Brookstone announced a new device Monday morning that allows you to project images up to 50 inches diagonally onto any surface using your iPhone. It is called the Brookstone Pocket Projector for iPhone 4/4S by Texas Instruments DLP and I’ve spent the last week using it. I’m definitely impressed by the product, which slides onto an iPhone much like any other case, but is it worth the hefty $230 price Brookstone is asking? Read on for my review.

Hardware

The Brookstone Pocket Projector is bulky but it serves two purposes. It can project an image onto any surface, or its 2,100 mAh battery can be used to charge your iPhone. The size of the device reminds me a lot of a Mophie Juice Pack for the iPhone. It’s just skinny enough to squeeze in a pocket, but for $229.99, I wish it came with its own protective carrying case to be used when the projector isn’t connected to the iPhone.

The actual 15-lumen LED-lit projector lens is on the top of the case near the iPhone’s headphone jack. It is capable of projecting a 640 x 360-pixel resolution image up to 50-inches in size. The case easily slid onto my iPhone 4S, and I liked that it had its own 0.5 watt speaker on the outside. The unit can be turned on by holding a small button to the on/off position for about three seconds. If you move the same button to the “Charge” position, it will charge your iPhone and turn off the projector.

The Good

The Brookstone Pocket Projector is amazing. You may remember when AT&T and LG launched the eXpo projector phone a few years ago. It didn’t take off because there wasn’t a whole lot that you could project and it didn’t really make sense at the time. The iPhone, however, has access to tons of video content, which means you can use the Pocket Projector to display Netflix, YouTube videos, rented or purchased movies, recorded home videos and more. If you happen to own an iPhone 4S, the projector can mirror everything that you do on your iPhone. You can use it, for example, to show off photos, browse the web and more.

The projector is very easy to use. All you have to to do is plug your iPhone into the device and turn on the projector. That’s it. An iPhone 4S will begin mirroring and an iPhone 4 will automatically start projecting whenever you open a video application. When I opened Netflix, the screen was already visible on my wall and the same went with my videos. Anyone can use the device without an instruction manual.

I loved watching Woody Allen movies with the Pocket Projector on my bedside table. It was even fun playing quick YouTube videos on my ceiling. I was able to get through a full movie just fine, and there’s small dial on the top of the unit for adjusting the focus on the fly. It’s a bit hard to do with one hand and without fumbling, so the dial could be a bit looser, but it worked.

Your friends, family and co-workers will definitely get a kick out of the projector. Everyone I showed the device to was blown away by the picture and how such a big image could be projected from such a small device.

The Bad

I don’t have a ton of complaints about the Pocket Projector. My biggest is that 15-lumens actually isn’t that bright, so I couldn’t display videos clearly with even a modest amount of light in a room. I had to close every curtain and turn off every light just to be able to see the picture. At night, however, the Pocket Projector worked great and video was clear from across the room.

I do wish it was possible to project HD video instead of a 640 x 360-pixel image, but really I found that resolution to be satisfactory. It’s incredible how powerful the Pocket Projector is for its size.

I was also frustrated by the miniUSB charging port. Most gadgets take advantage of the microUSB standard, and the miniUSB port meant I had to keep an extra charger around.

Conclusion

If you’re a business traveler with an iPhone 4S looking for an accessory that will let you display presentations in meetings or videos in empty hotel rooms, the Brookstone Pocket Projector should be a no-brainer. At $229 it’s a bit of an expensive accessory for just keeping around your house for entertainment purposes, but if you have the extra cash to spend and want to show-off the latest mobile DLP tech from Texas Instruments to friends, it’s definitely a fun and unique purchase.

TI told me that we can expect a smartphone with its DLP technology built-in sometime in early 2012, and I can’t wait to see what that’s like. It may seem that a smartphone with a projector in it is a gimmick, but now that our smartphones have access to tons of media, not to mention our entire lives, products like the Pocket Projector are more compelling than ever.

Brookstone’s Pocket Projector will be available for purchase in Brookstone stores around the country beginning later this week for $229.99.

