The Griffin cable uses the Panasonic eXport port standard, which is approved by Apple under the "Works with iPhone" and "Made for iPod" programs. The eXport port technology is now available for licensing by other in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems manufacturers.

The port allows the IFE system to access and display the iPhone/iPod's multimedia content. as well as navigate through the user playlists, and content-metadata like artists or genre. Right now, you can find it in United Airlines—only in first class—and Continental Airlines' new Boeing 777s.

Hopefully, all airlines will now start including these ports in every single airplane seat out there, which would give me an excuse to stop flirting with stewardesses. If I were living in the sexy, glamorous, and not-very-SFW 70s, that is. [Runway Girl]

By taking advantage of iPhone OS 3.0's app integration, the iTrip accessory let's you fiddle with your touchscreen rather than buttons on a tiny accessory:

Users connect iTrip to their iPhone or iPod touch running iPhone OS 3.0, open the app, and are greeted with a large, simple display showing tuning controls and a SmartScan button, Griffin's trademark technology that instantly locates the best available frequency.

The iTrip accessory is available for $50, while the corresponding app is free in the App Store. [Griffin]

Priceless Picks: Don't let the advertising-crap-app appearance of Priceless Picks turn you off—this free download, branded all over with Mastercard, is great. It combines loads of data collected from a number of sources, including user submissions and Amazon's Mechanical Turk army, to give wide-ranging recommendations for things to do, eat, drink or experience wherever you happen to be. There are other apps that do similar things, yes, but the dataset on this one already seems strong, the scope—not just restaurants, not just a particular company's establishments—is healthy, and the 3D map presentation is fantastically cool, and surprisingly smooth.

Griffin iFM Radio Browser: A lot of people will download this assuming it's a streaming radio app—it's something else entirely, and actually quite exciting: iFM polls your location to come up with a list of local terrestrial radio stations, providing you with access to song titles, album art, artist info and purchase links for whatever's playing on your FM station of choice. Think of it as augmented radio.

It's also one of the earliest examples of accessory integration for OS 3.0, featuring a software interface for Griffin's Navigate inline iPod remote, which has a built-in radio. Free. (The app, not the accessory. Sorry.)

Snore Patrol: Leave this app running overnight and it'll provide a decibel readout of whatever weird nostril/sinus/lung business goes down in the duration. The idea is to present a snoring partner with graphical proof of their terrible flaw, which will in turn guilt them into doing something about it. It's funny, but the pink interface and lady-oriented marketing is disheartening. Women snore too! MUST WE MEN SUFFER IN SILENCE? Your gynocentric passive aggressiveness: Free.

Squash the Street : If the economy's got you down, and you're vaguely upset about some fatcats on Wall Street, or at your banks, or something, why not direct a little bit of your pent-up aggression and/or depression into your iPhone? That's what Squash the Street is for: Pure, possibly misguided venting. Neat 3D-ish graphics give this ultra-timely voodoo doll a bit of longevity. A dollar.

Cyclops: Barcode scanning apps are a no-brainer for modern smartphones: just snap a picture of a product's label, and they'll pull down a plethora of information. That's exactly what Cyclops does. It's not the first, but it's the first designed around the iPhone 3GS's new camera, which has good enough macro skills to make such an app truly useful. Free. [Via TUAW]

iMetal: There are many rules by which app developers live, some written, some not. One of the most powerful is the mandate that no hardware feature on any version of the iPhone shall go unused, or perhaps more accurately, unexploited. The iPhone 3GS utilizes a magnetometer for its compass, meaning that it can detect when certain metals are nearby, and that someone could theoretically make an app that acts as a sort of makeshift metal detector. And since nothing stays theoretical for more than a week in the App Store, someone has: it's called iMetal, and it'll tell you when you're iPhone is next to a giant piece or iron, or hovering somewhere near a neodymium magnet. As an actual metal detector, it's basically useless; as a party trick, it's pretty neat. A dollar.

The Typography Manual: To most, this app will seem esoteric, or at worst, plain boring. To type nerds, however, this is like kerned, serifed manna from heaven. As its name implies, it's something of a typography primer and history lesson, but on top of that, it's a visual glossary, a collection of clever type tools, a directory of keyboard combinations for special symbols, and quite a bit more. Five dollars.

World of Warcraft Mobile Armory: Anyone who doesn't play WoW won't know what this is, and doesn't need to. Anyone who does can download it for free.

