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Review: iPhone 4 Belkin Grip Vue for iPhone 4

My iPhone 4 arrived on time and I wanted a good case for it.  I had many options online, but I needed something right away.  All the AT&T and Apple stores were out of clear screen covers and cases/bumpers, but Best Buy had some cases available to order online and pickup in store.  I purchased two Belkin Grip Vue cases and slipped them on.

Not only are these cases opaque so that you can appreciate the back of the phone (it's so pretty), but it covers the volume buttons and the power/lock button on top.  What I love about this case is the thickness of it.  This has a thick backing and sides, and since it wraps around to the front of the screen, it protects the edges very well.

We accidentally did a drop test while at Sea World on metal bleachers.  The phone dropped five feet down, bounced hard on its side and fell on the front screen.  After picking it up we discovered no cracks, scratches or problems with the unit.

When the phone had sim trouble (the tray was defective) and I went in to replace the unit at an Apple store, even the Apple Reps were in awe at the case we had.  That's saying something.  The specs are as follows:

• Thin-TPU case protects without bulk
• Flexible and grippable
• Slim, form-fitting design
• Impact- and scratch-resistant
• 1 year Limited Warranty

For 29.99 + tax this case is well worth the money.  You can order one from Best Buy or go directly to Belkin's website fore information.

Prep your iPhone 3GS for Sale

With the new iPhone 4 coming out, many people want to resell their 3GS.  Some have asked me how to do that without giving away the data saved on the phone, so here's a simple how-to so that you can sell your phone for some cash.

FYI: Nextworth is buying 32GB iPhone 3GS for only 260, so you may want to consider using ebay where you can get up to 375 (that's the average price sold on eBay as of today) for your unit.  Keep in mind that eBay will take 9% of the sale, dropping your total to around 340, but at least you'll get 100 or more than you would selling to Nextworth or Gazelle.

• Do a backup and clean sweep: You don't want to sell your unit with all your personal contacts and saved account information on your apps, so make sure you connect your phone to iTunes and back up your data.  Remember that notes don't transfer to your pc automatically, so keep that in mind if you have important info in Notes.  After you back up your data you can reset your phone either through iTunes (restore original settings button) or directly on your phone via Settings->General->Reset->Erase all Content and Settings.  Just remember that doing it through the phone is fine, but if you do it via iTunes that performs a full restore.  You may be wondering how your iPhone 4 will get all that data transferred to it, and the answer is - once you sync your phone to iTunes you can put all that backed up data on it.
• Clean the exterior of your unit: As with any sale you want to send your customer the finest product, and even if your unit is used you will want to clean the screen and the rest of the exterior.  Don't be an idiot and use water or harsh chemicals!  Use a microfiber cloth and shine it up, and use cleaners like iKlear ($30) or something similar to get all the fingerprints off.
• Be honest: Research the prices online and make sure you are within the competitive price range, and above all--be honest about your unit.  It's important to tell all with regard to scratches, dents, problems, battery issues--anything pertaining to the phone no matter how small.  Especially when selling on eBay the description you provide is the one you will be held to, so if the customer disputes the transaction you could be liable if your description wasn't accurate enough.
• Post your sale everywhere: If you have an eBay account you're selling the iPhone through, post that auction on all your social networking sites, Craiglist, blogs--wherever you can advertise this.  Trust me--it helps the sale go through quicker.  I sold a unit within a day.
• Be open to OBO: Always be open to people inquiring and providing you other best offers, then compare the ones that do come in and if you feel comfortable, sell for a tad bit lower if you can unload the phone faster.  While it's good to hold out for a lot more money, if your unit sits for more than three days you may want to consider OBO's, too.
• Donate: I know this is too much to ask of some, but people do need phones, especially our overseas guys.  Donating the units through online donation sites or local offices will be a good thing for you to do, especially if your unit is beyond sell-able.  It's also considered a tax write-off, so this may be a good option if you can only sell your unit for less than 100 dollars.

There are many ways to make up the money you spent on the iPhone 4, and this may be a great way to do it.  For more information on selling directly to buyer sites, visit Gazelle.com or Nextworth.com for pricing.

FedEx: AT&T Pre-orders to Ship June 23rd

6/23/10 Update: As for 9:30 am I received a FedEx update:

Looks like AT&T is coming through, after all.  For those wondering if theirs will show up, it looks like anyone who ordered anytime on June 15th will receive their phones by tomorrow.  Some received it yesterday, some more today, and majority will be delivered by tomorrow afternoon.  An AT&T representative informed me that for those who receive emails stating that their phone is at the store and ready for pick up still need to wait for a phone call from their local store informing them to come down.

6/22/10: With the commotion online regarding customers receiving their iPhone 4 orders early, Poksquid.com decided to check out the information floating around and decipher what is really happening with orders.

