Gear Patrol

Doubling battery life is a no-brainer. Options run the gamut for solutions to Apple’s latest quick-to-die wonder — and we really mean run the gamut. It’s a bit of the Wild West in the battery case world at the moment, so start here with our five best selections, then do your homework and make sure what you choose will get you what you want.

No matter how hard the Wachowski “siblings” fantasize about it, the world’s still not binary. So why should your cable choices be limited to black and white?

“Smooth and supple” may not make you think of an iPhone case. Snap out of your depraved daydream, sicko, and feast your eyes on the Apogee Folded iPhone Case ($45). That’s one sweet, sweet piece of stone-oiled leather; no stitches here, just folds and tucks. Beating it up just creates a personalized patina. The case is handmade in Vancouver and fits both the iPhone 4S and 5. For this price, you should probably get it in both black and umber.

A tsunami of protective cases soon follows every major smartphone release. Some are functional, some are stylish — but few are both, and most are forgettable. So when we were offered a trio of new cases from SYSTM to try out on an iPhone 5, we were understandably skeptical. A month of testing has proven…

The holidays are here again. Time for family, friends and wondering what to do when Grandma pulls that five-stick-o-butter apple pie hot and fresh from the oven. Finding ourselves wedged between the gorging holidays with New Year’s resolutions right around the corner, we’ve all hopefully considered some version of an exercise regimen. Personal trainers, however,…

Riding your bike in the dark on city streets is an activity best reserved for those with a death wish. The Monocle is an inexpensive and ingenious way to avoid becoming street pizza. You’ve spent plenty of money on your iPhone; why not use it as a bike light, too? The Monocle, which is made…

Let’s face it, not much was kept secret about Apple’s latest iPhone — so let’s start with what the geekosystem didn’t already know. The new device is powered by an A6 chip that doubles the speed and graphics processing of the iPhone 4S. Like Amazon’s recent Kindle Fire HD, so-called “ultra fast wireless” is onboard,…

Instagram may be the Polaroid of the iPhone generation, but who says you can’t take your filters and print them too? The global film stewards at

You do the pocket dump every day after work… keys, wallet, smartphone, coins, sunglasses, knife, watch, etc. And somehow, they all end up in different places causing you to scramble the next morning. Well, you can park your precious EDC in the simple but ingenious Office Originair Table Island (~$49), which doesn’t just house your…

A man dressed in an all brown uniform just dropped off the “grail” watch on your “work” from home day. You feverishly tear the packaging open and hold up the culmination of your hope and dreams as if it were a cub named Simba. Spending two months of salary on this iconic piece of horological…

The new iRig Mix ($100) is packaged with the promise of portable party prowess to help you move the crowd. Whether you’re only rocking an iPhone, or packed your iPad too, IK Multimedia’s latest iTool will process your playlists and allow you to scratch and fade with any iOS device. Twist some knobs to fiddle…

A wise man uses his smartphone on vacation for rare occasions only — ok, and maybe some Angry Birds slingin’, too. The National Parks app by National Geographic (free, $1 per park guide) has us reconsidering that though. With its comprehensive and stunningly beautiful design, exploring 20 of America’s most popular parks has never been…

Bean counting has never been our strong suit, which is why we studied our 12c and TI instruction manuals like a boss back in the day. As technology progressed, we thought our math skills on the iPhone were still pretty snappy, until we came across the Rechner Calculator. The uber-sleek design is what draws users…

If you know anything about the compact MPV known as the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, you’d know that previous generations have been, um, less than thrilling. Well, that’s all changed with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class, a complete reworking that’s simply beautiful. Mercedes-Benz hopes this new version will make the A-class world class and push sales into the…

A new season of baseball is upon us and with it comes the latest update to one of our all time favorite apps. In its latest iteration, MLB.com At Bat 12 delivers the avalanche of baseball stat goodness you’ve come to expect, but is now available on the iPhone, iPad, Android and Kindle — seriously,…