Silicone cases for the iPhone 5 have started to show up in AT&T stores according to an image received by MacRumors. The images, if authentic, set to rest the constant questions volleying back and forth over whether or not Apple will release a device called the “iPhone 5″ or just a device called the “iPhone 4S” this year. The cases suggest, as most reports have stated, that the iPhone 5 will indeed sport a thinner profile and a mute switch on the opposite side of the phone. In addition to Friday’s leak, on Thursday BGR exclusively published an image of AT&T internal inventory system that revealed an incoming stock of Case-Mate cases for the iPhone 5. BGR also published exclusive first images of the Case-Mate cases on September 15th, before the company quickly pulled them from its website. Apple will hold a press conference on October 4th in Cuperinto, California after which we will finally be able to put these rumors to rest.

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The iPhone 5 hasn’t been announced yet, but that has not stopped accessory makers from posting upcoming cases for the highly anticipated handset. Case-Mate has published a page on its website with six different case designs for the new iPhone 5, and we’re loving the radical new body shown in the images. We’ve heard tons of speculation that the iPhone 5 will be thinner and lighter than the current model and these cases suggest it will have tapered edges and a slim profile as well. Finally, the images appear to an aluminum back on the fifth-generation iPhone, which also jibes with earlier reports. The iPhone 5 is expected to be available in the United States in October, so we’re not surprised to see leaks like this start to spill out across the web.

UPDATE: Case-Mate has pulled the iPhone 5 cases from its website.

Thanks, David

A new video showcasing the iPhone 5 “clone” we saw yesterday has emerged and it may give us a good idea of the basic design we can expect from Apple’s upcoming fifth-generation iPhone. As we reported yesterday, this device is absolutely, positively a fake. That goes without saying. It is possible that Chinese knockoff builders have obtained Apple’s iPhone 5 design, or even an actual device, from one of Apple’s manufacturing partners or component suppliers in order to copy it before their competition gets the chance. For that reason, it’s worth taking a look at this design, as we just might see it in the hands of millions of smartphone users around the globe later this fall. The video showcasing this Chinese iPhone 5 knockoff follows below.

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A leaked crop of images from 9to5 Mac suggest the rumors that Apple will release a thinner and lighter iPhone 5 are true. The images display a silicone case that is certainly thinner than the current iPhone 4. However, the shape of the case is also strikingly similar to the body of the iPod touch, which has us wondering if the case pictured is actually for Apple’s upcoming next-generation iPod touch and not the iPhone 5. Either way, 9to5 Mac says the photos are from a trusted source that leaked accurate information about the iPad 2. In addition, case makers are rumored to have started shipping new protective cases for the next-generation iPhone. We’re expecting Apple to announce the device in August and to begin shipping it in September, so we will find out soon enough. Read on for a second image.

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Google officially announced on Friday that it received word on Thursday that the Federal Trade Commission will begin reviewing its business. Google said that “it’s still unclear what the FTC’s concerns are,” but early reports have suggested the complaints involve the Internet giant’s search and online advertising businesses. Google said that it will continue to follow its five pillars: “do what’s best for the user,” “provide the most relevant answers as quickly as possible,” “label advertisements clearly,” “be transparent,” and “loyalty, not lock-in.” “These are the principles that guide us, and we know they’ll stand up to scrutiny. We’re committed to giving you choices, ensuring that businesses can grow and create jobs, and, ultimately, fostering an Internet that benefits us all,” Amit Singhal, a Google Fellow, wrote on the company blog Friday. There are, however, some groups that are concerned Google is becoming a monopoly. Read on for more background.

This morning we reported on an article from The Wall Street Journal, in which Fairsearch.org, a watchdog group, said “Google engages in anti-competitive behavior…that harms consumers by restricting the ability of other companies to compete to put the best products and services in front of Internet users, who should be allowed to pick winners and losers online not Google.” The group, whose customers include Expedia, Kayak, Sabre Holdings, and Microsoft, is worried that Google will point users to its own services using its own advertisements, instead of directing them to offers from competing firms. Google said that it will work with the Federal Trade Commission’s process to discuss its services and practices.

