TUAW has introduced several Quirky projects to you in the past. Quirky is a community of folks who come up with really cool ideas, and then the best of the ideas are fine-tuned by the folks who run the site and readied for manufacturing. Once a minimum number of customers commit to buy the product, it is put into production.

While looking at the headline for this post, you might think that we're talking about an oddly-painted BMW, but the Quirky Beamer is actually a case for the iPhone. Not just any case, mind you, but one with a built-in bright LED light that can act as a real flashlight or provide illumination for your nighttime photos.

Compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS, the Beamer uses replaceable lithium coin cell batteries to provide up to 10 hours of illumination without chewing up your phone's batteries. Pressing the button on the case once turns on the light for 10 seconds, enough to find your keys or take a picture of your buds. To turn the light on for an indefinite amount of time, press the button twice. A third press turns it back off.

Quirky won't produce the Beamer until 500 commitments at $32.00 are received on the site. As of 9 PM on Sunday night, 106 people had committed to the product. If you're looking for a way to flash your friends and not get arrested, the Quirky Beamer might just be the answer.

[Thanks for the tip, Chris T.]

Way back in September, we announced that Mobile Mechatronics was going to be selling a combination of a tiny tripod and an iPhone app called Blur. The idea behind this combo is that the tripod can hold your iPhone more steadily than your hand can, and then the software can assist you by either taking a photo after a delay or taking several photos in quick succession.

At the time, I asked Mobile Mechatronics to send some samples for us to test and then give away. The tripods arrived very quickly, but the software was nowhere to be found. In my quest to get review equipment out of my office and into the hands of TUAW readers, I kept searching the App Store for the app. It appears that Mobile Mechatronics fell into the bane of iPhone developers everywhere -- slow approval of apps -- because it finally showed up when I searched this week.

The TUAW gang have been searching for great holiday gift ideas and I think I've found one that's been right under my nose for five years.

When I bought my brand new PowerBook G4 17" in 2004, I splurged and bought a Brenthaven backpack for it. Back then it cost a good deal more than the usual backpack -- around $75 -- but I thought it would be worth it since I lugged around my PowerBook nearly every day and it looked like the Brenthaven provided better padding than the competition.

Since then, the backpack has housed a succession of three 17" PowerBooks and MacBook Pros under very heavy use. The amazing part is that outside of being a bit dusty, it's in just as good shape as the day I bought it. No frayed stitching, no stuck zippers, no torn dividers. There is no sign of wear and/or tear whatsoever. And if there was, or ever will be, all Brenthaven bags come with a lifetime warranty.

Like many of the others at TUAW who really wanted to see this remote, I got my new Apple Remote a few days ago, and here are some of my impressions.

'Tis the season to be buying. But what do you get for that special geek in your life?

I can't speak for your geek, but I know what I'm asking Santa for this year – I just hope he's a TUAW reader. Whether he is or not, maybe going through my list will give you an idea on how to max out your credit card spread some holiday cheer this year.


Dear Santa,

I've been a good boy this year. I've cut back on the booze, and they don't greet me by name at the strip club anymore. So instead of a stocking full of coal, could you find it in your heart to bring me one or more of the following items on the night before Christmas? I know it's a long flight to New Zealand from the North Pole, but you've got to admit, at least the weather down here is waaaay better than in Cleveland this time of year.

First of all, I'd like a shiny new 802.11n Airport Express. I like my Time Capsule (when it's not being a recalcitrant piece of junk), but the 5GHz wireless signal doesn't reach from my living room all the way back to my office. With an Airport Express, I'd be able to extend the wireless signal from my Time Capsule to the other side of the house and geek away in privacy. That way my wife won't have to grit her teeth every five minutes when the theme from Metroid goes off at 80 decibels and tells me I got a new e-mail. And since the Airport Express is 802.11n-enabled, I'd still be able to back up my data to the Time Capsule at a brisk pace.