The game that changed the gaming industry and inflamed parents across the globe thanks to its unabashed encouragement of senseless violence recently turned 10. To celebrate, Rockstar has re-released the classic for newer iOS (iPhone & iPad) and Android devices for a shocking price of $5. Essentially it’s the same experience most will remember, just…

Highlighting electronics accessories from a company like Restoration Hardware will always be a little difficult for us, since making furniture that both Dr. Evil and Dr. Jones could feel comfortable decorating their offices with is clearly their main focus. Still, this tasteful roll up travel charger ($50) packs too much convenience in such a classic-looking…

It may look like another plastic iPhone dock, but the Swivl ($160) is anything but. Pairing a motorized base and wearable marker the Swivl can pivot, turn and tilt a cradled iOS device to follow a subject — keeping subjects within its field of view — using motion tracking technology. That means, video chats, sports,…

The third rule of Roadgo Dynamics dictates that the more gadgets you own, the more power cables you’re saddled with when it’s time to travel. Upon your arrival, finding enough available wall outlets is then about as easy as telling your better half she’s gained weight. The fine mac accessory makers at Twelve South have…

One serious benefit of Apple’s decision to revamp only the guts of the new iPhone is that all of the iPhone 4 cases, accessories, and peripherals received an extended lease on life. West Elm’s new Parsons audio end table ($400) has an integrated dock for charging your precious iPhone or iPod and it’s apparently compatible…

Oh the torture! Our Pavlovian anticipation for a new iPhone every 12 months has been pushed to the limits this go around, especially after being teased earlier this summer about what to expect from iOS 5 (which, FYI will be available to all current iPhone 4 owners October 12th). Now the news is out and…

Shrouded in gleaming aluminium and molded rubber, the Revo K2 ($470) tower not only out-looks other, plebeian docks, but also offers access to virtually every radio signal under the sun including old-fashioned over-the-air and internet streaming stations including last.fm. Perfect for your morning dose of NPR. Besides a dearth of plastics, the K2 also features…

There are a handful of companies out there already trying to turn your smartphone or tablet into the universal remote of your dreams, but none of them has the home theater chops of Logitech. Now, after years of making the best universal remotes out there for the average consumer, the company’s new Harmony Link ($99)…

MoviePass is a brand new startup hoping to revolutionize the way film addicts get their regular dose o’ big screen. For $50 bucks a month, clients can enjoy an unlimited number of movies. Everything works via an app, which is available for both Android and iOS users. Through it, users can reserve seats and simply…

Don’t feel like shelling out 6 large for this but own an iPhone? Well, there’s a Kickstarter Project for that: the Air Guitar Move. Using a tethered pick equipped with a motion sensor, the Air Guitar Move allows you to unleash you inner Jimmy Page (sans the actual axe) by strumming in the air while…

When you were a young boy, you could eat eight hot dogs at dinner, sleep two hours, run around for 12 hours without stopping, break your arm and heal in about fifteen minutes. As we mature that changes, and we are introduced to words like metabolism, prostate, ROTH IRA and hypertension. And in this culture…

IPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners will receive a ton of new features in iOS 5. The bad news is that the latest and greatest mobile operating system won’t be available until fall of this year for consumers. On the up side, we’ve made getting a knowledgeable head start on what’s to come super easy….

Unless your endowed with triple jointed thumbs, taking photos with your iPhone can be mighty cumbersome if not downright painful. The Kickstarter project, Red Pop, aims to fix that with a simple, well-designed solution: bringing the shutter button back to its rightful finger (your index) and location. Simply plug-in the adaptor, which also serves as…

The idea of making a wireless phone wired is admittedly strange, but nostalgia for the familiar often drives people to do crazy things. The iFusion ($150) is essentially a Bluetooth speaker dock in traditional telephone clothing. Thanks to A2DP Bluetooth streaming, the iFusion can playback both call audio or music over its internal speakerphone. The…

Men today normally have two things on them at all times: their wallet and phone. Since there’s no need to tote your full George Costanza everywhere you go, the German artisan brand Pack & Smooch has devised a series of great looking iPhones cases to free up some much needed pocket space. The Leicester ($51),…