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The Federal Communications Commission may subpoena Google during the next five days as part of an anti-trust investigation related to the company’s search and web advertising practices. According to The Wall Street Journal, it is only illegal to purchase or abuse a monopoly, and so a subpoena and an investigation aren’t particularly damning to Google. Reportedly, investigators will examine if the search giant has purposely pushed users towards using its own services, as opposed to those offered by its rivals, using its own online advertising and search network. “Google engages in anticompetitive behavior…that harms consumers by restricting the ability of other companies to compete to put the best products and services in front of Internet users, who should be allowed to pick winners and losers online, not Google,” Fairsearch.org said. The watchdog group is representing a number of Google competitors Expedia, Kayak, Sabre Holdings, and Microsoft. Google faced a similar threat from the Justice Department in April when it proposed buying ITA software, but it settled by allowing the government body to examine some of its practices. The WSJ said a subpoena and an investigation could take a year to wrap-up, and it’s entirely possible nothing will change.

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According to a report filed by The Wall Street Journal, peer-to-peer networking site LimeWire and several major record labels may be working on an out-of-court settlement in a copyright infringement case from 2006. “Lawyers for several major record labels have held at least three settlement conferences with representatives of a file-sharing service that they sued for copyright infringement, according to a federal court docket entry, indicating that the two sides may reach an agreement on a financial penalty instead of waiting for a jury award,” reads the report. LimeWire was found guilty of allowing users to upload and share unlicensed, copyrighted materials over its network. Arista Records, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and EMI Group are all named plaintiffs — LimeWire and its founder, Mark Gorton, are named as defendants. Representatives from the two camps did not respond to the WSJ’s request for comment.

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DigiTimes is citing a report from sznews.com today that three Foxconn employees have been arrested in Shenzhen, China for leaking the design specs of the iPad 2 to third-party case manufacturers ahead of the device’s launch. The three were allegedly arrested in December of last year and were charged in late March for the leaks. Foxconn grew suspicious of its own employees after accurate third-party iPad 2 cases began popping up on the market; the firm then asked local authorities to investigate. Foxconn manufacturers electronics for a number of major companies including Apple, HP, Palm, and Sony, and it has been called out in the past for the harsh treatment of its employees. [Via AppleInsider]

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We exclusively reported Sprint would be getting an identical version of the Motorola XOOM sans LTE and adding a WiMAX radio, and we now have received a second confirmation — cases for the Motorola XOOM just started showing up at Sprint stores nationwide. No word on availability of the Motorola XOOM, but we’d anticipate it peeking it’s head up pretty soon.

Thanks, Adam!

As we confirmed yesterday, Apple’s iPad 2 went on sale in 500 RadioShack locations across the country on Tuesday. Considering the tablet’s limited supply among Apple Store locations and other third-party retailers, however, we wondered how much inventory Apple might be willing to spare for the various RadioShack locations set to offer the device this morning. BGR has confirmed that several RadioShack locations in the New York metropolitan area received single-digit shipments, and every store we spoke to this morning was sold out. More interesting than the low-volume sellouts, perhaps, is the claim by a BGR tipster that the store he visited refused to sell the iPad 2 unless customers also agreed to purchase AppleCare protection plans and an iPad 2 cases along with their tablets. RadioShack salespeople at the New York City location he visited stated that the store was required to sell AppleCare and a case with each iPad 2 for today only. Despite a customer’s position in line, he or she was allegedly not permitted to purchase an iPad without the pricey add-ons.

UPDATE: We have confirmed that it is not RadioShack’s policy to require the purchase of AppleCare or any accessories such as cases with the purchase of an iPad 2.

Thanks, Giancarlo

Last month I wrote a piece entitled Keyboard Buddy case transforms your iPhone 4 into an iPhone Pro, in which I took a look at a nifty iPhone 4 accessory that added a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to the iPhone 4. Shortly after the piece was published, a Boxwave competitor reached out to me and offered up a similar product for review. I was skeptical, to be honest, as typically such requests come from companies with inferior products desperate for coverage. In this instance, however, that was certainly not the case.

