http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/features/featured_review/ Daily news, opinions, editorials, reviews, tips, forums, comments, and podcasts all relating to the iPod, the iPhone, Apple, and the surrounding industry. en webmaster@ipodobserver.com Copyright 2009 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:47:06 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/pac-man_remix_needs_a_little_more_time_to_simmer/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/pac-man_remix_needs_a_little_more_time_to_simmer/ Pac-Man Remix continues the trend of Namco's Dig Dug Remix, Galaga Remix, and similar titles: Take a well-known arcade game recipe, spice it up with modern-day technologies and game development techniques, and serve it piping hot. Unfortunately, Pac-Man Remix is the victim of the same inferior ingredient as the others: a dodgy control scheme. In addition, the classic arcade game is missing from this one, despite the presence of the original versions in the other Remix games. iPO Reports, Games, iPhone, iPod, iPod touch, Reviews, In-Depth Review Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:35:09 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/brain_training_unotan_a_nice_noggin_workout/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/brain_training_unotan_a_nice_noggin_workout/ SoftBank's Brain Training Unotan, published on the App Store by Softservice Corp., delivers what you expect from a brain "workout" game, with 15 exercises spread across the memory, concentration, and intuition areas. It's a solid effort with just a few shortcomings that can be easily addressed in an update. iPO Reports, Games, iPhone, iPod, iPod touch, Reviews, In-Depth Review Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:45:29 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/calc_zero_is_an_ultra-modern_scientific_calculator_for_iphone/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/calc_zero_is_an_ultra-modern_scientific_calculator_for_iphone/ There are calculators of all kinds for the iPhone.  Some merely compute tips, but only a few are designed for serious work by scientists and engineers. Calc Zero is one of those and not only includes an option for units associated with each number, but is a new breed of calculator designed to fully exploit the capabilities of the iPhone and iPod touch. Reviews, In-Depth Review Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:59:34 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/dig_dug_remix_the_devils_in_the_controls/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/dig_dug_remix_the_devils_in_the_controls/ When I reviewed Galaga Remix, I noted there were some issues with the control scheme, particularly in the arcade version, but they didn't completely ruin the experience. Unfortunately, those issues are magnified in Dig Dug Remix, and they persist in the arcade and Remix versions of the game. As a result, the playability suffers. iPO Reports, Games, iPhone, iPod, iPod touch, Reviews, In-Depth Review Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:15:57 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/galaga_remix_once_more_with_feeling/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/galaga_remix_once_more_with_feeling/ The classic version of Galaga is solid in all respects, except the control scheme, which doesn't offer a solution that feels right. On the remix side, however, that issue is fixed, and the action there is new and exciting enough, between the boss battles and nine power-ups, to offer fresh gameplay once the nostalgia value of the arcade original wears off. Reviews, In-Depth Review Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:00:27 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/chords_for_itunes_beta1/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/chords_for_itunes_beta1/ If you’ve read much of what I've written both here and elsewhere, you’re probably aware that I love music. I love listening to it and, while I’m not particularly talented, I love playing it. Which is why I find iPlayMusic's Chords for iTunes -- a unique new service that synchronizes chords and lyrics with songs in your iTunes library and displays them so you can play along in real time. Reviews, In-Depth Review Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:42:34 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/istat/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/istat/ Describing iStat (an app for iPhone/iPod touch) is like blind men describing an elephant. One might say it's an iPhone app that magically frees up system memory. Another might say it shows you what's happening "under the hood" of your iPhone/iPod touch. A third describe it as a remote monitoring app for Mac, Linux, or Solaris machines. And a fourth might say it's a pair of useful network tools, namely ping and traceroute. Well it's all of those things and more. Reviews, In-Depth Review Sun, 26 Jul 2009 12:22:50 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/hewlett-packard_hp-15c_implementation_on_iphone_is_solid/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/hewlett-packard_hp-15c_implementation_on_iphone_is_solid/ Hewlett-Packard is famous and revered for its line of scientific and financial calculators that launched with the HP-35 in February, 1972. After that, for over 35 years, HP has been producing great calculators.  