I'd also like these Shure SE115m+ earphones. I've been using a set of Shure E2cs for about three years now, and I love them, but the one big advantage the SE115m+ has is the controls built into the cord that would allow me to pause, play, and skip through tracks on my iPhone. I'd also be able to take calls, and it even has a built-in microphone. Santa, if I had these earphones I'd be able to put those white earbuds that came with my iPhone into a drawer and never look at them again, and that would make me a very happy boy indeed.

You know how I like to shoot HD video, right Santa? But not those kinds of videos, because that would get me on the naughty list. My MacBook Pro does a good job of encoding video – it works pretty close to real-time – but if I had an Elgato Turbo.264 HD Video Encoder, it would go so much faster. Like 3-4 times faster. That way I could spend less time waiting for videos to encode and more time drinking helping old ladies across the street.

If I'd been a really good boy this year, like if I'd won the Nobel Peace Prize or employee of the month at TUAW, I'd ask for a bona fide guitar amplifier. But since I haven't been that good, I'd settle for a Zoom G2.1U Guitar Effects Pedal with USB interface. This thing will simulate all kinds of guitar effects for me, and it'll plug right into my MacBook Pro. So far playing my guitar through Garageband has been an acceptable substitute for a real, live amplifier, but the one thing I definitely miss is all my effects pedals. Garageband includes lots of neat software effects that simulate pedals, but you can't stomp on them to switch them on and off. I know – I've tried.

Last thing, Santa: if none of those other things will fit in your bag, could you just get me a big, fat iTunes gift card? I've got nearly US$120 worth of songs I want to upgrade to iTunes Plus so I can stop worrying about DRM nonsense on my previous purchases and get higher-quality music in the process.

Thanks Santa. Next year I promise to be more helpful and honest and say fewer naughty words about New Zealand's telecommunications companies.

I stopped by my local Apple Store (Tucson) today for a quick look around and saw many people playing with the new Magic Mouse. I tried a few 'moves' with in and it seemed a bit nicer and more responsive than I expected. My old Apple wired mouse was starting to wear out so I asked one of the Apple guys when they were coming in. He said "20 minutes ago," so I was snared.

My first 'thrill' was opening the damned box. Like most Apple designed products, the plastic container is very pretty, but was a bit of a struggle to open. I needed a sharp knife, and then had to find the hidden tape that keeps the Magic Mouse attached to a little plastic base.

Since this is a Bluetooth mouse, I paired it to my Mac. It worked out of the box, but I knew there was a software update with new drivers, so I checked and downloaded the new software.

After a reboot, all was well. I have to say that the Magic Mouse has the fanciest control panel in system preferences I've ever seen. There is a little video illustrating how it works. I left the settings to the default, and started mousing away.

There were really no surprises. I have a 30 inch monitor, and can't get all the way across it with a single swipe because I have limited desk real estate. None of the settings would make it better.

The top surface is smooth and comfortable. The mouse does sit lower than a standard rodent, but I wasn't bothered by it. Clicking on the right side of the surface gives you the second mouse button with no pain or problem. You can switch the left and right 'buttons' if you are so inclined.

Scrolling was smooth, and you can adjust the momentum of the scroll. I especially like the 2 finger swipe for going backward and forward in web pages and iPhoto.

The only thing I think was missing is that I'd like the surface of the mouse to mimic the iPhone gesture of pinching and spreading for zoom in / zoom out. You have to use the control key to enable zooming, and I'd rather not have to go to the keyboard for that.

Otherwise, everything was good. I'll get used to the different feel. The mouse comes with batteries already installed so you're ready to go -- once you get the damned package open...

Some of my colleagues here at TUAW will be sharing their thoughts shortly. So far, even though this was a bit of an impulse purchase, the Magic Mouse seems fine.

In a previous post about offshore iPhone chargers, a few astute TUAW readers mentioned Monoprice.com as a good source for chargers, connectors, and computer, TV and audio cables. In searching their site, I found a real deal.

