What One iPhone Improvement Do You Want for Christmas? [Contest Results]

What one iPhone improvement do you want for the holidays? I asked readers to chime in for a chance to win some donated iPhone accessories, and here is what they said:

Lori Attack —

I love my 3G iphone and I use it all the time. In Ontario we are not allowed to talk on the phone while driving so I have a bluetooth earpiece. Problem is I can’t call out because the 3G doesnt have voice activated calling. I would love an update that would fix this.

xbbradley —

I would love to see a flash added to the camera. Would be great to fire off
a flash when needed to add light to photos at certain times.

itasara —

I would like :

  1. a glass or glass substitute that DOES NOT BREAK or at least a special protective cover that will prevent breakage that Apple provides since they charge so much for repairs.
  2. replaceable battery that I can change myself
  3. open carrier so I can move to a company with better coverage
  4. Definitely want an earpiece like I used to have at Verizon that lets you call the no. you want without touching the phone. The voice feature on the newest OS is nice, but still required looking at the phone while driving which is not good enough.

Ritchie Champagne —

I’d love it if my iPhone wouldn’t completely stop responding when it’s receiving an email. I’ll be typing away and there’s no response for a bit. Suddenly, I get the audible notice for new email. Also, I’d love it if I could assign ringtones to texts so that I know who is texting me without looking.

Anne —

I love my iPhone 3G but there are a few changes I would love to see. Can I mention a few?

The one that would make me the most happy is for my iPhone to be able to sync with the Tasks list in Outlook on my PC. It will sync my calendar and my notes but not my to do list.

I would also love it if the iphone would support Flash media. It can show youtube videos so why not other short videos, like ones people post on facebook?

I would also like it if you could disable the sound that the camera makes when it takes a photo.

Shannon M. —

I want a keyboard that folds out or even that attaches so that I can actually type a document or email that is lengthy without having to get on my computer and lug my laptop around. I seriously can really only type with one finger on their stupid keyboard. how hard would it be? come on, Apple!!

Richard Regan —

I would like to have more than one app open at a time. And beef up the battery to make this possible.

Steven —

they need to make it where we can run more than 1 app at a time

Jim —

front facing camera
outgoing s/mms previews
background youtube playing
multitask. even just a few apps
call log editing
ipod integrated sleep /wake timer function
flash support
better battery life

Dakota —

i think it would be great to give the iphone camera the option to take pictures in black and white etc. and give the camera and video better quality

Congratulations to Lori Attack, Itasara, Anne, Richard Regan, Steven, and xbbradley for winning the drawing for iPhone gear. Thanks again to the following companies for donating the gifts for this contest.

  1. Pro-Fit International
  2. FSP Group
  3. Bicio
  4. Otterbox
  5. Ten One Design
  6. Just Mobile

Feel free to add your iPhone improvement to the discussion by commenting on this post. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

5 iPhone Features I am Thankful For This Thanksgiving

To my readers in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! In the spirit of the holiday — and in keeping with the theme of this blog — here is a light-hearted, feel-good post on some of the positives of iPhone.

I have admittedly been a bit hard on Apple this week (poor baby), but today is Thanksgiving so here’s to looking at the bright side! Hope you enjoy.

I am Thankful For:

  1. The Camera on my iPhone 3GS, which helps me capture photos and videos of my family reunited, and then lets me share them easily via email, Facebook or Flickr.

    iPhone camera

  2. The Thanksgiving Jokes app, a potential source of light-hearted entertainment for the children — and youth-minded adults — at the table tonight.

    Thanksgiving Jokes app

  3. The Todo app by Appigo and the iPhone’s native Calendar app, which helped me get my work done last week at school, so that I can spend more time with my family this week at home.

    Todo iPhone app

  4. The Phone and Messages apps that make it easy for me to keep in touch with my friends and family around the country.

    iPhone phone call

  5. The Facebook iPhone app, which despite its many bugs will make it easy for me to check out my friends’ and family members’ Thanksgiving photos, the minute they add them.

    Facebook for iPhone

What are you thankful for?

7 Reasons NOT to Buy an iPhone This Holiday

iPhone for Christmas

You don’t need me to convince you the iPhone is a good holiday gift. You’ve heard from Apple about the iPhone’s many supernatural capabilities. Some of them are TRUE — I know first-hand, I’m an iPhone owner. But be not fooled, the iPhone is not all fun & games.

