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Those quick trips into town can sometimes turn into a journey. Don’t become a statistic from battery drainage. We’ve all had it happen when our phones die at the most inopportune time. If you have an iPhone, you’re in luck. The new Incase Power Slider can give you that boost you need to get your Twitter fix, Facebook posting, dinner reservations and weather report without hitting empty. This new case from Incase doubles the battery life of your iPhone without adding unnecessary bulk. It also includes the ability to charge and sync your iPhone while it is still in the case. However, with this feature, I have mixed reviews. While it does double the battery life, the syncing function can sometimes be hit or miss. In cases if a miss, a quick reboot seemed to always correct the problem of not syncing with iTunes. This is not that big of a deal for me because I am not always needing to sync my library to my iPhone.

A 5 light indicator on the back of the case shows you your charge level so that you have a good idea of how much charge you have left with the Incase battery. The case itself is made of a rubberized material to reduce slipping and should be protective enough against the occasional bang here or there. There are other chargers on the market at the time of this post that provide extended battery life but they do not protect the whole phone as much as the Incase Power Slider.

iHome has a vast foray of plugin/docking options for the iPod line of products. I recently received their newest item that has just become available this week. The Travel Alarm Clock for iPod is a compact powerhouse for taking your tunes on-the-go. Sure, the iPhone has built-in speakers but the sound is small if you really want to Read the full story

You know that you’ve either come close to dropping your iPhone or you’ve actually dropped it. In that split-second, you can see your iLife flash before your eyes. Most cases on the market are created for the everyday to prevent scratches to the exterior with the occasional bang, here or there. The OtterBox Defender case for the iPhone 3G was created to take that protection to the next level and is a great addition to your road warrior toolbox.

The OtterBox Defender case contains several levels of protection: 1) A transparent film to protect the screen that is built-in to the case (no need to apply your own separately) 2) A polycarbonite hard case 3)Followed by a protective silicone outer-shell that wraps up the unit nicely. Installing the iPhone into the case was a relatively painless procedure and for those of you who are more visual, they have an instructional video on their site. The first step was to remove the protective silicone exterior and then pop apart the polycarbonite case by releasing 3 clips. Next, all that I needed to do was to reverse the procedure after inserting the iPhone 3G. OtterBox information states that the case will “provide some added protection against drop, bump and dust”. As a test, I hesitantly (and I do mean hesitantly) dropped my phone from hip height onto the hardwood floor. There was, of course, not a scratch on the case, much less the iPhone but more importantly the iPhone powered on! Whew!!!

All ports are accessible with the case: the sync/charge port, the audio port and the silent/ringer switch. Controls such as the volume control and power buttons are accessible as reversed-dimples that work through the case. Filters are installed over the earpiece as well as the speakers to protect the iPhone and internal casing from dust which is a nice addition and does not hinder the sound quality at all.

Included with the OtterBox is a beltclip that can hold the case securely. The attached swivel-clip does double-duty as a clip and also as a stand for the iPhone to allow you to watch videos in landscape mode hands-free.

The case does add some bulk to your iPhone so if you are looking to be fashionable, you may want to look elsewhere. If you’re looking for the perfect travel companion for your iPhone and expect some inclement weather or lead an active lifestyle then you need look no further in protection for your iPhone. Some people may say “But I already have a case”. I may view cases differently than others in that just as I would dress for an occasion, I would do the same for my phone. If I am going to be doing some major catch-up throughout the day on my iPhone, I may use an extended battery case. In a more formal venue, I’d use my leather case. If I were to go out for a jog or biking, I’d definitely have my iPhone dressed to the nines by going out in the OtterBox Defender case.

Priced at $49.95 MSRP on the Otterbox website.

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1. Because Grandma is always complaining that you don’t send enough pictures. The iPhone takes some decent quality pictures, anytime, anywhere you go. Send them to your friends, your facebook  and flicker accounts, and of course to Grandma.

2. Because Mommybrain is a medical condition. I’m currently arguing with my insurance carrier to get MobileMe covered.  MobileMe keeps your life in sync by syncing your phone with all the important software on your desktop, which is a huge sanity save. So until my plan approves it,  please join me in calling it a medical necessity.

3. GPS. With live traffic updates. Not only does it provide the answer to "are we there yet?", it also can be used as a relationship aid for those of us with direction-asking impaired partners. Of course you are still free to blame your chronic lateness on unforseen sig alerts.

4. Your music. You heard me. YOUR music. Possibly ALL of your favorite music. None of that Dan Zanes kiddo stuff. Whatever centers you, you have it. In the car, in the supermarket, in the indoor playplace where the decible levels are enough to cause monkeys to become suicidal…Whereever, whenever you need it. Cause sometimes Mommy needs to chill out.

5. The Apps. Collect them like jewelry. Monkeyball for your ring finger, Twitterific for your big toe. These little gems let you use your phone to keep track of exactly where your friends are (in case you need to rendez vous at starbucks and toast the latest tantrum) and what they are doing. There are games to amuse you and even more games to amuse the offspring if they wash their hands and are VERY careful with the baby, er, phone.

6. YouTube. Because…well, just because. If you don’t have any idea what to watch on YouTube, may I suggest the following episode of Rhett and Link’s Great American Road Trip. I’m not responsible if you find yourself craving unhealthy food after watching.

7. Because this sexy little phone, dangled in front of a Crackberry addict, might wean and eventually cure/save them. You never know. It’s worth a try. Call it Methaphone. Good deed anyone?

8. Email, Internet, etc. There are a hundred thousand reasons why you need this at your disposal at all times. Because you never know when you will need a recipe for giant bubbles, and to email your mother a picture of your child inside a giant bubble. Or maybe you just need an address so that the GPS can guide you to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles for lunch.

9. It makes you look skinny. Well, sort of. Your hands, anyway. iPhones work better for women. Men’s hands are bigger and this makes the touch screen harder for them to use. Neener. One caveat? You’ll have to lose the acrylics.

10. Because in a world full of gizmos and gadgets and phones made mostly at men, it’s nice to see a phone that makes moms lives easier too. Too bad Apple seems a bit absent on share day with the gal pals though.  They are so busy marketing their phones to dudes that they have not even paused to shake their glorious Apple bootie at us girl types. Only a third of their current user are presently women. That’s a shame! So if they want to call me to discuss, I promise I’ll take that call. On my iPhone.