AT&T going to offer mobile hotspot on iPhone 4 starting March 11th, requires usual $45 data plan

Though it was kind of implied during the iPad 2 event yesterday when we learned that the GSM (that is, non-Verizon) version of the iPhone 4 would be getting iOS 4.3 with mobile hotspot capability on March 11th, we've doubly confirmed with AT&T today that the carrier will be offering the feature right out of the gate -- a departure from the tethering delay of days gone by. Naturally, you'll need the tethering feature added to your account, a $20 surcharge over the standard 2GB DataPro plan for a grand total of $45 with a 4GB bucket. Makes the extra coin a little easier to swallow over cabled and Bluetooth tethering alone, we suppose.

Apple's new Digital AV Adapter: what it will do and won't do

Apple introduced the iPad 2 today and along with it rolled out a few new accessories to accompany its new tablet. One new cable to hit the retail shelves is the Digital AV adapter which can be used to pipe content from your iOS device to your TV. Not just iPad 2-specific, the adapter is compatible with the iPhone 4, the original iPad, and the 4th generation iPod touch (although it is somewhat limited on those devices, see below).

One side of the adapter plugs into the 30-pin connector on your iOS device while the other connects to an HDMI cable attached to your HDTV. Right next to the HDMI plug is as a second 30-pin connector that lets you charge your iOS device while you are connected to your TV. When you purchase the adapter, don't forget to have a spare HDMI cable as the adapter is packaged alone in its box.

Before you grab one of these adapters, take note that there is a major difference in functionality between the iPad 2 and the older iOS devices. The iPad 2 is the only device that supports mirroring and 1080p HD. With the second generation tablet, you can send your apps, presentations, websites, and more to your HDTV in full HD. The only exception is movies which are streamed at 720p. The iPhone 4, iPod touch 4th gen and iPad will only push over 720p-quality slideshows and movies. The adapter will also send over digital audio to TVs that support this feature.

The Digital AV adapter will be available for $40 from the Apple online store and in Apple retail stores when the iPad 2 becomes available on March 11.

AT&T will get iPhone Personal Hotspot with iOS 4.3 on March 11

AT&T on Wednesday night confirmed with Electronista that it would start supporting the Personal Hotspot feature in sync with the launch of iOS 4.3. Subscribers will have the same support as Verizon customers when the update pushes out to the GSM iPhone 4 on March 11. Pricing should stay the same as for basic tethering and will need its new DataPro hotspot/tethering plan, which combines 4GB of total data with connection sharing for $45.

The pricing puts it on par with Verizon's own combined strategy except for flexibility. Verizon's plan has unlimited data on-device, but users can't draw more than 2GB while in hotspot or tethered mode without an overage. AT&T's plan is capped on all devices, but those who tether or use the hotspot often will have up to twice as much room. International carriers are still offering better deals, and Canadians will get free hotspot creation on plans that already included tethering at no extra charge.

Adopting the hotspot so quickly is a contrast with AT&T's initial approach to direct tethering. The carrier promised tethering would come to its version of the iPhone soon after iOS 3.0 brought it about but didn't make it available until a year later, after many carriers in other countries had already enabled it. Lingering concerns about the 3G network's ability to handle the load were considered the driving factor, but its then-unlimited plans may have played their own role.

iSkin's revo4 Special Edition has a ViSOR -- Answer calling and stay protected

I'll get this right out of the way -- I'm not a real fan of silicone gel cases or anything that covers up my beautiful iPhone 4 screen. On the other hand, I've been extremely fortunate and have not fumbled my phone onto hard surfaces. For those who do like the somewhat sticky feel and cushioned protection provided by silicone cases,iSkin has introduced the new revo4 Special Edition ($44.99), now with a ViSOR.

Paging Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge To The Bridge

The ViSOR that iSkin has come up with for the revo4 SE is definitely different from the vision prosthetic that was a popular (except with actor LaVar Burton) prop on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

While Geordi's VISOR was a high-tech tool that allowed the blind Enterprise Chief Engineer to see well beyond the usual visual spectrum, the iSkin ViSOR is a snap-on smoked plastic shield with a small window in it. That window sits over "slide to unlock" area on an iPhone 4 display, and it is made of a material that allows you to answer or unlock the phone while still keeping the screen covered.

The entire ViSOR can be popped off and then attached to the back of the revo4 SE if you want it to stay out of the way. The touch-friendly area responds as advertised to swipes, and answering the phone with the ViSOR attached is a breeze.

Gallery: iSkin revo4 SE case with ViSOR

• 
• 
• 
• 

Other Features

The revo4 Special Edition with the ViSOR does provide a lot of protection. The Home button is covered by a silicone dot in the color of the case and the on / off / sleep button, volume buttons, and even the Dock Connector port are covered as well. The port has a door (shall we call it the shuttle bay door?) that can be opened for docking.

As with most of iSkin's cases, the revo4 SE comes with a free iSkin antistatic cleaning wipe and a cloth to keep your screen smudge-free, as well as a few iSkin decals. The revo4 SE only comes in one color -- Renegade (red and black with a tinted ViSOR) -- but the regular revo4 is available for $5 less in Falcon (dark brown and white), Hornet (dark brown and yellow), Lush (pink and black) and Nighthawk (dark brown and black). If you want a clear ViSOR for the non-SE versions of the revo4, you'll have to cough up another $10.

