Windows Phone Central Roundup: Nokia Lumia 900 Skin Cases

Windows Phone Central's Roundup of Skin Cases for the Nokia Lumia 900

Over the past few months, we've taken a look at a nice assortment of skin cases for the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone. We had a request to roundup all these cases under one roof and felt like it would be a good detour from the apps and games.

So this week we'll take a break from our typical roundup to take a look at some of the better skin cases for the Nokia Lumia 900.  Some of these cases offer a considerable amount of protection while others are more for cosmetics.  Some are hard shells, some are gel skins, and others are a combination of the two. Next week we'll get back to the games and apps, but for now on with the accessories.

Otterbox Commuter: Like many of the cases in today's roundup, the Otterbox Commuter is a two piece shell of a case for your Lumia 900. The case consists of a rubber skin that wraps snugly around your Lumia 900 and a hard plastic shell that pops into place around the rubber skin. Rubber extensions cover the buttons and cutouts are present for the headphone jack, micro-usb port and speaker. A rubber flap is in place to cover the micro-usb port to protect it from grit and grime.

The Otterbox Commuter offers a decent amount of protection but (and we'll see this with all the cases) with noticeable bulk. The nice thing about the Commuter is that the added bulk is minimal, striking a nice balance. If you're looking for the most protection with the least amount of bulk, the Commuter might be the case for you.

The Otterbox Commuter is currently being offered here at the Windows Phone Central Accessory Store for $31.95 and comes in black and gray.

Amzer Shellster: The Amzer Shellster is one of the many one piece shells that wraps around your Lumia 900 to protect the body from bumps and scrapes. Additionally, the shell case is paired with a belt clip holder with a clip that can be propped open to create a stand.

The Lumia 900's buttons are exposed as is the camera. The Shellster has an open top to expose the headphone jack and micro-USB port and a cutout to the bottom exposes the speaker.

The Amzer Shellster doesn't add much bulk to the Lumia 900 but it also doesn't have much padding to protect the Lumia from drops. The interior of the belt clip is lined with felt to protect the screen but the main focus of protection is from scrapes.

The Amzer Shellster is currently running $9.95 through the end of the day here at the WPCentral Accessory Store. After which the case will return to its regularly scheduled price of $19.95.

Otterbox Defender: Where the Otterbox Commuter offers a nice level of protection with a manageable increase in bulk to the Lumia 900, the Defender offers maximum protection while adding the most bulk to the 900.

The Defender approaches things in reverse with a hard shell case that snaps into place around the Lumia 900 and then a rubber skin wraps around the hard plastic shell. A clear screen protects the screen of the Lumia 900 and the interior shell is padded. The entire case then snaps nicely into a belt holder.

Rubber extensions cover the side buttons, cut outs expose the speaker and camera with rubber flaps covering the micro USB and headphone jack. I can see the Defender come in handy when camping, working construction or any other dusty, damp, or otherwise risky environment.

The Otterbox Defender is currently available here at the Windows Phone Central Accessory Store for $39.95.

CaseMate Tough: The Case-Mate Tough is another two piece case that has a rubber skin that wraps around the Lumia 900 and a hard plastic shell wraps around the rubber skin.

As with the Otterbox series and other cases of this style the Tough case has rubber extensions to cover the buttons and cutouts for the camera, micro-USB, headphone jack and speaker. The micro-USB and headphone jack are exposed.

The Case-Mate Tough doesn't offer the amount of protection from drops (the rubber skin isn't as thick) as the Otterbox Commuter but comes close. The smoothness of the plastic shell helps to minimize the bulk the case adds to the Lumia 900.

Catch the Case-Mate Tough here at the WPCentral Accessory Store. It's currently running $29.95.

Nokia Gel Case and Bumper: When the Nokia Lumia 900 launched over at AT&T, Nokia let loose of two gel cases to give the 900 a little protection and color. You have the Nokia Gel Case which is a rubber skin case that wraps around the 900. Cutouts are present for the camera, headphone jack, micro-USB, and speaker. The 900's buttons are covered with rubber extensions.