Consider these 7 reasons NOT to buy an iPhone this holiday season:

  1. At&TAT&T. Enough said. This is without a doubt the least-liked iPhone feature among iPhone owners. Bad connectivity, bad customer service, bad privacy policies define this communications giant in the minds of many iPhone owners. If you live in the US, AT&T is the #1 reason not to buy an iPhone.
  2. iPhone keyboardNo hardware keyboard. This was the largest point of debate leading up to the iPhone’s release. The Wall Street Journal said the iPhone keyboard is a non-issue, but in my experience it can be an issue in some cases. Whereas you can type on hardware keyboards without looking at the keys, the iPhone’s flat touchscreen offers no tactile response, which requires you to look at the screen more often. The lacking keyboard can be dangerous while walking, or worse, driving.
  3. iPhone App StoreStrict App Store regulations. Apple has ridiculous App Store approval policies that are bad for developers, and bad for you. While developers may waste hours creating apps that are rejected for inane reasons, users will suffer by being denied innovative capabilities on their devices. For example, the Facebook app has been so scrutinized by Apple that it caused the Facebook app developer to quit, thus delaying improvement of the Facebook app, which needs many improvements.
  4. AppleApple = Proprietary. I use Linux on a PC and it annoys me to no end that Apple will not release an iTunes for Linux. It’s not because they can’t or because there’s no demand. It’s because they want you to buy a Mac and stay locked into the Apple circle. Think about it. Why does no other MP3 player work on iTunes? Yes, I understand, Apple can do whatever it wants with its products, but you don’t have to support them with your money.
  5. Privacy concerns. In August I named 6 iPhone privacy issues, among them the fact that you can’t password-protect individual apps, and the fact that AT&T has a history of violating user privacy.
  6. Google Android ArmyGoogle Android. Google is unleashing an army of Android phones that will offer a diversity of features, some more compelling than iPhone’s. What’s more, Google is not proprietary like Apple. In fact, Android is open source, so anyone can create apps and there is no ridiculous approval process like Apple’s.
  7. SleepPeace of mind. Never has my mind been more crowded than in the time I’ve been an iPhone owner. Yes, the iPhone is a great productivity tool, but it can also be an on-demand distraction.

Buyer beware.

What Do You Think?

Is the iPhone all its cut out to be? Would you recommend it as a holiday gift? Let us know what you think.

25 Handmade Animal iPhone Cases on Etsy [Limited Stock]

Bear iPhone Case

My girlfriend was browsing for Christmas gifts online today when she came across these cute handmade, animal iPhone cases on Etsy. She forwarded me a link and said I should share the cases with my readers. Good idea!

Since the Holidays are right around the corner, check out these (literally) one-of-a-kind animal themed iPhone cases. It looks like there is only one of each case in stock, so supplies are very limited. Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend.

Disclosure: I have no affiliation to these sellers on Etsy. I just thought these simple felt & fabric iPhone cases might bring cheer this holidays to the iPhone owners in your life.

25 Handmade Animal iPhone Cases on Etsy

  1. Owl iPhone case
    Owl by SydneyAngel
  2. iPhone case
    Orange Kitty by VintageCoquette (Sold)
  3. iPhone case
    Baby Lamb by Coolbeans717
  4. iPhone case
    Penguin by SydneyAngel (Sold)
  5. iPhone case
    Panda by SydneyAngel (Sold)
  6. iPhone case
    Tree Monkey by FamilyCraft45
  7. iPhone case
    Owl by rutik
  8. iPhone case
    Monkey by crafttreasures
  9. iPhone case
    Bird by FamilyCraft45
  10. iPhone case
    Panda by crafttreasures
  11. iPhone case
    Teddy by SydneyAngel
  12. iPhone case
    Lion by crafttreasures
  13. iPhone case
    Neko by FamilyCraft45
  14. iPhone case
    Cute Pig by SydneyAngel
  15. iPhone case
    Ducky by motherof4scrapper (Sold)
  16. iPhone case
    Cute Chick by SydneyAngel
  17. iPhone case
    Bear by knittingdreams
  18. iPhone case
    Cutie Giraffe by FamilyCraft45
  19. iPhone case
    Bird by SquirrelsNest
  20. iPhone case
    Sweet Pup by VintageCoquette (Sold)
  21. iPhone caseBunny by FamilyCraft45
  22. iPhone case
    Silly Doggy by nokomomo
  23. iPhone case
    Jellyfish by buttoneyesboutique
  24. iPhone case
    Deer by SquirrelsNest

Search Etsy.com for more handmade iPhone cases.