I ordered a unit and decided to do my own investigation.  First, I checked out my online order status via AT&T's Premier website.  Through my account I saw a shipped date of 6/19/2010 and a FedEx tracking number.  Clicking on that number brings me to a FedEx page stating that the information is not available at this time.

Now, for many who purchased the phone via Apple and some lucky AT&T online buyers on the 15th, their FedEx info looks like this:

If you take a look, on June 22 it's on a truck for delivery even though the estimated delivery date is still June 24.  Still, with the orders going out early there was a plan behind it.  According to several tech blogs the early shipment may have to do with AT&T and Apple weeding out the large crowds that will end up at their stores for either pick up or activation.  This also will boost customers' trust with the carrier again.  Unfortunately my tracking information was not updated, just like the hundreds of others on the AT&T forums complaining about how some are getting theirs early while others aren't.

I decided to call AT&T and their rep informed me that they cannot provide any tracking information to me because I have to call the place that I made the order to get that information.  I decided to call FedEx and speak to a rep, informing him that I would be quoting him on our blog.  Victor from the FedEx call center stated:

For AT&T orders FedEx has received a large amount of tracking numbers to process from them.  Your information may not be available until tomorrow morning through the evening, but rest assured that your unit will arrive before 4:30pm PST at your door on June 24, 2010.

Taking his information to heart, I asked about Apple's orders and he stated that Apple is releasing their orders early.  I also questioned the early  AT&T deliveries, to which he didn't have any explanation for except that AT&T has to authorize most of those early deliveries scheduled for today and tomorrow.  I guess I'll hope for an earlier delivery than Thursday.

According to what can be found via Google after searching 'iPhone 4 early delivery", we found these to be the most conclusive information out there:

• Apple & AT&T are releasing some shipments early, with Apple being the one to release 95% of their orders to deliver today and tomorrow.
• AT&T is delivering online purchases early, some receiving theirs today but most of them receiving theirs on the 23rd.
• Those who do not receive any email with an update of early shipping from AT&T will most likely receive theirs on the 24th if they ordered their phones on June 15th.
• Because of the large amount of pre-orders, AT&T and Apple will not have a launch date of June 24th, but June 29th.
• FedEx information for you to track your iPhone 4 order will not be available to you until tomorrow (by the evening) if you haven't seen any info available yet when you checked today.

For more information check Poksquid as the next 24-48 hours of the iPhone 4 shipment updates  continue.

via [Engadget]

AT&T Order Status Floods Forums

This morning if you tend to check your iPhone 4 order status regularly, you may see this:

Yes - it seems that AT&T is following through with orders as we speak.  The troubling news is that the forum posts on AT&T's website seem to show inconsistency with the shipment of phones.  Most of the talk points to 16GB units going out first for non-premier accounts, while the Premier account holders that ordered 32GB units are getting theirs soon.  Some people see a shipment date of 6/17 while many are seeing a ship date of 6/19 with an "IN PROGRESS" status.

I called AT&T's Business Care (because I am a Premier Customer) to clarify with a representative regarding the order information.  Jeremy informed me that the packages were shipped on the date posted and order information won't be available from FedEx until 24-48 hours from today.  AT&T's site is updated with the current information on the order, and the "IN PROGRESS" status will change withing 24-48 hours as well.

Good news, right?  As long as you were one of the lucky ones.  Although many people think that the shipments are random acts rather than an orderly process, I feel that they are wrong in this regard.  AT&T has several stores and then a team to deal with online purchases.  The orders are done at stores are processed through the system in batches, as are the direct online purchases.  You cannot assume that AT&T is picking and choosing customers for shipment.  It is how their system is set up that causes the shipments to look so random, especially when a couple hundred people from all across the United States are chatting in the forum.

As of now the order statuses are changing, so if you ordered yours check your order status online today.  You may also receive an email from AT&T but that may come later or before your status changes, so keep an lookout for that.  Order information via FedEx will not be available immediately, and besides--they may hold the packages to deliver on the 24th, so order information may come later this week.

[via AT&T Wireless Forums]

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

for a great father's day gift there are tons of items you can purchase for him in budget.  Here are a few of our favorites:

USB Typewriter: Etsy is selling this neat USB typewriter, perfect for the senior dads out there who hate touching keyboards.  Here's a brief breakdown:

The typewriter has been converted to a USB Keyboard using the USB Typewriter(TM) electronics I invented (See USBTypewriter.com for details). The following functions are USB enabled: all letters, numerals, and punctuation marks, shift, capslock, return carriage, and spacebar. Note that most typewriters do not have the numeral "1", and this one is no exception. No special drivers or software is necessary. For more information about the modification, visit USBTypewriter.com.