This Week's App News On Giz:

• Portal Gets Played On an iPhone, Sort Of

• Comcast's iPhone App Does More Than TV Listings

• Google Now Finds Stuff Nearby Using Your Location in Mobile Safari

• Pizza Hut's iPhone App Makes Pizza Ordering Easier, More Gimmicky

• iPhone Server Farm Puts Old Models To Good Use

• TwitVid for iPhone 3GS: Guess What It Does?

• TomTom's GPS-Enhancing Car Adapter Should Work With The iPod Touch

• Worms For iPhone: Same Game, Worse Controls

• TuneWiki for iPhone Is Now Fully Armed and Operational

This list is in no way definitive. If you've spotted a great app that hit the store this week, give us a heads up or, better yet, your firsthand impressions in the comments. And for even more apps: see our previous weekly roundups here, and check out our Favorite iPhone Apps Directory and our original iPhone App Review Marathon. Have a good weekend everybody.

The Powerblock is an AC charger that can power-up any USB rechargeable device—including your iPhone or iPod Touch. But the interesting part is that it also features a removable battery pack that delivers backup power when you need it (the reserve pack only works with iPods and iPhones). There is also a car charger version, the PowerJolt Reserve, that functions in the same way.

Griffin's PowerBlock Reserve and PowerJolt Reserve are $39.99 each. They can also be purchased together as the PowerDuo Reserve for $59.99.

New USB Car and AC Chargers Offer Removable Reserve Battery for iPod and iPhone

NASHVILLE, TN - May 12, 2009 -Griffin Technology Inc., creator of all things iPod and iPhone, today announced the availability of both the PowerBlock Reserve and PowerJolt Reserve. Also available is PowerDuo Reserve, a bundle packaging of both PowerBlock Reserve and PowerJolt Reserve. These products offer the reliability of Griffin's popular power solutions with the added feature of a detachable battery pack.

PowerBlock Reserve and PowerJolt Reserve charge any USB-rechargeable device, including iPhone, iPod and most MP3 players. PowerBlock Reserve is an AC charger with a detachable, rechargeable battery pack; PowerJolt Reserve plugs directly into the car's cigarette lighter or 12 V DC power outlet and also features a portable battery. Users with a need for both home and car solutions may purchase PowerDuo Reserve, a bundle packaging that contains both PowerBlock Reserve and PowerJolt Reserve at a price lower than purchasing both independently.

The detachable battery for each product, Griffin Reserve Battery Pack, is rechargeable and snaps easily into the dock connector of the iPod or iPhone. For added play time and convenience, the Reserve Battery Pack is interchangeable between PowerBlock Reserve and PowerJolt Reserve for easy recharging on the go. Individually packaged Reserve battery packs will soon be available for purchase directly from Griffin Technology.

"The new PowerBlock Reserve, PowerJolt Reserve, and PowerDuo Reserve offer users a charging solution for the home, in the car and on-the-go," said Mark Rowan, Director of Product Development at Griffin Technology. "With the convenience of the removable battery pack, iPod and iPhone users will never have to find themselves without power again."

Key Features:

* Charges iPhone, iPod, most MP3 players and other USB-chargeable devices
* Removable Reserve Battery Pack provides additional hours of use time for iPod and iPhone
* Removable Griffin Reserve Battery Pack is interchangeable between the PowerJolt Reserve and PowerBlock Reserve
* Additional Reserve Battery Packs, available late Spring, 2009, provide added freedom and flexibility
* Lighted meter on Reserve Battery Pack indicates remaining power

Pricing and Availability
Griffin's PowerBlock Reserve and PowerJolt Reserve are each $39.99, and PowerDuo Reserve is $59.99. PowerJolt Reserve and PowerDuo Reserve are now shipping and available through Apple; all models in Griffin's Reserve product line are coming soon to www.griffintechnology.com and other major retailers nationwide.

[Griffin]

The Price: $30

The Verdict: For the most part, it works. The cigarette 12V adapter in my car does not charge my iPhone 3G correctly, but if I plug in through this converter, everything's great.

The problem comes from the fact that it's a pass-through, so if you're not careful, the adapter (and the charger) might snap off if bent too far in one direction. It also is awkward if you're plugging your iPhone into this, and then into a dock from the top without proper support. There's also the matter of it obstructing certain types of iPod/iPhone holders since they weren't designed to have something in-between the connectors.