The Bumper case is basically the Gel Case without a back. The Bumper wraps around the sides of the 900 leaving the screen and back exposed. You do have cutouts for the headphone jack, micro-USB port, and speaker. As with the Gel Case, the buttons are covered with the extensions.

While adding a touch of color to your Lumia 900, these cases offer minimal protection and bulk to the Windows Phone. The Bumper Case has a little loosey-goosey feel to it while the Gel Case fit rather nicely in place. If style is more your goal in a case and protection is riding backseat, the Nokia cases might be worth looking at.

Both are running around $10 online at AT&T's accessory store.

Ballistic Shell Gel Case: Ballistic has gotten their feet wet in offering cases for the iPhone and other smartphones. The Ballistic Shell Gel case is the companies first venture for the Lumia 900 and it's not too shabby.

As with other cases, the Shell Gel is a two piece design with a rubber skin that wraps around the Lumia 900 and a hard shell that wraps around the rubber skin. The rubber skin is built up around the corners and ends of the Lumia 900 to better protect the Windows Phone from drops. The hard shell also offers a decent amount of protection.

The downside to the Shell Gel is, as typical with most of the more protective cases, that it adds noticeable bulk to the Lumia 900's frame. Not as much as the Otterbox Defender but more than the Commuter.

If you want a little more protection than the Case-Mate Tough or Otterbox Commuter with less bulk than the Defender, the Ballistic might be your case. It is currently running $34.99 and you can pick it up directly through Ballistic.

For the most part these cases are all on even ground. The Otterbox Defender is the most protective of the bunch and being such, adds the most bulk to the Lumia 900. The Nokia Gel Case is the thinnest of the group and is more decorative than protective.

The Nokia Lumia 900 has become my primary Windows Phone and to pick just one of these cases is tough. They are all well built and vary in levels of protection and bulk. The thing that makes the choice so tough is that the Lumia 900 feels so good without a case and is rather durable on it's own. You've got Gorilla Glass and a solid, polycarbonate unibody design that can drive nails.

However, if push comes to shove and I was forced to pick just one of these cases it would be the Otterbox Commuter. I found the Commuter to have the best balance between protection and size. But it all boils down to your needs and taste. If you work in a harsh environment and want maximum protection, the Otterbox Defender may be your cup of tea. If you are a minimalist maybe the Nokia Gel Case.

If we've overlooked a case you like the best for your Nokia Lumia 900, feel free to chime in below on your recommendation.

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Weekly Accessory Roundup - Win a new BlackBerry Charging Pod for your device!

The BlackBerry Charging Pod -- by far one of my favorite and most used accessories. You can use Bedside Mode on your nightstand to view your clock and disable alerts at night, or simply have your device ready for access on your desk during the day. Charge your device without having to fumble around for the microUSB port and leave your BlackBerry ready for quick grab and go access. This accessory is one that can't be beat. Pick up one (or more!) for all your devices at ShopCrackBerry.com and keep reading for your chance to win one!

New BlackBerry Cases

New BlackBerry Chargers

New BlackBerry Headsets

New BlackBerry Bluetooth Speakers

New BlackBerry Car Kits

New BlackBerry Stylus

To enter to win a BlackBerry charging pod for your device, simply leave a comment to this blog. Contest ends this Sunday night at Midnight PST. Please, just one entry per person.

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Nokia, Windows Phone 8 and New York City – Our rumor roundup and what we are expecting

Nokia's big day has the tech-world aflutter. (Yes, we said aflutter!)

Yes folks, we’re just over half-a-day away from finally putting all of the puzzle pieces together and getting to see what Nokia has planned for the initial release of Windows Phone 8.

In turn, we figured we do a little wrap up those rumors, leaks and images to better prepare yourself for tomorrow.