Now, the famous HP-15C hand held calculator has been reincarnated, exactly, for the Apple iPhone, complete with a PDF of the original paper manual. Reviews, In-Depth Review Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:00:56 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/tiger_woods_pga_tour/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/tiger_woods_pga_tour/ I have been playing games on my iPhone for as long as there have been games for the iPhone and I have to say that Tiger Woods PGA Tour (TWPGAT hereafter) is one of my all-time favorites. And since I hold games priced at ten bucks*, like TWPGAT, to a much higher standard than games that cost a buck or two, that's saying a lot. Furthermore, even after many hours of enjoyable play, I haven't yet finished the entire tour. Reviews, In-Depth Review Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:45:06 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/cellranger_boosts_iphone_signal_bars_but_its_no_panacea/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/cellranger_boosts_iphone_signal_bars_but_its_no_panacea/ The CellRanger is a wireless signal enhancer that can boost the number of bars you see on your iPhone in poor reception areas.  However, simply increasing the number of bars isn't the whole story. Reviews, In-Depth Review Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:40:28 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/article/review_update_nextworth_buying_service_reconsiders_pays_up/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/article/review_update_nextworth_buying_service_reconsiders_pays_up/ On June 29, I wrote about my experience selling my one year old iPhone 3G to the electronics buying service, NextWorth. Their actual appraisal was much less than the original quote, but right after my review was published, I received a new quote, revised substantially upwards. Reviews, In-Depth Review Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:24:20 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/article/buyer_beware_of_iphone_buying_service_nextworth/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/article/buyer_beware_of_iphone_buying_service_nextworth/ Based on a recommendation from another writer, but still with trepidation, I sent my iPhone 3G into a service, NextWorth, that buys used electronics, including iPhones. What followed was a mildly depressing saga and a warning.  Reviews, In-Depth Review Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:05:38 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/twittelator_pro_the_best_so_far_in_iphone_twitterdom/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/twittelator_pro_the_best_so_far_in_iphone_twitterdom/ Twittelator Pro 3.0 is a full-featured Twitter client for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's an amazing iPhone app, and if you haven't started using Twitter yet, this app is so cool, you'll want to start. Version 3 requires iPhone OS 3.0 and has some special features, like tweet links to videos which are supported on the iPhone 3GS.  Reviews, In-Depth Review Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:00:41 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/article/the_nitty-gritty_review_of_iphone_os_3.0/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/article/the_nitty-gritty_review_of_iphone_os_3.0/ iPhone OS 3.0 is a seminal release. The list of enhancements is amazing, and one can get lost in the sheer tonnage of text surrounding it. The proper approach, however, pays dividends, namely, moving from an amazed, casual, frustrated user to an experienced iPhone user. That requires some nitty-gritty experimentation and digging.  Reviews, In-Depth Review Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:30:12 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/radtech_bezel_blaster/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/radtech_bezel_blaster/ Bezel Blaster from RadTech is a bezel and bright metal restoration kit you can use on your iPhone, iPods, Sony PSPs, as well as jewelry, watches, and other bright metals. This review will be very short -- the product does exactly what it is supposed to do, does it quickly and easily, and I've got the photos to prove it. Reviews, In-Depth Review Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:17:51 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/reqall/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/reqall/ reQall is an iPhone/iPod touch application is a self-described "voice-enabled memory aid," but while that depiction is totally accurate, I prefer to think of it as the ultimate reminder generator and, perhaps, the greatest thing since mother's milk. You see, not only does reQall help me remember anything and everything, it does so in an extremely intelligent fashion using a combination of technologies I use every day, such as my iPhone, email, iCal, the Web, instant messages, and RSS. Reviews, In-Depth Review Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:08:47 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/recorder_for_iphone_is_a_low_cost_digital_voice_recorder/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/recorder_for_iphone_is_a_low_cost_digital_voice_recorder/ Recorder 7.1 from Retronyms is an inexpensive but capable digital voice recorder for iPhone and iPod touch (2G only). It can record an interview or personal notes, save them as AIFFs, create a named label, sort, and then e-mail the file. The app is amazing and worth far more than the asking price.  