Case Mate Clear Armor for iPhone

While most know the iPhone for its incredibly designed user interface and high degree of functionality and usability unmatched by other phones of its category, it is also known for its sleek, and stylish form factor and glossy look. In other words, it is impossible to look at an iPhone and say "that phone is not attractive". However, thanks to the awkward, clunky cases on the market, this becomes a very commonly uttered statement.

Not even entertaining the idea of a construction worker quality hard core case, I have always sought out thin, minimal cases. I have tried cases such as the barely there by Case-Mate as well as its ID holding brethren. While both cases do a good job of protecting the (back of the) device, they do not do the form factor and sleek feel of the phone justice. The added 8th of an inch makes all the difference in the world.

When I got a replacement device from Apple due to a crippled sleep/wake button, I took the opportunity to try Case-Mate's Clear Armor, an invisible protective film that covers the whole device.

Applying the Case
This was probably the most buyers remorse-inducing task I have ever experienced. The case is a complete PITA to apply. The company provides it's customers with a "helpful" video to aid in the application of the case, however, the video makes it look as easy as [insert super easy task here] when in reality it is quite the opposite.

Because the case comes with a lifetime warranty, included in the packaging is two films. One for your initial application, and one as your first replacement on the warranty. The video instructs customers to be generous in their use of the application spray, however after applying the first case, the bottle was completely empty, leaving none for the warranty case. So, be generous in your use of the spray, so long as you save half of the (tiny) bottle for the other case. Right.

Applying the front of the case was as easy as applying any screen protector, and maybe even easier because the spray enables you to slide the protector around once laid down, however application of the back is what causes the real headache.

The back of the phone has 7 obstacles which you must perfectly align the case to: camera, 4 corners, volume buttons and the silent/ring switch. Application of the case is basically a balancing act between the camera and volume buttons, and only once those are aligned can you pay attention to the corners, which will undoubtedly be completely misaligned. After 30 minutes of futzing with the position of the film, I said screw it, cut off the top two corners and everything fell into place. I am not sure if there is some degree of retardation which I was experiencing or if it was a design flaw in the case. But since my girlfriend had the same issue, I would put my money on the latter.

Using the Case
The company says wait 48 hours for the liquid under the case to work its way out and for the case to actually appear clear, and they are basically right. After 48 hours the little bubbles and stuff that looks like it will never leave is gone, however the larger air bubbles take more like a week to work their way out. Finally the case is completely clear, and when I say clear, I mean it. The lack of pictures on this post is not out of laziness, it is out of the case not showing up on camera because its just that clear.

I do have a few gripes. The corners that were not sacrificed to the gods during application of the case, are basically sticking, however I can tell that they have a very strong desire to peel away and it seems like it is only a matter of time. Additionally, the case, in an attempt to make a flat film protect a curved body, does not protect some crucial points of the device, such as the very corner, as well as the top and bottom, all of which are the most accident prone parts of a device. Because I am pretty good about not dropping my phone, this isn't much of a concern for me, but for the gravity friendly, this may be something to look out for. Lastly, it seems like the case is more dirt prone then other films I have used. I find myself wiping the screen more often then before, and find that visible dirt sticks to it more easily.

Last Words
All in all, this is a very good case. While it does not provide full protection from dents and such, it does a great job of protecting from scratches and other minor setbacks. The lifetime warranty shows that the company backs their product and means you will not be out of protection if your case gets ruined. For those looking to enjoy the form of their iPhone while still giving it some protection, this is definitely the way to go.

Hiatus

For the thousands of readers of our blog, we are well aware that you are by now fiending for another Minus The Sink review. You probably are waking up in the night in a cold sweat asking yourself: "Where did Minus The Sink go?"

Dont fret. We are in the midst of finals week here at UofM. We will be back after Friday with fresh reviews.

-MTS

2Do: A Stunning ToDo List with Push and Sync

I have been looking for a good ToDo manager for a long time. I was pretty dedicated to PTO (Put Things Off) for the iPhone, which focuses on simplicity. It allowed me to create a list of tasks, and decide each day if I wanted to do them today, or put them off. It was that simple.

While this method of managing tasks has its merits, I found that some of my tasks had more importance over others. Not only that, I found that, with the volume of ToDos I would sometimes manage to generate, PTO was unable to aid in my finding the more important tasks.

To resolve this issue, I moved to using PTO on my phone to manage the more pressing tasks, and using iCal to manage the long term tasks that I know I will want to deal with in the future.

This worked for awhile, until I found myself spending 10-15 minutes a day manually transferring tasks to PTO from iCal and vice versa.

Although I was ready to remain committed to my system, my girlfriend mentioned 2Do [iTunes Link]. A ToDo iPhone application that, with the help of a client application on my MacBook can keep my tasks in sync between my phone and my computer. This seems like the perfect solution. ToDo is available on the app store for $5.99 with a lite version that lets you try before you buy.

The application boasts features such as push and email alerts, recurring tasks, password protection (app-wide or per calendar), drag and drop arrangement, swipe to mark done, quick add, phonetic search (for the pour spellars), and many, and I do mean many, more features.

I am very impressed with the interface and usability of the application. Considering the features presented, the interface is kept intuitive and elegant. 4/5 Stars from me.

One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that, in landscape mode, you are presented with a calendar and can select a day and view all of the tasks due on that day.

I keep coming back thinking of more things I forgot to say in the video. So let me say this: while I covered a lot of features 2Do has to offer, I did not by any means cover them all. So purchase the app and see for yourself.

Check out the developers application website for more info.

Sony Heavy Bass Headphone MDR-ED12LP

Minus The Sink's second review is on Sony Heavy Bass headphones. I bought them on bestbuy.com for $20. Well worth it.

These headphones are good, solid in ear headphones. The sound quality is good, and the noise cancelling is pretty good for the price. One thing I forgot to put in the video is that because they are not like the in ear headphones where you can take the squeegie on and off, there is no risk of losing the squeegie. Because when this happens, the headphone is totally useless. So, overall, 4/5 stars. Good headphones at a good price.

ReelDirector

Our first review is of an iPhone application by the name of ReelDirector. This app is available for 4.99 on the App Store [iTunes Link]. It is the first video editing application available for the iPhone.

I think that it is a very solid application. Considering that it is on a mobile device, it is packed full of features that you would find on most basic desktop editing applications. The company promises to keep updating the application and, from my experience listens to what it's users wants.

Since doing this review, I have discovered that the application has FULL landscape support. Which is quite useful as your video gets longer because it enables you to view more of your time line at a time.

Check out the video for a more in depth review.

All in all, I would rate it a 4/5 stars.

Application Website

Welcome to Minus The Sink

Welcome to Minus The Sink. We are two University of Michigan students who plan to review everything...technology...clothing...various arts and craft supplies. Literally, everything. Minus The Sink. But if you send us one of those to review, we'll think about it. So, if you're in need of a world class review, send us your stuff. Until then, we'll review our own stuff. And that might get old very quickly. So, if we start reviewing coffee mugs and printer paper, email us for our address and send away.