Speaking of, tomorrow we will have a Live Blog during the event starting at 9:45am ET. Nokia will also be streaming the announcement, which we will have running in conjunction with our coverage (seeing as video has delays, we’ll be slightly ahead with our photos).

Afterwards, we expect some hands on time with whatever is revealed and we have an interview lined up for later in the day with Nokia. Then it’s on to the party in the evening. So grab some coffee and a seat, because it’s going to be a wild ride...

Of course this should be obvious that Nokia is preparing to release numerous new phones in the coming weeks as Windows Phone 8 launches at the end of October. The question is, how many devices are coming? The conservative estimate is two: the Lumia 820 and the Lumia 920.

The Lumia 820 ‘Arrow’ – Specifications (unconfirmed)

4.3” HD AMOLED Display with ClearBlackNFC, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, expandable memoryRemovable backplate (different colors)Wireless inductive charging (optional)8MP Carl-Zeiss rear camera, 2MP front-facing cameraDual-core 1.5GHz CPU

The Lumia 920 ‘Phi’ – Specifications (unconfirmed)

4.5 or 4.65” HD AMOLED Display with ClearBlackNFC, Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, expandable memoryWireless Inductive charging8MP Carl-Zeiss rear camera with PureView technology, 2MP front-facing cameraDual-core 1.5GHz CPU1GB of RAM, 32GB of storage

The devil is in the details though and there is actually very little in that regard. These devices will most certainly launch on AT&T so both will also feature 4G LTE and T-Mobile is expected to get the Lumia 820 ‘Arrow’ as is Verizon, but at a later date.

The big question is what are the hidden "killer features" of the 920 over the 820? There is certainly the bigger screen, perhaps more RAM and the camera with PureView technology. Speaking of…

We told you folks last week that PureView was more than just 41MP, which to be honest is a tad gimmicky (not to mention it makes that phone rather huge and expensive). That’s not to say 41MP isn’t nice, but if AT&T wants to sell this phone at $199 or cheaper in addition to having a svelte device that consumers will actually buy (we don’t see many people going for the super-chunky PureView 808), than Nokia will have to keep the megapixels in check.

Nokia got a little defensive today on this matter and we know why. The issue is the sensor size, type and the software behind it all…

For a lot of the photos you see on Windows Phone Central, they’re taken on a 12MP camera but with reduced quality (often ‘medium’ or ‘small’) yet they tend to look quite good, if we must say so ourselves. The reason? They’re taken on a Nikon D700 with a full-frame sensor—one of the biggest sensors you can get in a non-medium format DSLR. Make no mistake: it will crush anything out there, regardless of the megapixels. It’s not even debatable.

And that’s our big question for the Lumia 920: are we dealing with a standard front-side illuminated (FSI) 1/3.2" sensor or a larger 1/2.5”, or 1/1.8” that is perhaps backside illuminated (BSI)? BSI sensors are found in the iPhone and Titan II and helps dramatically with low-light performance--will Nokia finally adopt this technology?

The sensor won’t be as big as the PureView 808. That has a massive 1/1.2” gizmo in it, which is why you get that big hump. But if the Lumia 920 has something bigger than 1/3.2” in addition to or instead of a BSI sensor, then that does change things.

Throw in Nokia’s oversampling software technology that they have been developing for years in conjunction to their work with Scalado and indeed, you can do some amazing things with photos and videos, even at just 8MP. (It’s well known amongst camera enthusiasts that you don’t actually need more than 6MP unless you are cropping a lot. In fact, adding more megapixels to a tiny sensor degrades the quality as it makes it less sensitive to light, resulting in noiser photos.)

In addition to the phones, we expect Nokia to also announce and show off in person at least three accessories to complete the Lumia ecosystem:

Besides all of the above items, which are either known or we’re quite certain will be announced tomorrow (some like PlayUP and Purity Pro already have), there could be some surprises along too. Let's head into the speculation zone.

