things are. To find out more information about a hotel for example, just press it’s icon and you’ll be presented with information such as address, phone number, website, reviews etc. It’s still in its early stages but it’s growing quickly and you now have a number of ‘layers’ that you can turn on and off as and when you want..

Layar for Android

Seesmic

I’m still not a huge Twitter fan, but this app is highly rated by staff and customers.Twidroid used to be the leader in twitter apps on Android but Seesmic has knocked it off it’s perch.

Seesmic shows more than just your friends tweets. It brings all your timelines into one simple screen, allows you to share videos, photos and location information with your tweets as well as the usual direct messaging and tweeting options.

Seesmic Twitter Client for Android

Meebo IM

Meebo is an Instant messaging application that allows you to communicate with your friends regardless of the messaging program that they’re using. Meebo can connect to AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk/Jabber, MSN, ICQ, Facebook Chat & MySpace IM using just one log in.

Meebo IM for Android

Locale

I loved this on the Hero and still love it on the Desire. It uses your location to adjust settings on your phone. It might seem a little confusing at first, but you can program your phone to perform certain functions when you get to predefined locations. For example – You can set the phone to remind you to charge your battery when you walk through your front door or you can set it to switch to silent mode as soon as you arrive at the cinema.

Recent updates to the app allow it to post messages to twitter when you get to work or sms relatives when you’ve arrived home. The list is endless and you can configure it to do exactly what you want.

Locale for Android

Shazam

This is one of those apps that really makes you wonder how they do it. Shazam has been around for a few years now, but instead of paying premium rates for dialling 2580 on your mobile, you now have a free of charge app that can tag songs for you.

If you’ve not come across Shazam before, it’s a music tagging system. If you hear a song that you like but don’t know what it is, launch the app, press ‘tag now’ and hold the phone towards the speaker. Within seconds you’ll get information on the song, including Name, Artist, Album, Year of release, Amazon MP3 Store link, Artist MySpace Page and YouTube Video Links. It’s amazingly fast and surprisingly accurate.

Shazam for Android

Thick Buttons

One of the most frustrating things that I’ve come across on the Desire is the keyboard – particularly in portriat view. With the iPhone, it knows which letters should come next when you’re typing and (invisibly) greys out the letters that you are unlikely to need. This makes typing a little easier as you don’t need to be 100% accurate when pressing the letters.

Android doesn’t have this as standard, but thankfully this App adds a similar feature which makes typing a lot faster and easier. Instead of ‘greying out’ keys, it makes them laarger or smaller, depending on how likely they are to be the next one pressed.

Check out the video below to see it in action.

Appmanager

Imagine you’ve spent forever and a day installing the best apps possible on your Android phone. What happens when you switch phones, or your handset breaks and you have to get a replacement? Apple have this covered as your Apps are backed up to iTunes everytime you sync, so how do you deal with this if you’re using an Android phone? Simple – use AppManager.

It allows you to back up all your apps to the Micro SD card in your phone. If you need to switch phones, you can simply move the memory card and restore all your apps once you’ve reinstalled Appmanager. Appmanager is a free download from the Android Market on your device.

Appmanager for Android

These are just my top 10, there might be other apps out there that are even better than these and I’ve just not found them yet, so if you’re using an app that you think should be in the top ten leave a link below!

Choosing the Right Cradle for your HTC Desire

Dean — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:33:16 +0000

Whether you’re sat at your desk or spend all day in the car, the easiest and most accessible place to keep your HTC Desire is in a Cradle. As well as holding your phone securely, most cradles can charge your phone and synchronise your contacts, photo’s music and videos.

There are two types of cradle available for the Desire, Desk Cradles and Car Cradles. To give you a better idea on what’s available, here are some of our top selling HTC Desire Cradles. More are expected in the next few weeks and we’ll update this post with any new ones as and when they arrive.

HTC Desire Desk Cradles

Desk Cradles provide an easy and convenient way to charge and sync your phone.

HTC Desire Desktop Charging Cradle

This is a simple and effective desktop sync and charge cradle for the HTC Desire. Simply plug it into a spare USB port on your PC or Laptop and place your phone in it to start charging. The phone will sync with your contacts, photo’s and video’s as soon as it’s docked, or you can manually sync it using the HTC Sync application if you’re using Windows.

HTC Desire Cradle

If you’re using a Mac and you want to sync your music from iTunes, you’ll need to install some extra software. Our blog post on syncing your phone with iTunes talks you through what you need to do.

HTC Desire Dual Desktop Charging Cradle

If you’re a power user and have to carry a spare battery around with you in order to make it through the day, then this is the cradle for you. Not only will it keep your HTC Desire charged while you’re at your desk, it will also charge a second battery. If you’re already using two batteries, I’m sure you agree that it’s really quite a challenge to keep both batteries charged and ready to use.

HTC Desire Dual Charging Cradle

HTC Desire Car Cradles

Car Cradles for the HTC Desire don’t do quite as much as their desktop counterparts, but that doesn’t make them any less necessary. They’re the only way that you can safely and legally use your phone in the car and as the HTC Desire now has free turn-by-turn Sat Nav built in to it, you’re going to want to have your phone easily accessible.

HTC Desire Car Pack

The HTC Desire Car Pack is the most popular in car holder for the HTC Desire. It features a sturdy, adjustable arm with a moulded cradle that’s been created especially for the Desire. It rotates quickly and easily from portrait to landscape mode making it a great choice for all Sat Nav users.

HTC Desire Car Pack

If you’ve used Sat Nav on your Desire already you’ll have noticed that it’s quite a drain on the battery, so for that reason, the HTC Desire Car Pack also includes a HTC CC C200 Car Charger

Brodit Passive Holder With Tilt Swivel – HTC Desire

If you don’t want a holder that sticks to your windscreen or doesn’t obscure your view of the road, then you’d be better off with a Brodit Holder. These are strong ABS plastic holders that are moulded specifically for the HTC Desire. They have a tilting/rotating base that allows you to easily adjust the cradle to a suitable position while your driving, and switch between portrait and landscape mode.

Brodit Holder for HTC Desire

Brodit Holders are designed to be screwed to your dashboard, but as most people are reluctant to do that, Brodit have also introduced ProClips. These are plastic brackets that clip on to your dashboard without damaging it and provide a firm base for you to screw the Brodit Holder on to. Brodit Active Holders are also available – these are exactly the same items, but have a car charger built in to them.

It’s still early days for HTC Desire Accessories and the range is still growing. Hopefully we’ll see a HTC branded desk cradle and car cradle make an appearance in the coming weeks, If we do, I’ll update this post with details.