Reviews, In-Depth Review Thu, 28 May 2009 13:00:50 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/scosche_showtime_a_v_cable_for_ipod_iphone/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/scosche_showtime_a_v_cable_for_ipod_iphone/ I've often wished I could plug my iPod or iPhone into a TV and watch video content that way instead of on the device's small screen. Then I discovered ShowTIME by Scosche, which does just that. Yes, it's a one-trick pony, but its trick is a good one -- it lets you watch video from your iPod or iPhone on any TV with composite video/audio inputs. Reviews, In-Depth Review Thu, 28 May 2009 10:10:29 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/tna_wrestling/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/tna_wrestling/ TNA Wrestling is a game for the iPhone and iPod touch based on the world of TNA (Total Nonstop Action) Wrestling. I have to admit I didn't know anything about TNA before this game came along, but I thought a game based on pro wrestling sounded like fun and I was right. Reviews, In-Depth Review Tue, 26 May 2009 16:46:10 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/alesis_protrack_handheld_stereo_recorder_for_ipod/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/alesis_protrack_handheld_stereo_recorder_for_ipod/ The Alesis ProTrack is a handheld stereo recording device that uses your iPod* to store its recordings. Why might you need such a device? Well, its forte is recording live audio in stereo directly to your iPod without a cable and with one hand free. Reviews, In-Depth Review Fri, 22 May 2009 12:38:45 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/richardsolo_iphone_ipod_dual_charging_station/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/richardsolo_iphone_ipod_dual_charging_station/ This is going to be a very short review. The RichardSolo iPhone/iPod Dual Charging Station does exactly what its name implies -- it's a charging dock for two Apple devices with dock connectors (i.e. iPods and iPhones), and looks pretty while doing it! Reviews, In-Depth Review Tue, 05 May 2009 11:04:46 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/papers_for_iphone_like_itunes_for_your_research_pdfs/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/papers_for_iphone_like_itunes_for_your_research_pdfs/ If you never need to read peer-reviewed or other academic articles, then this product will be of little interest to you. If you do, it will rock your world. Papers for iPhone and iPod touch lets you easily take your research library on the road. We haven't seen any other product like it. Reviews, In-Depth Review Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:30:46 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/iclear_for_iphone_3g/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/iclear_for_iphone_3g/ I wanted a case I could wear strapped to my arm when I was active, but one that also let me remove the strap and clip quickly and easily. It also needed to be sleek, smooth, and protective enough to suit me when its strap and clip were removed. It was a tall order but I finally found a case that suited my needs completely: iClear for iPhone 3G from Griffin Technology. Reviews, In-Depth Review Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:07:02 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/kensingtons_hands-free_visor_car_kit/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/kensingtons_hands-free_visor_car_kit/ Since my Mini Cooper S didn't come with one, I've always lusted for a hands-free phone system like the ones that come with many new cars these days. Fortunately, there are now several aftermarket hands-free phone kits and I recently put one from Kensington -- the Hands-Free Visor Car Kit for iPhone (and other Bluetooth phones) -- through its paces.  In-Depth Review Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:40:29 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/speedtest_tests_network_speed_on_iphone/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/speedtest_tests_network_speed_on_iphone/ Sometimes, when one is out and about, on a public network, it's nice to see what kind of throughput your iPhone or iPod touch is getting on Wi-Fi. The Speed Test app is the little brother of the well known Speedtest.net Website that Apple recommends for evaluating your Network speed. It works very well. In-Depth Review Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:05:14 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/lloyd_microphone_adapter_for_ipod_nano_4g/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/lloyd_microphone_adapter_for_ipod_nano_4g/ Lloyd by Incipio is a sleek, slick, and reasonably-priced microphone adapter that enables Voice Memo recording on a 4th Generation iPod nano. Reviews, In-Depth Review Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:33:14 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/g-park_everybody_remember_where_we_parked/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/g-park_everybody_remember_where_we_parked/ It's nice to know that even Starfleet officers can forget where they parked their starship. For the rest of us, who sometimes misplace a mere car, it's nice to know that G-Park, an incredibly simple and powerful iPhone app, can find it for us. In-Depth Review Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:50:51 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/ipod_shuffle_3g/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/ipod_shuffle_3g/ It’s an immutable law of nature… As time passes, iPods get bigger in capacity, smaller in physical size, better in features, and (usually) cheaper. The new 3d generation iPod shuffle (iPod shuffle 3G hereafter) is all of that and more. Or less. In-Depth Review Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:37:14 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/watchmen_justice_is_coming/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/watchmen_justice_is_coming/ WATCHMEN: Justice is Coming is the worst 99¢ game I've ever purchased, and