Hong Kong-based NUU is about to release an iPhone case called the MiniKey, and as has likely already been gleaned, it includes a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. I won’t bother going over the basic concept and function again — feel free to see my earlier post for the broad strokes. Instead, I’ll run through the good points and the bad points as compared to the similar case I reviewed earlier.

The Good

The keyboard on the MiniKey is pretty terrific in general, and for my taste it’s far superior than the QWERTY on the Keyboard Buddy case. The buttons are much more BlackBerry like and substantial; the four-row arrangement, though not staggered, is much more logical; and the Function and Shift commands stay active until another key is pressed — with the Buddy, you have to keep holding either key while you press a second key, as though you’re using a full-sized keyboard.

NUU’s iPhone 4 keyboard case also has another feature the Keyboard Buddy was lacking: backlighting. As a result, the keys are visible in any light. There are also very handy LEDs that indicate when the Function, Shift or Command keys have been depressed — just like the HTC Arrive has on its keyboard.

The look of the MiniKey tops the Buddy case in my opinion, simply because it looks like one unit as opposed to two separate pieces as was the case with the odd design of the Buddy. You can see better images of the case when closed in the image gallery. The case has a rubberized finish that is very easy to grip.

Finally, I love that the MiniKey case goes to sleep when the iPhone goes to sleep. After a period of inactivity, the Bluetooth connection will automatically be severed and the case will go into standby mode. This obviously conserves a great deal of battery life. When you’re ready to use the keyboard again, simply tap a key and it will reconnect in an instant.

Battery life, by the way, is rated at 30 days of standby or up to a week of usage per charge. A full charge takes roughly three hours, and the MiniKey takes a standard microUSB charger, thankfully.

The Bad

There’s no home button on the MiniKey and that was one of my favorite features on the Keyboard Buddy. Having the ability to close apps or open the app switcher from the keyboard was great. I also miss the dedicated Spotlight button from the Buddy.

The space button is centered as opposed to being positioned off to the right as it is on the Buddy, and it works quite well as long as you catch one of the corners when you tap it. If you hit the center of the space key however, it takes much more force to depress it than it does with other keys. The result is often a missed keystroke and the need to back up to add a space.

NUU’s MiniKey buttons click very, very loudly. It’s great that there’s audible feedback but the manufacturer went a tad overboard in the department. It’s hardly a deal-breaker, of course, but I wouldn’t recommend using the MiniKey in a quiet room.

There is a dedicated button to pull up the iPhone’s virtual keyboard, which is a good thing, but the placement of the button is a tad bit weird. It’s on the side of the device and can be seen in the image above. I like that it’s accessible whether the keyboard is slid open or closed, but its location is not overly convenient in either position.

Last but definitely not least, the MiniKey holds the iPhone 4 nice and tight, which is a good thing until it comes time to remove the phone from its case. Hopefully the grip will loosen a bit with age because as it stands, it’s almost painful to pull the iPhone from the MiniKey’s grasp. The only way I’ve found to work consistently without causing damage to the case, the phone or myself is to poke my finger through the space left for the camera while digging my fingernails into the side of the case and prying. It’s annoying and it’s even a little painful. As great as the MiniKey is, I still want to shed the added bulk from time to time and it would be nice if I could do that without injuring myself.

The NUU MiniKey begins shipping on March 28th, and it will cost $79.99. Check out NUU’s website for more information.

Here at BGR, we constantly get emails from readers looking for help with their gadget buying decisions. While I wish we had time to address each of our readers individually, this unfortunately isn’t the case. One of the more common lines of questioning comes from readers wanting to switch from BlackBerry smartphones to the iPhone, and today I’m going to pose a solution they may find useful. To this group of readers, the idea of moving from RIM’s amazing physical keypad to a device that only offers a virtual keyboard is often the biggest hurdle. We like to think we know a thing or two about cell phones here at BGR, but of course we can’t presume to know how each of our readers might fare when moving from a physical to virtual keyboard. What we do know, however, is that there are options out there that might help make the transition as smooth as possible — and one such option is the Keyboard Buddy case from Boxwave.