What's Not To Like?

Now that I've described the revo4 SE case, I'll tell you what I don't like about it and most other silicone cases -- they look cheap. I'm sorry, but if I'm going to spend an arm and a leg for a nice looking phone, I want something that really looks nice on my iPhone 4. iSkin has many other cases that are much more attractive. The silicone material picks up dust way too easily, which means that you not only have an unattractive case, but one with little dots of dust on it as well.

I also see the ViSOR feature as something that's going to fall off of the iPhone or have one of the attaching "wings" break off. If it's not an integral part of the case, it's going to get lost or broken. As it was, while using the included cleaning cloth to clear smudges off of the ViSOR I was able to put a number of small scratches into the plastic. If it scratches that much in cleaning, I shudder to think what's going to happen during real-life use in someone's pocket or purse.

To be honest with you, I find it hard to believe that the company that makes this product is the same that created one of the best-looking folio cases for the iPad -- the iSkin Aura. The revo4 design team could definitely use some lessons in designing attractive cases from the Aura folks.

Conclusion

My personal bias against silicone cases aside, the iSkin revo4 SE does exactly what it is supposed to do -- it protects your iPhone 4. Considering that you can get an off-brand silicone iPhone 4 case for as little as $1.88 on Amazon, I'm not sure that paying an additional $37 - $42 for a plastic snap-on lid with a "touch-friendly" groove is really all that worthwhile. If you really need protection for your investment, there are many other iPhone 4 cases that are much more attractive, less gimmicky and definitely less expensive.

HOT ! Forget the white iPhone 4, white iPhone 5 rumors begin!

It's the perfect rumor: the officially delayed and frequently tattled white iPhone 4 has reemerged as the white iPhone 5 riding a horned stallion through virgin rumor fields. According to the Economic Daily News, the previously unheard of white iPhone 5 will feature a touch panel supplied exclusively by Wintek. If true, then the white iPhone 4, officially scheduled for a spring 2011 launch, should be available just prior to the launch of the next generation white iPhone 5, anticipated for a summer launch in keeping with Apple's typical launch cycle. Not exactly ideal, but hey, it's only the first of many related rumors to come. 

iFrogz iPhone 4 cases work with Verizon phones -- we're now giving away four

No sooner had we heard about the minute differences in the design of the Verizon (CDMA) iPhone 4 than the TUAW inbox began filling up with news of cases that would work with both the original GSM/AT&T iPhone 4 and also with the Verizon models. Some of the first VZW-compatible iPhone 4 cases we've actually laid hands on come from iFrogz, one of the long-time iPhone accessory manufacturers.

To celebrate the release of both the Verizon iPhone 4 and the ability of the iFrogz cases to work with anyiPhone 4, TUAW is giving away four of the protective beauties. What do we have on hand? From left to right in the image above:

• For the car fanatic, there's the US$19.99 SiliconeTreadz case. It's a 100% silicone case with a tire tread pattern, and is treated with anti-dust technology.
• For someone who likes a soft feel to their iPhone case, there's the $29.99 LuxeOriginal. It's a hard plastic case in gray and black with a soft-touch finish.
• For the person who wants a hard case with an attractive etched pattern, consider the $24.99 SoftGloss Phase. It's clear and blue with a spiraling pattern of dots, and the Apple logo on the back of the iPhone 4 shines through.
• For protection and style, the $29.99 Swerve may be the case for you. It has a nice sleek exterior and a colorful (powder blue to dark blue) hard plastic insert for two layers of protection.

For our giveaway, all you need to do is leave us a comment with your choice of one of these four cool iFrogz cases, and you'll have a chance to win (no guarantee that you'll get the one you want, but we'll try to accommodate your wishes).

Here are the rules for the giveaway:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter, leave a comment telling us your choice of one of the four iFrogz cases listed in this post.
• The comment must be left before Monday, February 21 2011 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time.
• You may enter only once.
• Four winners will be selected and will receive an iFrogz iPhone 4 case (value listed in the post)

NBA JAM by EA Review

In a surprise release by EA Sports, the storied NBA Jam franchise has made its way to the iTunes App Store completely intact. This iOS port has all of the playable characters you’d expect from the console versions of the game, including special characters like mascots and political figures like President Obama and Sarah Palin. The classic two-on-two game comes packed with a campaign mode, dozens of challenges that allow you to unlock legendary players, and a classic “play now” option for whenever you feel like dunking a burning basketball over the enlarged heads of some AI opponents.

Obama is heating up...

NBA Jam uses three virtual buttons (turbo, jump/shoot, and steal/shove) as well as a virtual stick for movement, and that all works surprisingly well. With that established, I can now ramble on about how incredible this game’s presentation is.

Everything from the way players move to the shouting announcer who knows the names of every single player (“Obama goes for the three-pointer!”) smacks of a game that should cost far more than $5, especially by App Store standards. Big head mode is hilarious (as always), and it was hard not to yell “BOOMSHAKALAKA” every time I leapt over a dude to dunk my flaming ball in the net. It’s goofy, but also really enjoyable on a “gamey” level. You really feel like you’ve accomplished something when you pull of a three-pointer shot or an epic, high-flying alley-oop.