Nokia Windows 8 tablet – While no significant leaks have shown this to be the case, we may remind you that Microsoft will be in attendance. Could Nokia be show off a 7” tablet to compete with the Kindle Fire 2 later this week? There was one render that suggested maybe.Windows Phone 8 full-consumer features – With Microsoft in attendance, how could they not finally show all the features of Windows Phone 8, including things we may not have yet seen from the SDK? Windows Phone 8 SDK announcement – We’ve speculated previously that the Windows Phone 8 SDK needs to come out ASAP and this event seems like a good time to announce its availability—though we don’t necessarily mean that instant, we could imagine a rollout happening this week or next.

So that’s a refresh of what we’re expecting tomorrow here in New York City and even perhaps more so, as Nokia and Microsoft are sure to surprise everyone with these announcements.

Will they live up to the hype? Did we miss anything? We'll be asking you tomorrow, so make sure you show up and join the conversation with us.

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Windows Phone App Roundup: Password Managers

Windows Phone Central's Roundup of Password Managers

Passwords, Usernames, Account Numbers, PIN Numbers... we all have them and it can be challenging keeping track of them all and keeping that information secure. Enter our Windows Phone where apps are readily available to help us remember, manage, secure and generate passwords for all our accounts, websites, and what nots.

We recently took a look at SplashID, a password manager from the Windows Mobile days that was recently transitioned to Windows Phone. It's a decent password manager and we were curious what else was out there. Based on your comments from the SplashID review and looking at several password apps on the Marketplace ourselves, a roundup was born.

We've gathered six password managers from the Windows Phone Marketplace that could be worthy alternatives to SplashID. As with any roundup, if a title doesn't make the short list it isn't a reflection of that app. We just have so much time in the day and space in the column. If we've missed your personal favorite, chime in down below in the comments.

Sky Wallet (free trial/$3.99): As the title suggests, Sky Wallet is a mobile wallet that holds all your banking, password, and other account information. It also is tightly integrated with your SkyDrive account for synchronizing a backup file for all your data. A backup file that can be used to sync with a desktop companion app as well.  You'll need to purchase the full version of Sky Wallet where you can request the download link for the desktop client and validation code.

Along with templates covering websites, bank accounts, email accounts, WiFi network info, and more. In addition you can create your own templates, customizing the existing templates and delete the ones you don't particularly care for. There's even an embedded password generator to help you come up with a secure password should you need it.

Data is encrypted using AES 256bit encryption and the app itself is protected by a master password. There is a free trial available for Sky Wallet so you can try things out before you buy. The full version, which will also give you access to the desktop component, is currently running $3.99.

You can find Sky Wallet here at the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Handy Safe (14 day trial/$1.99): Handy Safe utilizes 448 bit Blowfish data encryption to insure data safety for all your confidential information. Handy Safe has over thirty templates for passwords, credit cards, bank accounts, websites, and more.

Handy Safe, as with other password managers, is password protected.  The layout is more in folder format with your root directory having your main folders for business, personal and sample files or cards. From there you can create sub-folders and cards for all your personal information. Cards can be built off the templates, customized or create one from scratch. The app contains more than sixty five icons for quick reference.

Database fields can be active (e.g. URLs treated as hyperlinks, phone numbers as speed dials, etc) and there is a desktop component to sync your data with.

There is a fourteen day trial version for Handy Safe to let you try things out before buying. The full version of Handy Safe will run you $1.99 and you can grab it all here at the Windows Phone Marketplace.

PasswordCryptMango ($.99): PasswordCryptMango may be the most basic password manager in the roundup but that shouldn't imply that it's not worth a try. Where the other members of the roundup cover a wide range of confidential information, PasswordCryptMango deals with user identifications and passwords for websites.

You simply enter the website name, your User ID, and password then tap save and a data card is generated. If you need help coming up with a password, there is a password generator available.