The Monoprice Backup battery pack is the simplest of devices. When your iPhone or iPod is running low on juice, just plug this battery pack into the 30 pin connector. You can then either keep running with a fairly large dongle hanging off the bottom of your device, or wait and the battery pack will charge your device in 3.5 hours according to Monoprice (or about 2.5 hours according to my tests).

Yes, there are a lot of battery backups that do this, but how many are sold at US$14.50? You read that right, only US$14.50, and for that you get pack with a capacity of 2200 mAh.

For comparison, the capacity of the iPhone battery is 1150 mAh, so this battery should be able to charge your device twice. Due to my ignorance of the vagaries of electricity, mine winds up charging the iPhone about 1.75 times, which isn't bad at all.

TUAW reader Ethan pointed us in the direction of something new, cool, and available only for iPhone and iPod touch (take that, Palm Pre and Android phones!)

BestBuy has an exclusive on the new Viper SmartStart System, which can do a number of things for your wheels:

• Start your car with virtually unlimited range
• Warm your car in winter; cool your car in summer
• Unlock your car or truck
• Arm the alarm to protect your car
• Activate panic alarm to protect yourself
• Receive push-button status notifications

It uses a free iPhone app [iTunes link] to give you that remote love, like when you are visiting friends overseas and want to scare people by starting your car up while it's sitting by itself in the airport parking lot. The developers also note that in the near future, a new release of the app will give you push notification if your car alarm goes off.

There are two versions available: a module (SmartStart VSM100 Module, US$299.99) for cars that are already equipped with compatible Viper starting systems, and a fully loaded package (SmartStart VSM4000 System, US$499.99) for the rest of us.

Some of the app reviewers have noted that you're not only paying for the system and your iPhone bill, but there's also a US$29 monthly annual GSM service bill that you'll have to pay (the first year of service is complimentary with your purchase). However, if the money isn't an object and you're already clueless about what to get a loved one for Christmas, this might be an idea to consider.

It's likely you've heard of GelaSkins before. They make stickers to cover a variety of gear. They are of a nice thickness with a slight texture, and removal won't hurt either your equipment or the GelaSkin itself (if you're careful).

Here's the latest project from the GelaSkin folks: They have partnered with Dark Horse Comics to release skins featuring art from Dark Horse titles. You may remember the announcement earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con that these were coming; and now they are available for pre-order (the first wave is available next Friday). They're starting off properly, too: Buffy, Hellboy, Mr Toast, and Umbrella Academy to name a few. (NOTE: While GelaSkin makes skins for a variety of devices, the Dark Horse line is limited to 13"/15" laptops and iPhones.)

One of the things I have always loved about GelaSkins is the quality of the printing on them, and these skins are no different. I have laid my eyes and hands upon the iPhone varieties of the Buffy Season 8 #1 skin and the Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite skin, and they are beautiful in person. Add to that the coordinating wallpaper created to go with each skin, and now you have covered the front AND the back of your iPhone with something pretty cool.

Earlier this week, news of iDriver hit the Internet. In case you missed it, it's an app that was developed by computer science researchers at Berlin's Free University to drive a modified minivan, the "Spirit of Berlin." Steering, break and accelleration commands are sent over Wi-Fi. In the demo video, researchers are driving it around an airport for testing. I'd really like a turn.

Of course, this isn't the first iPhone-controlled vehicle we've seen. Here's a video roundup of iPhone- and iPod touch-powered vehicles both big and small.

[Via Popsci]

When I opened my iPhone 3GS, I was surprised to find that the power adapter was nothing but a little 2-prong AC plug (I live in the US) that allowed you to plug in the standard USB to 30-pin connector to charge the phone.

I wanted to get a spare; checking online told me that the Apple Store wanted US$29 for the little plug, which just seemed like too much for too little, so I went shopping.

On eBay I found a bunch of auctions based in Hong Kong selling what looked like the exact same thing for anywhere from under around $2-4, and they often included the USB cable to boot.

I ordered four from a vendor and after a few weeks received them. They looked perfect, right down to the little green dot -- but none of them worked. They might start charging, but after a few minutes the iPhone would beep a few times and I would be informed that "this accessory is not compatible." And so it went for all four pieces. After sending some pictures back and forth and reading a few emails containing a combination of surprise and amazement from the vendor, my money was refunded.

