review: Speck Holiday CandyShell Cases for iPhone 4

The holidays are among us, and what better way to celebrate than by decking out your iPhone 4 in some festive holiday cheer? Speck has released some holiday themed CandyShell cases, available exclusively at AT&T stores nationwide!

The Speck CandyShell is exactly what it sounds like – a hard polycarbonate exterior, but soft, rubbery interior. The rubber interior is soft but also adds a shock absorbing layer to protect the iPhone from drops and impact.

The holiday versions come in two different choices: a blue plastic and red rubber theme decorated with snowmen on the back, and a light green/red theme with a Santa on the back lower half. Both designs are cute and festive for the holiday season.

The iPhone simply goes in the case by sliding the bottom in first, then pushing the rest into the rubbery material. Once the phone is in the case, you’re left with a sense of protection and no longer have to w orry about dropping your phone!

The soft rubbery material forms a lip around the front of the phone to help keep dust and dirt away from the inside. It also adds a lot of lift to the screen so that way the glass will never touch a flat surface!

The volume and power buttons get covered up in the rubber material so that they are fully protected. The toggle switch gets a little space that may be a little hard to access for those with bigger hands, but the headphone port is fully accessible. There are perfectly shaped cutouts for the camera/flash, bottom mic and speaker, as well as a fitted opening for the connector port. Even though the opening may not look like enough, I had no problem using older cables and car chargers with the holiday CandyShell on.

My only problem with the case is that the back starts to get a bit oily after holding it for a while, but that’s easily fixed by wiping it down on clothes or a cl eaning cloth. The CandyShell does add a bit of thickness to your iPhone, but it feels really well-protected.

If you’re looking for a case to dress your iPhone up for the holiday season, then look no further than these adorable CandyShell holiday cases from Speck! Look for them at your local AT&T stores for $29.99.

review by Christine Chan

rating: 4.5 stars out of five • SpeckProducts.com

Scosche SolChat: Beatweek 75

Every bluetooth iPhone speakerphone we’ve tried has its pros and cons, but the Scosche SolChat comes out on top for one simple reason: rather than coming with yet another battery to keep charged, this one recharges via solar power. Going green is great, but more importantly you’re getting charged up for when you need to make a call.

View all seventy-five winning accessories for iPad, iPhone, and iPod (including cases, earbuds, car products, stereos, batteries and more) in Beatweek Magazine’s 75th issue which you can read digitally for free right here.

Five apps to celebrate Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! This should be an occasion to celebrate everyday and you can use the following iPhone/iPod Touch apps to do just that! Love Mother Nature and you’ll be surprised at how much she’ll love you back.

The Power of Green by Con Edison Here’s a beautifully made app that has great tips on how to save money in your home and office while going green! Tips include Weatherization, Heating, Cooling, Water Heating, Lighting, and Appliances. Included are 101 flashcard tips, 6 videos, and a checklist for you to keep your updates.

21st Office This app tests if you’re working in the 20th or 21st century! It asks you a series of questions in topics of Commuting, Busines Meetings, and Reading. Then it examines your working habits and gives you a summary on what currently do, and how you can improve. There’s also a lot of great tips added by the community.

GoodGuide is an app that helps you find safe, healthy, and sustainable products while you shop. How does it work? Simply scan the barcode of the item with your phone and the product’s details will display. These details include ratings for health, environment, and their social responsibility.

The Lorax – Dr. Seuss is a wonderful ebook that’s perfect for Earth Day! It’s about a character who cuts down all the trees in the forest to make clothes. The Lorax warns him that his actions are hurting everyone, but he doesn’t listen. There’s a great moral to the story that will certainly engage young minds to help Mother Nature more. It’s a great story with beautiful animations and a narrator who reads to you!

iRecycle an excellent app to find your nearest recycling centers and green events. Simply type in the item you want to recycle and it will find the nearest location that would accept it. Links to green tips and articles from Earth911.com can also be reached within the app.