iPhone Accessories

The long wait is over for iPhone gaming enthusiasts. Finally the iControlPad, a concept that first surfaced in May 2008 is available for order and shipping next week. The device has two clamps that snap on around any model of iPhone, instantly giving the phone portable gaming controls.

iControlPad works with other smartphones as well thanks to Bluetooth connectivity. Essentially the accessory holds the device of your choice in place and provides a digital d-pad, two analog nubs, six front buttons and two rear buttons. At 1500 mAh, the battery in the iControlPad can even charge your iPhone with a USB cable.

One of the highlights of the Macworld Expo this year is a product from Studio Neat, the Glif iPhone 4 stand. This simply designed stand for the iPhone does just about anything you'd want a stand to do with a compact and portable form factor.

Glif is made of rubberized plastic and easily attaches to a caseless iPhone 4 in a variety of positions. Stand up the device vertically or horizontally for calling with speakerphone, FaceTime or watching video. The Glif even features a standard 1/4 inch brass thread for tripod mounting when taking photos. The stand is lightweight and just slides directly onto the iPhone 4 to grip the device in whatever direction is needed for your purpose.

The iPhone has many advantages over standard office phones, but one of them isn't comfort. Spending a large portion of your work day on the phone requires a decent desk phone that can be easily held. For those looking to integrate their iPhone with an office phone, AltiGen Communications showed off their iFusion SmartStation at the Macworld Expo.

The dock comes in white or black and instantly converts your iPhone into a standard desk phone. With a built-in USB cable the iPhone can be charged and synced while docked. Bluetooth connects the iPhone and with A2DP streaming iPhone music can be played using the SmartStation speaker.

Maybe you've never heard of OBD-II. Simply put, this On-Board Diagnostic system is a computer found on cars built after 1996. Now the data collected by this computer can now be accessed by the Griffin CarTrip On-Board Diagnostic Computer Reader. But why would anyone need this data on their iPhone?

Well for one you can find out exactly why your "check engine" light is on by retrieving the code, even reset the lamp without going to a garage. This alone could save some money, but performance monitoring can help save gas, too.

Ever forget to sync your iPhone? Tired of waiting for the backups to complete when you just want to add a few iTunes songs to your iPod app? Enter the SuperHero Dock Backup and Charger for iPhone, revealed at CES 2011. This puppy comes with an SD card built-in and backs up your iPhone effortlessly.

Every time you dock the iPhone to charge, the SuperHero will make an incremental backup of your contacts and photos. The SD card is 4GB and can be replaced with a larger capacity card. More than one iPhone can also be backed up using the SuperHero.