I purchase a hell of a lot of 99¢ games. Even if it were free it wouldn't be worth the time it took to download it. It's a POS so truly heinous that I would call the developers pond scum for foisting it on poor WATCHMEN fans, but that would be an insult to pond scum. In-Depth Review Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:04:31 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/firecores_atv_flash_brings_internet_more_to_apple_tv/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/firecores_atv_flash_brings_internet_more_to_apple_tv/ There are several ways to open up the capabilities of the Apple TV to play DVDs, access the Internet, and enable the USB port for external storage or a keyboard. Fire Core, LLC has developed the aTV Flash, and it does a lot of the geeky, heavy lifting so the user can engage exciting new prospects on the Apple TV. It does so without violating the Apple TV Warranty. Reviews, In-Depth Review Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:00:24 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/ipig_a.k.a._digital_active_loudspeaker_for_ipods/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/ipig_a.k.a._digital_active_loudspeaker_for_ipods/ It would be tempting to write off the Speakal iPig, a docking speaker for iPods that looks like a little pig, as goofy, silly, or a bad joke. It would also be a mistake -- the iPig is a robust little iPod speaker system with surprisingly good audio quality, a full-featured infrared remote control, and several other features you wouldn't expect from such a dorky looking device. In-Depth Review Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:14:54 -0400 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/griffin_tuneflex_aux_with_smartclick/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/griffin_tuneflex_aux_with_smartclick/ When I heard about TuneFlex AUX with SmartClick, a multifunction car audio system from Griffin Technlogy that holds your iPod or iPhone securely on a rigid stalk while playing audio through your car's AUX input jack; recharges your iPod or iPhone; and includes a wireless remote that can be attached to your steering wheel. I thought it would be the answer to my prayers. And it might have been if not for its one fatal flaw... In-Depth Review Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:17:37 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/discfolio/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/discfolio/ Jason Leal's Discfolio not only stores your CDs and DVDs in a handy format at home, but with a couple of folds and zips, it turns into something you can slip under your arm and carry along with you when you leave the house. Not only that, it is made from recycled materials. Reviews, In-Depth Review Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:25:48 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/days_of_thunder/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/days_of_thunder/ I have tried many of the available racing games for the iPhone but only Freeverse's Days of Thunder has maintained my interest for more than a few days...  In-Depth Review Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:02:37 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/pinball_dreams_is_not_so_dreamy/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/pinball_dreams_is_not_so_dreamy/ Pinball Dreams from Cowboy Rodeo for iPhone and iPod touch is based on a port of the Commodore Amiga Pinball Dreams trilogy from the 1990s. It's an impressive piece of programming for the iPhone and iPod touch, but has some major UI problems. In-Depth Review Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:30:26 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/tv_show_king/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/tv_show_king/ TV Show King can best be described as a combination between Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. It's a fun game that features more than 3,000 questions across six categories, with three levels of difficulty available. You can play against the computer or against live opponents online, although I couldn't find any fellow contestants when I searched for games. In-Depth Review Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:45:58 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/brothers_in_arms_hour_of_heroes/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/brothers_in_arms_hour_of_heroes/ Brothers in Arms: Hour of Heroes doesn't offer up anything you haven't encountered before in a World War II first-person shooter, if you've played Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, and similar series on the computer. The graphics and audio are solid, although the control scheme leaves much to be desired. In-Depth Review Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:54:59 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/csi_miami_for_iphone/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/csi_miami_for_iphone/ You won't hear The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," and I don't think the cast came in to do the voices, but the plotline is intriguing. Law & Order established the "case of the week, but with each time a twist" paradigm, and I assume the CSI shows follow a similar pattern. Gameloft's take on this is well-executed, from a story perspective. CSI: Miami's value lies in its crime-solving aspect, and that's where it's hit-and-miss. In-Depth Review Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:50:26 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/oldbooth_premium_iphone_app/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/oldbooth_premium_iphone_app/ OldBooth Premium is one of those apps that make your iPhone ever so much more fun... It lets you take any full-face photo of anyone -- freshly taken or selected from a Photo Album on your iPhone -- and perform wonderfully goofy transformations on it.  