The best part: it works for the iPad too!

PRICE: 300.00 + tax & shipping

Survival Kit in a Can: For the dad who is a geek and an outdoorsman, this Survival Kit in a Can from Thinkgeek is perfect.  Not only is it waterproof, but it includes all these items for survival:

one of each of the following items: non-aspirin pain reliever, adhesive bandage, alcohol prep pad, antibiotic ointment, book of matches, compass, chewing gum, sugar, salt, energy nugget, duct tape, fire starter cube, first aid instructions, fish hook & line, note paper, pencil, razor blade, safety pin, reflective signal surface, tea bag, waterproof bag, whistle, and wire clip.

For under ten bucks you could give your dad some survival love.

Price: 9.99 + tax & shipping

Bacon Wallet: From Popdeluxe comes the bacon wallet. This wallet is great for those dads who love to be different and love to carry bacon with them.  Although inedible, it's a cool conversation piece and brings the phrase "bring home the bacon" to a literal sense.

Price: 9.50 + tax & shipping

Movie Gift Certificates ONLINE: Most movie theater companies, like Fandango are sporting gift certificates that you can print at home or email to your dad.  If you live a couple hundred or thousand miles away, send your dad a nice Father's day email with any denomination amount to use at the movie theater toward tickets or food.  Not only will he love you, but he gets to watch what he wants.

Price: No charge for setup or print/email

Whether you can spend a couple hundred or just five bucks there's a gift idea out there for everyone.  Happy Father's Day!

Xbox 360 Slim: Trade your old one in

Since the announcement at E3 this year, the 360 slim went on sale at retailers on Thursday.  No one is out of stock except Gamestop.

Why, you ask?  They have the same price point as every other retailer.  Gamestop, however, has an excellent trade in deal:

Trade in your current 360 with cables, accessories, and all original parts and get 100 or more dollars in credit when you buy or pre-order the Xbox 360 Slim!

I called every single Gamestop in my area (literally) and discovered that each time they put out new merchandise on Thursday and Friday it sold out within 2 hours.  That's pretty good, and considering their trade-in specials for the 360 Slim I'm not surprised.  I suggest checking out your nearest Gamestop today and grabbing this deal.  Here are a few FAQ's to cover.

Q: What if they are sold out?

A: You have the option of: a) putting 50 down to reserve one then bringing your Xbox with all it's original parts and accessories in the day you pick it up, or b) you can do the trade in right then and there and just pay the remaining balance when you pick up your new console.

Q: Why Gamestop?

A: Gamestop is known as the all-in-one store for trading in games, consoles, and other items that they accept for newer ones.  No other business is doing this deal right now, so if you want to save money on the new console, I strongly suggest taking this offer.

Q: I bet I could sell it more on Ebay.

A: While you could try, the current price points for selling a used Xbox 360 with a 120GB hard brand new still in box is between $120-200 dollars.  Used is between $40-80 according to the number of bids on some posts.  Trade in value without using this deal at Gamestop is 60 dollars, so you see the benefit of their trade-in special.

Q: What if I don't want to wait till the next shipment?

A: New consoles without trade credits are available everywhere else for the regular price.  Best Buy is selling bundled packages starting at 459 dollars and up.  I suggest saving yourself 100 or more bucks and grabbing it at Gamestop.  Instead of 299 + tax you'll pay 199 or less (depending on how many games and other accessories you bring in to trade that day).

For more information on the trade-in deal mentioned and the other great trade-in deals you can add on top of that to get the new Slim, click here for the jump.

[via Gamestop]

Bad calls can be solved with technology

I just finished watching the USA vs. Slovenia match on ESPN and was appalled by the lack of brains that these refs have.  Right when USA made that goal for some reason the ref called another yellow flag on something, voided that goal that should put USA as the winner of the match.

What gets to me is that FIFA could use playback to verify the calls, but the president of FIFA refusesto, stating "Everybody is an expert and that is why we are not going into technology on the field of play, because if you have technology on the field of play, then there are no more experts".  REALLY?  So if the audience calls in from home to tell you that the ref messed up, you'd listen?  They really wouldn't.  Their other argument is "Using technology in soccer will only serve to damage the passion and emotion felt for the sport" coming directly from Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president. 

Here is where they are dead wrong about not allowing technology.  With the TRULY messed up calls on this game against the USA, watching a simple playback in slo-mo would've corrected them.  It seems that it is unfair to simply rely on some ref who believes that he's right rather than proving it through a simple video rewind.

With Gizmodo arguing the same thing, along with several other websites today the minute the game was over for USA and Slovenia (they tied), I hope that the media coverage on the ref's errors changes FIFA's position on technology.  It won't ruin the fun of the sport, but it will assist in keeping it fair.

via [Albertam]