But as for being able to convert Firewire charging devices to USB charging devices, yeah, it works with most devices, but there were two "older" docks that we checked that it didn't work with. So YMMV, since there are so many different iPod docks and chargers that have been made in the last five years. [Griffin]

Great when it works

Blocks or otherwise awkwardly arranges docking in certain chargers and accessories

Doesn't work with all older docks and chargers, which makes this moot if you've got one of the devices it doesn't work with

The Amplifi is a utilitarian machine, but it has excellent sound for a budget iPod dock—probably because it's built upon a real wood case. And it's just inconceivable to me that you will do any better for $50. Just keep in mind that it cannot charge a (newer?) iPhone or an iPod touch (though it will play their music), which will probably be a dealbreaker for at least a few of you. [Buy via GearDiary]

Griffin Technology Announces TuneBuds Mobile and SmartTalk Updates

Updated Earphone & Mic Solutions Now Extend Recording Capabilities

NASHVILLE, TN - November 10, 2008 - Griffin Technology Inc., creator of all things iPod and iPhone, today announced the availability of updated versions of their TuneBuds Mobile and SmartTalk audio solutions for iPhone and iPod. TuneBuds Mobile and SmartTalk are now both equipped with inline microphones compatible with iPhone, iPod nano 4G, iPod touch 2G and iPod classic 120 GB

"We upgraded TuneBuds Mobile and SmartTalk so that both iPod and iPhone users alike can record audio and enjoy a superior listening experience," said Mark Rowan, Director of Product Development at Griffin Technology. "With so many great apps coming out on iTunes such as our recent iTalk Recorder application, we wanted to offer iPod users the ability to enjoy those apps that require an external mic."

TuneBuds Mobile offers great-sounding earphones with crisp, clear highs and powerful, deep bass. The buds fit the ear snugly, with washable ear cushions in a selection of sizes, and conform to the ear for maximum comfort and sound isolation. Built-in is Griffin's ControlMic, a high-sensitivity microphone and control button. Griffin has even given thought to the cord, made of nylon braiding for strength, good looks, tangle-resistance, and durability.

SmartTalk is a headphone adapter solution with the same great microphone and control button features as TuneBuds Mobile, but which allows users to plug in their own favorite earphones. The noise-canceling microphone ensures clean recording and conversations, and the ControlMic button allows convenient Play, Pause and Skip forward controls. SmartTalk features a 30" cable sheathed in nylon braiding.

[Tunebuds and SmartTalk]

The Price: $70 list, $40 on Amazon

The Verdict: It does exactly what it sets out to do—combine three common USB devices into one gadget. I never use the dock that came with my iPhone EDGE—since my laptop is my primary machine, it always felt like a waste to plug the cable into the dock and the USB to my computer only for a quick charge or sync when I could just attach the cable itself. But with the Simplifi, there is obviously more of a reason to use a dock, because it knocks out the flimsy individual SD and CF card readers I was previously using, and frees up two additional USB ports. A rubberized bottom and just enough bulk ensures it stays put on the desktop, and its Apple TV/Mac Mini design cues make it not too much of an eye-sore, unlike most USB hubs and readers.

It comes with docking trays that mate with the whole of the current iPod/iPhone line plus the 2nd and 3rd-gen Nanos, the color-screen video iPod classics and all of the Shuffles, and a DC power adapter for hook-ups that need more than just bus power, which also works fine for smaller USB gadgets. Its card reader functions are great—fast speeds, and support for the only cards I ever use: CF and SDHC/SD and its associated mini version via adapters.

One drawback is that it does not include the audio line-out found in Apple's $30 dock (which no longer comes bundled with any iPods/iPhones), so if you use that, Simplifi may not be for you. A third USB port also would have been nice (there's room on the back), and at a list price of $70 it's a little steep, but $40 at Amazon is a sweet deal, considering it's just a $10 premium over Apple's dock. It's available now. [Griffin]

To be honest, I'm pretty skeptical about that claim, but at least it won't break the bank at only $20. Although, that is probably more than I would want to pay for a dock that may only to a decent job of amplifying sound and is not capable of charging your phone (unless you buy a separate dock cable). [Griffin via Reg Hardware]

The Price: $29.99

The Verdict: It works, but only under specific conditions. Here's what the numbers mean (highlighted lower numbers closer to 0 are better). When you're talking with the phone up to your face, having the ClearBoost on it increases the signal quite noticeably. An increase of 3 dBm doubles the amount of "RF energy reaching the iPhone's built-in antenna," which means that in the better reception spot, the case increased that energy by a little over four times. In the slightly worse spot, it increased it about four times.

We saw the opposite effect when we placed the case on a desk and didn't touch it. A real world scenario is if you're talking on a Bluetooth headset but not holding your phone. In the better reception area, the case just barely degraded the signal, and was close enough to call a statistical tie. In the slightly worse reception area, it actually degraded signal by four times when placed onto a desk.