In-Depth Review Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:13:43 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/arc_protective_case_for_iphone_3g/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/arc_protective_case_for_iphone_3g/ RadTech's ARC case for the iPhone 3G is very much like the iFrogz Luxe case I reviewed here last November and I like it just as much and possibly even more than the Luxe.   In-Depth Review Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:29:52 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/wordsworth/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/wordsworth/ You know from my five star review of wurdle that I'm a sucker for a good word game and WordsWorth is definitely one of those. Like wurdle, WordsWorth is reasonably-priced ($1.99), addictive, and ever-so-much fun.  In-Depth Review Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:42:59 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/i2i_folding_portable_speakers/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/i2i_folding_portable_speakers/ When I saw the i2i Folding Portable Speakers in the Aerielle booth at Macworld Expo my first thought was, "how cute... kind of like stereo speakers only smaller." They even looked like little stereo speakers from the backside. And I thought the way they folded up for transport was pretty clever, too. But (you know there's always a "but")... In-Depth Review Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:13:49 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/matias_minirizer/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/matias_minirizer/ The Matias MiniRizer is a pocket-sized stand for any and all of your little gadgets such as, for example, your iPhone...  In-Depth Review Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:24:21 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/altec_lansing_orbit_mp3_aka_im237_portable_speaker_system/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/altec_lansing_orbit_mp3_aka_im237_portable_speaker_system/ The Altec Lansing Orbit MP3 portable speaker system is compact, stylish, reasonably priced, and nicely designed. But none of that would matter if it didn't also sound good. But it does, and, in fact, it sounds really good for its size and price.  In-Depth Review Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:57:12 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/wurdle/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/wurdle/ wurdle is a reasonably-priced ($1.99), totally addicting, fast, fun word game in the tradition of Boggle with a touch of Scrabble.  In-Depth Review Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:20:20 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/ivyskin_quattro-t1_iphone_3g_case/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/ivyskin_quattro-t1_iphone_3g_case/ I've reviewed dozens of iPhone cases and  few are so good I don't want to have to take them off so I can test the next one. The Ivyskin Quattro-T1 is only the second one I can recall this year.  In-Depth Review Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:28:15 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/speck_seethru_case_for_ipod_nano_4g/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/speck_seethru_case_for_ipod_nano_4g/  The Speck SeeThru is a unique, thoughtfully designed hard shell case for iPod nano 4G. It's made out of a very hard plastic that resists impact quite well and includes a built-in clear hard plastic screen protector, a nice touch. On each side is a rubberized rail for improved grippiness, also a nice feature.   iPO Reports, iPod, iPod nano, In-Depth Review Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:01:51 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/iphone_game_review_spore_origins/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/iphone_game_review_spore_origins/ Spore Origins is the kind of game the iPhone was built for: simple, engaging gameplay that takes advantage of the handheld's advanced technology. You get what you paid for: a game whose production values stand head-and-shoulders above the versions produced for all other platforms, including other cell phones. The long-term value isn't there, but not all games are designed for that. Reviews, In-Depth Review Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:45:14 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/eos_wireless_speaker_system_review21/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/eos_wireless_speaker_system_review21/ Priced at just $249, the Eos Wireless iPod Speaker System sounds like it could be a poor-man's Sonos. Alas, while it sounds great the way it's described on the Eos Web page, in actuality it just doesn't live up to the hype.  In-Depth Review Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:53:12 -0500 http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/msecure_protects_iphone_passwords_data/ http://www.ipodobserver.com/ipo/review/msecure_protects_iphone_passwords_data/ mSecure from mSeven Software is a full-featured iPhone/iPod touch app that that uses strong encryption to protect passwords, account numbers, prescription IDs, notes and other personal, sensitive information. It works as a stand-alone app with no external connections and costs $2.99. Reviews, In-Depth Review Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:10:20 -0500