The problem is the lack of multiplayer. This game does so much right, and then it completely overlooks what is arguably the most important feature to the franchise. Whenever people think of NBA Jam they undoubtedly think of on-the-couch versus matches and co-op comp stomps, and while that isn’t really possible on the iPhone because of its screen size, it would’ve been nice if they at least included local wi-fi multiplayer, much less online. Here’s hoping that comes in an update.

It might not have multiplayer, but there are a ridiculous number of challenges to play through as well as a lengthy campaign that you’ll want to try out on numerous difficulty settings. Even after all that, playing against AI opponents should keep you occupied for a good, long time.

NBA Jam costs $4.99, and (as I said before) that seems too cheap to be true. Aside from its unfortunate lack of two-player options, this is a complete package that controls beautifully and has production values that could easily rival that of the Wii version’s. Even if you’re not a huge NBA fan, this is a basketball game that can stand on its own based purely on the fun offered by its mechanics.

When you design a smartphone that’s encased in glass, there will naturally be concerns about the durability of said phone. Though the iPhone 4 has, by most accounts, held up perfectly fine despite its glassy nature, there seems to be increasing demand for heavy-duty cases that can quite literally turn the iPhone 4 into a wall-piercing projectile. In non-military-grade case-related news, more and more manufacturers are releasing Verizon iPhone 4-compatible models—no big surprise there—and beautiful, carved wooden cases seem to be making a comeback. Read on for this week’s scoop on new iPhone 4 cases.

Griffin Technology

If you’re planning on keeping your iPhone on you during military basic training, you might want to opt for Griffin’s Survivor case($50). Part of Griffin’s new Armored series of cases, the Survivor case has been designed and tested to meet or exceed U.S. and U.K. military standards. Its shatter-resistant polycarbonate frame is clad in rugged, shock absorbing silicon and includes a built-in screen protector as well as hinged plugs that seal the openings for the dock-connector port, headphone jack, Ring/Silent switch and volume controls. This allows the case to withstand extreme conditions of dirt, sand, rain, shock, vibration, and other environmental hazards. If you want more proof of the Survivor case’s durability, you can check out an entertaining video at Griffin’s Website that depicts a Survivor-encased iPhone being thrown off hills, tossed across hard floors, and thrownthrough office walls.

Miniot

Miniot's Cobra case

Miniot has three new additions to its über-classy line of iWood cases. The Contour ($189) consists of a richly textured wenge base outlined with a band of white maple. The Cobra 4 ($176) uses the contrasting wood species of maple and wenge to form a striking, striped design. And if you go through the trouble (and expense) of purchasing a fancy wooden case, you might as well pick up a wooden dock to match, right? The iWood4 ($26) is a classy wooden dock that accommodates Apple's USB-to-dock-connector cable and matches perfectly with iWood's cases; it's available in Padouk, Walnut, and Wenge wood.

Root Cases

Root Cases's Walnut Case

In case the company’s namesake didn’t clue you in, Root Cases’s iPhone 4 cases are made of wood from four different kinds of trees. You can choose from a case made of Walnut ($59), which is hard, dense, and smoothly polished; Zebrawood, a hard, textured wood that gets its name from its distinct, Zebra-like patterns; Wenge ($59), a distinctive tropical wood with a rich, dark color; and Bamboo ($59), a very hard, light-colored wood that's particularly popular with Pandas.

Tunewear

Tunewear's PRIE Ambassador iPhone 4 Leather Case

Tunewear's PRIE Ambassador iPhone 4 Leather Case ($53; available from USBFever) is made from smooth, genuine leather, and offers full protection of the back and sides of your iPhone. The case holds your iPhone in place with a velcro side latch that allows for easy removal. The back of the case features a cardholder ideal for keeping your credit cards or ID card within easy reach. The case also comes with the Tunehook, a removable carabiner-style hook that lets you latch the case to just about anything, including a belt loop or bag.

Wall Street Journal backs up about 'iPhone nano' rumor

We may be in for quite the shakeup of the iOS world if Ethan Smith's new article in the Wall Street Journal has any weight to it. Smith makes some pretty bold claims about a new, less-expensive iPhone which he states has an edge-to-edge screen and weighs quite a bit less than the current iPhone 4. 

This lines up pretty well with a lot of the 'iPhone Nano' rumors we've been seeing for years, and it's certainly intriguing to see the Wall Street Journal putting its stamp on the story.

Presumably, this smaller iPhone would behave more like a data "access point" than a place to store all of your music, movies, and books. Those, says Smith, could be managed by Apple's MobileMe service (which would be turning into a free cloud computing service alongside the launch of the new phone), therefore eliminating the need for large amounts of storage space on the actual device. How well this would work is a topic still up for debate, but you know how it goes: Apple always finds a way.

I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what Jobs (or Cook) has up his sleeve in the coming months. The WSJ article hints at a summer release for both the micro phone and the revamped MobileMe service.