Undaunted, or maybe just dumb, I went back to eBay and found another vendor that claimed to be selling, "100% Brand New Original OEM Charger and Original OEM USB Cable for iPhone/iPod" for around US$4. I just checked eBay and found this same vendor raising the price to US$10 in one auction and lowering it to $US.01 in another.

We reported on the abundance of Time Capsule failure-to-boot after 18 months in September. A new site has emerged from the mist to help Time Capsule owners who are struggling to get Apple to acknowledge the issue. TimeCapsuleDead.org exists as a register for the owners of dead Time Capsules and has links to self-help discussions as well as the Apple Feedback page. Of the devices that have been registered thus far, the average time until ports-up is 17 months and 29 days -- eerily close to the estimated 18 month mark.

We'd like to give you a friendly reminder that our own Lauren explored the AppleCare agreements, and found that any computer-centric AppleCare agreement that's in force should cover this Time Capsule failure (as it's considered a peripheral used with the Mac). That does not mean that our readers who don't have a current agreement should be left begging on the streets by Apple. This is something that needs to be addressed. Hopefully this new site will be a good resource for all of our readers.

Thanks, Pim and KB!

A few weeks ago, we ran a short post about the release of OWC's Mercury On-The-Go Solid-State Drives. The drives, which come in the same miniscule transparent drive enclosures used by OWC for the rest of the bus-powered drive line, use SSD technology to provide users with more shock resistance and higher read speeds than traditional "spinning platter" hard drives.

OWC provided a demo unit for TUAW to try out, and I had an opportunity to use the drive in both day-to-day Time Machine backup work and for backing up some large video files. While the drives, which come in 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB sizes, are more expensive than their hard drive counterparts, they do offer benefits that may be critical for some users.

When you think about the 3rd generation iPod shuffle, you probably don't think about getting a case for it. After all, the little music box is less than 2 inches long, .7 inches wide, and .3 inches thick, and it comes with a clip.

The designers at Scosche Industries realized that some shuffle owners might like a way of keeping their devices from getting scratched or wet, as well as having a way of using any earphones with the shuffle and still be able to control it.

The tapSTICK comes in white or black polycarbonate plastic, and slides over the outside of the shuffle. It has three buttons on it that allow you to control play, adjust volume, navigate playlists, and even activate the VoiceOver feature on your iPod shuffle. It also comes with a 3 foot audio cable that connects to most audio systems, including those in cars:

While nobody at TUAW had a 3rd generation shuffle to try out the tapSTICK on, the good folks at Scosche did make one available for a giveaway to some lucky TUAW reader / shuffle owner. To enter, just leave a comment telling us how many times you've misplaced your 3rd generation iPod shuffle. Here's the scoop:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter leave a comment telling us how many times you've misplaced your 3rd generation shuffle.
• The comment must be left before Friday, October 9, 2009, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
• Prizes: One Schosche tapSTICK in black (Value: US$29.99)
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Good luck!

After the debacle earlier this year when I lost my iPhone 3G, I decided to not only protect the new phone -- my lost 3G had been "naked" -- but make sure that whatever I used to protect it had a bit of heft.

My choice of case was the locally-grown (Fort Collins, CO) OtterBox Defender, which fit the bill perfectly. It has what OtterBox refers to as a 3-layer design, including a thick screen protector, a hard shell that encloses the iPhone, and a rubberized exterior jacket that cushions shocks and keeps ports covered. While it has been an awesome case in terms of protection, it's pretty chunky and I've often wished I had something a bit skinnier.

OtterBox came to the rescue last week with a new line of protective cases called the Commuter. There are two models -- the Commuter (US$34.95) and Commuter TL (US$29.95). Like the Defender, these cases work with both the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Read on to hear more about the OtterBox Commuter cases, and a chance to win either a Commuter or Commuter TL case from TUAW and OtterBox.