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Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
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iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
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StickWars $0.99
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  • Trouble

    • 8 out of 10
    • Ray LaMontagne
    • At first, Ray LaMontagne might strike you as just another breathy-voiced knockoff of folk/rock guitarists like John Mayer and Jack Johnson. But he's actually got a better voice than either, he tell

  • Gimme Fiction

    • 10 out of 10
    • Spoon
    • Gimme Fiction by Spoon is a terrific album by an Austin band that I was lucky enough to catch on an Austin radio station during a Christmas visit.

  • Playing the Angel

    • 8 out of 10
    • Depeche Mode
    • Oddly enough, Playing The Angel is a return to form for Depeche Mode, even though it may well be argued that they never truly deviated from their roots in their more recent offerings. In the

  • King James Version

    • 4 out of 10
    • Harvey Danger
    • The sophomore effort from Harvey Danger, I was really looking forward to this followup to "Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?" Unfortunately, "King James Version" failed to deliver any of the bri

  • How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

    • 6 out of 10
    • U2
    • U2's latest entry is a mostly underwhelming collection of songs that does very little to sound any different from its equally pedestrian predecessor, 2000's "All That You Can't Leave Behind." While

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In-Depth 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 (click here to read it) in almost every way. For what it's worth, my bottom line on the Luxe was: 

I like everything about this case and at $19.99 it's a bargain.

Well I like the RadTech ARC case just as much and possibly even a tiny bit more. In fact, if I didn't know better I'd think the RadTech ARC was the new and improved version of the iFrogz Luxe. Side-by-side you'd be hard pressed to notice any differences at all. The biggest difference is that the RadTech ARC case has a half-circle clasp on the back where the upper and lower pieces connect where the iFrogz Luxe has a full-circle clasp.  

Rad Tech ARC case 1

As it turns out, that half-circle clasp (on the ARC) makes it a little easier to disengage the two case parts (than the full-circle clasp on the Luxe). So it's somewhat easier to remove your iPhone from the ARC than from the Luxe. I think if you're someone who removes your phone from its case frequently (for docking or cleaning or whatever), you'll prefer the ARC to the Luxe for this reason alone. 

The only other difference between the two is that the ARC lacks a screen protector and the Luxe includes one. The Luxe, however, costs $5 more, so that's kind of a wash. Furthermore, for a few bucks more RadTech offers three different kinds of screen protection (called ClearCal) -- anti-glare, transparent, or mirror. So with RadTech you can either spend a few more bucks and select the film you prefer, or save a few bucks if you don't care for screen protection. 

One other tiny difference: The RadTech ARC comes in just four colors -- black, silver, blue, and red. The iFrogz Luxe is available in a total of six colors including three colors the ARC doesn't offer  -- orange, green, and purple. But the Luxe isn't available in black, which has become my favorite color with its subtle and understated elegance.  

Other than that the ARC and the Luxe are more or less twins. Both are thin and lightweight, protecting as much of your iPhone as possible from scratches and scuffs. 

RadTechArc2

And both sport a cool velvety soft-touch finish that feels great in your hand. Finally, both cases are slender enough to allow docking in many (but not all) docking devices.

The Bottom Line

Rather than repeat myself, might I suggest you read the IFrogz Luxe case review (still here) to see how much I liked that case. I like this case as well or better, and I really like the low price (25% less than the Luxe's list price). 

Just The Facts

Pros:

Nice looking, soft-touch finish feels great, easy to get iPhone in or out, thin, lightweight, low price.

Cons:

Possibly less impact protection than some thicker/heavier cases, no screen protection included.

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