Let’s get physical, physical

The “iPhone Pro” has become something of a white whale in the gadget world. While millions of people are perfectly happy with Apple’s on-screen virtual keyboard, many still yearn for the tactile response only a physical keypad can afford. Apple has stated in the past that it sees no point in slapping a hardware QWERTY onto the iPhone, but the company flip-flops more than a fish out of water when it comes to iOS products, so its prior claim that physical keyboards are unnecessary on mobile phones is inconsequential. In fact, Apple is even said to be testing an iPhone model with a hardware keypad at the moment, though well placed sources insist that we won’t see any such phone from Apple in 2011.

I’m on the fence, myself. I’ve grown quite fond of Apple’s virtual board and can likely tap out an email just as fast on an iPhone as I can on any physical QWERTY-equipped phone on the market today. But speed is only half of the equation. I still love the feel of RIM’s BlackBerry keypads, and years of typing on a computer keyboard results in an inherent desire to feel keys depress as I poke at them. As such, you can imagine my reaction when Boxwave reached out and asked me if I wanted a Keyboard Buddy iPhone case to review. A slide-out QWERTY for my iPhone? Count me in.

Design on a dime

Boxwave’s Bluetooth Keyboard Buddy case for the iPhone 4 sports an interesting design. Rather than taking the expected route and making a case that might create a seamless look, Boxwave designed the case to look like two completely separate pieces. The keyboard-equipped piece on the bottom tapers gradually and includes a plastic bezel painted silver. The top portion that encases the iPhone is slightly tapered as well, however, so instead of creating two joined pieces that form a continuous line, the Keyboard Buddy makes it look like the iPhone 4 is sitting on a platter. Odd indeed, but after a while it didn’t really bother me.

The construction of Boxwave’s QWERTY case is quite solid. The case maker opted to go with a rubber coating as opposed to a hard plastic, and the decision was a wise one. The case feels good in the hand and the rubberized exterior provides much needed grip — but I’ll get to that later. The top portion of the case holds the iPhone very securely. In fact, there is no play whatsoever and it even takes a fair amount of effort to remove the iPhone from the Keyboard Buddy. Overall, the case is also fairly slim considering it packs a QWERTY, though it is significantly thicker than most modern sliders, as can be seen above.

One issue I have with regard to the design of the case is Boxwave’s decision to use a mini-USB port for charging instead of a micro-USB port, which is essentially an industry standard at this point. It’s not a huge deal on the surface, but it means users now have to carry yet another charger instead of having an existing charger pull double duty. Of course nothing is more ridiculous than the proprietary dock connector Apple still insists on using, so I suppose it’s only fitting that Boxwave would opt for a less conventional route.

My other main issue is weight. Boxwave’s Keyboard Buddy case is nice and light on its own, but when paired with the glass and metal iPhone 4, the combo is a bit on the hefty side. It’s not so heavy that it is uncomfortable to carry around in a pants pocket — the real problem arises when it comes time to tap out messages on the keyboard.

Slip sliding away

As I mentioned, the case itself is very light. The iPhone on the other hand, is quite hefty. This means that when the Keyboard Buddy is slid open, it’s very top-heavy. We’re talking Dolly Parton, here.

This was done out of necessity, of course. The iPhone itself is so heavy that if Boxwave had tried to balance its keyboard well, the result would have been entirely too heavy to be usable. Instead, it had to go light, which means the user has to employ an extra firm grip lest the iPhone topple over and fall out of the user’s hands. The rubber finish helps a great deal in this area, but it’s still not the same as using a true QWERTY slider. This also creates a bit of a challenge when one hand has to let go of the device, say, to tap a character while the other hand is holding down the shift key or function key. The remaining hand has to hold the keyboard extra tight, and I almost dropped my phone on two occasions in this scenario.

Tap Tap Revenge

The keyboard itself is good but not great. This is somewhat disheartening news considering we’re now talking about the accessory’s main attraction. Luckily, my concerns boil down to personal preference for the most part, so all may not be lost.