Here's why we think the ClearBoost works. When you're talking on your iPhone with the phone held up to your face normally, your hand is covering up the antenna on the phone—which is inconveniently designed by Apple to be located on the bottom, behind the black plastic area. The Clearboost helps eliminate that problem by essentially "moving" the antenna to the top where your hand isn't. When the phone is on a desk and your hand isn't covering the standard iPhone antenna, at best there's no benefit, but at worst it actually degrades your reception.

In the interest of completeness, we wanted to see how the reception was if we held the phone up to our face without the case, but holding the phone gingerly at the top, trying not to cover up the antenna. As we thought, reception was better there than when we held it "normally", but slightly worse than when we were using the case. It's super inconvenient to hold a phone like this, however, and isn't really feasible to do much of the time.

The Aesthetics: It's a decent enough hard plastic case that doesn't add too much bulk to your phone. The antenna on top may be a little protrud-y, but it's necessary for obvious reasons. All the buttons and ports are accessible, and you can dock your phone in most docks without much problem.

The Notes: One thing to note is Griffin explicitly states that the ClearBoost only works if you have your phone on the AT&T network, which uses the 850 MHz band. If you're on T-Mobile, which primarily uses the 1900 MHz band but roams occasionally onto 850 MHz depending on where you are, you'll get less benefit. We tested this on AT&T. Richard from Wireless Info also notes that the signal/noise ratio is important, and that more dBm might not mean better sound quality.

The Testing Procedure: We didn't test with how many bars the phone gets, because how many bars it gets is only a rough display and doesn't go up or down completely based on the "signal". Testing using the iPhone's Field Test app shows how strong the actual signal is in dBm, which measures in terms of amount of "RF energy reaching the iPhone's built-in antenna." Each number in the chart is an average of five to seven samples.

The Bottom Line: If your reception's no good and you often talk with your phone up to your face, the Griffin ClearBoost will give you a bump in signal. If you talk with a Bluetooth headset more often than not, you might want to skip this. At $30, it's probably too cheap to pass up. [Griffin]

That having been said, you could always get yourself a JVC NX-PN7 and enjoy multiple iPod docks and playback capability starting this April. The Powerdock is expected to be released in two models: the four-slot version featured above for $70 this April, and a two-slot model following for $50 in June. [Crave]

• How long do the speakers last when they are away from their dock?
In my test, they ran for over 13 hours, nearly 14 actually. I had both speakers about 20+ feet away from the source, in my combo kitchen/dining room, where we could enjoy music while preparing dinner (linguini with Batali-style clam sauce and Sicilian broccoli, plus homemade creme brulee for dessert) and eating it.• How far can the speakers be from the base and still make sound?
Griffin says 150 feet, and I think that's probably right. It uses 433MHz 900MHz RF, and I was able to carry them pretty far on two separate occasions, and even when I started to lose signal, I could stand still and the signal would smooth out. I think the real answer is: they go as far as you're going to need them to. Best of all, the iPod-controlling remote which uses 433MHz RF works at that range too, so they can follow the speakers to the ends of the earth your property. See me way out in the yard, while the dock is safely inside:• What's the deal with the video outputs? (UPDATED)
There are both S-Video out and composite out. They work with older video-enabled iPods, but not with iPod classics, nanos or touches (or iPhones, for that matter). You don't get much quality from those connections, so you should really aim for small-screen viewing. The wireless is still a convenience, however: if you don't connect the audio output to a TV, you can still hear everything through the speakers. And guess what? There's no annoying out-of-sync latency issue that I can detect.

• So what's the problem?
Sound quality, sound quality, sound quality. Don't get me wrong: For a wireless system, these sound damn good, way better than the Bluetooth stuff I've heard from the likes of Logitech and Belkin, and even Radio Shack's smart Accurian powerline setup. But compared to other docks, there's a lot of high end and not a lot of mids or lows. If you have it turned down too low, it gets tinny, and there's no real satisfying way to enjoy rap music on it.

The bottom line is this: I was blown away by this product as a super-simple zero-setup way to get background sound to places where it matters the most, like the dining room or the patio. Seriously, I will probably buy one of these for just those reasons, even at $300. But when I'm all alone and want to rock out, I would need to seek an alternate source of sonic satisfaction, cuz I won't get it from the Evolve. [Griffin Evolve]
Oh, and special thanks to my dad for the two shots that I'm in.