The feel of the keyboard is not the problem for me. Boxwave’s keys have a decent enough feel to them and they provide good tactile response. They also emit a nice click sound with each tap, providing the auditory feedback one would expect in addition to tactile feedback. My problem with the keypad, however, is the layout. The Keyboard Buddy case sports a Nokia-like layout that positions keys in aligned columns rather than staggering them as a keyboard should. It also positions the space key off to the right instead of in the center of the board, which is something that should never, ever be done. There are plenty of people who won’t mind the peculiar placement of the space key, however, so this is hardly a deal breaker in many cases.

Beyond that, this is a Bluetooth keyboard and the iPhone treats it as such. By that, I mean typing with the Keyboard Buddy is like typing with a full-sized keyboard rather than a typical QWERTY keypad on a mobile phone. So, for example, a double-tap on the space key will not create a period and a space. The first letter of each new sentence will not automatically be capitalized. The shift key must be held down while a letter is pressed in order to capitalize it — tapping each key successively won’t work. And so on.

There are a few things I really like about the keyboard, though — most notably, the fact that it includes a few specialized buttons for iOS. The top left button imitates the iPhone’s home button, allowing users to close apps with a single tap or open the task manager with a double-tap. Then, the top right button is a dedicated Spotlight key, which will open Spotlight search from any screen. This is a great feature for those who use Spotlight often, though it is a bit odd to type in Spotlight using a landscape QWERTY when the display remains in portrait. Finally, tapping the function key and the space button will open and close the iPhone’s virtual keypad, which is hidden by default when a Bluetooth keyboard is connected to the device.

The bottom line

Boxwave’s Keyboard Buddy case definitely isn’t perfect, but what is? There are clear pros and cons, and then there are a few quirks that some will loathe and others won’t mind in the least. Luckily for everyone, Boxwave is a stand-up company with a 100% customer satisfaction policy that includes a 30-day window for returns. If an iPhone 4 with a slide-out QWERTY keypad sounds like something that might float your boat, the most you have to lose is shipping if it turns out you don’t like Boxwave’s offering. And if my aforementioned complaints haven’t scared you off yet, I think there’s a good chance you’ll like the product. Battery life is outstanding (Boxwave’s site claims 45 days; mine has been going for a week so far on a single charge), the case has a good feel to it… and, of course, it adds a physical QWERTY keypad to your iPhone 4.

The Keyboard Buddy case is available immediately directly from Boxwave’s website for $69.95 with free shipping within the U.S.

Like Sprint’s ZTE Peel iPod touch case, the Apple Peel 520 gives Apple’s iPod touch the ability to connect to a cellular data network. Unlike the ZTE Peel, the Apple Peel also allows users to send and receive voice calls and SMS from an iPod touch. In other works, the Apple Peel picks up where Sprint’s iPod case left off. It looks like Yoison, the company behind the Apple Peel, is already working on a next-generation Peel that brings several additions to the table. The most apparent change is a redesigned case that makes the iPod touch look like an iPhone 4. Other changes include added support for Apple’s fourth-generation iPod touch (the current Apple Peel 520 supports the third-generation model), and GPRS data support in addition to EDGE. Unfortunately, however, it looks like 3G is still off limits. Yoison has not yet made any announcements with regard to pricing or availability. Hit the break for a video of the new model in action.

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What’s this? It looks like the gang over at Engadget have played a game of I Spy with and aluminum mockup of Apple’s second-generation iPad, the iPad 2. The owner of the aluminum slug is case maker Dexim, who is at CES showing off a new case for the next iPad that incorporates a Bluetooth keyboard. It is unclear whether the milled body-double was provided by Apple or machined by Dexim, but it does seem to confirm several of the rumors we’ve been hearing. The pictured mockup, and case, have a space for both a rear and front-facing camera, rear speaker-grill on the device’s lower right, and tapered edges (similar to those on the iPod touch). Dexim says the next iPad will be slightly thinner than the current model with the volume rocker and mute switch retaining the same positions. Have a look for yourself and let us know what you think.

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