While PasswordCryptMango doesn't have as many bells and whistle as the other members of the roundup, if all you need is an app to keep track of all your website credentials it's not too terribly bad a choice. PasswordCryptMango is password protected but lacks a search function which may make finding things a little cumbersome and the absence of a desktop component keeps entry limited to the Windows Phone keyboard.

There isn't a trial version for PasswordCryptMango but you can try PasswordCrypt (freebie found here) to get a feel for things. The full version of PasswordCryptMango is currently running $.99 and you can find it here at the Windows Phone Marketplace.

7Pass (free version/$.99): 7Pass is an unofficial client for the popular online password manager KeePass. With that being said, KeePass has a decent desktop component to allow you access to your protected data.  7Pass would be the mobile client to pull everything to your Windows Phone.

7Pass allows you to create databases that can be synced with Dropbox, Skydrive, WebDav, or Web Server accounts. There is a Demo Database installed to give the feel for things. You can set a password for the app itself, with each database being password protected as well.

Each database on 7Pass can be set up to meet your needs and follows a folder layout. Folders or groups can be generated to sort similar items together (e.g. email accounts, bank accounts, internet, etc). Entry fields are limited to the title, user name, password and URL. There is a free form section in each entry for notes (here's where you could add account numbers). The Entry style can not be modified but there is a free form text area for notes. You also can add text fields from the three-dot menu but they are viewed on a separate screen than the main entry screen.

One nice feature on 7Pass is the password generator. Not only can you set the parameters for the password but it generates a grouping of passwords so you can select the one that stands outs.

7Pass is a decent option to consider but some may find the navigation a little cumbersome. There are two versions of 7Pass available on the Marketplace. You have 7Pass Free and a paid version, 7Pass, that is currently running $.99.

LastPass (free fourteen day trial/$12 for annual service): LastPass is developed by the same group who brought us XMarks, a fantastic browser bookmark manager. Like XMarks, LastPass is a very impressive application that not only covers your Windows Phone but also has a desktop application and desktop browser integration. In many ways, LastPass is the complete package for password management.

As far as the Windows Phone angle is concerned, the app itself is password protected and allows you to have access to all your confidential information LastPass protects. The app itself is password protected and you can create entries from within the app. The app has a built in browser with the ability to key in your passwords as needed. The desktop application goes a bit further with automatic form filling, one click log in, and synchronization across multiple browsers.

LastPass comes across as a desktop solution with a mobile client where other apps are mobile solutions with desktop components. Can't say that one is better than the other but if you're looking for a password manager that has more reach, LastPass is worth a look.

The app itself is free with a fourteen day trial period. From there it will cost you $12 annually for the LastPass service. There is a free version of the LastPass service available but it lacks the mobile support for your Windows Phone. You can find the LastPass app here at the Windows Phone Marketplace and you can find the LastPass desktop app here at the LastPass website.

Cryp2Pass (free trial/$2.99): Let's get the technical lingo out of the way for Cryp2Pass first. The app uses AES256 for saving your data and SHA256 algorithms to generate passwords. In practice, Cryp2Pass manages your passwords for accounts in a nice, dare I say Metro, layout.

Cryp2Pass, the app, is password protected and has pages for favorite accounts, all entries, account listings, and menu) options. There are ten predefined templates with the capability of editing them as well as creating your own templates. Each entry contains two pages of data. A General Page has your title, group listing, description, and username. Then you have the Fields Page where you can add more specific information such as passwords, account numbers, URL, network details, etc. The templates will have predefined fields that will populate this page or you can add custom fields to your liking.

You can generate passwords for each entry and set a date to generate a new password. If you have an account that requires you to change your password every 90 days or so, this is a nice tool to keep you up to date.

While there may not be a desktop component to Cryp2Pass, you can back up your data to your computer (Cryp2Pass desktop utility required). Cryp2Pass lacks cloud storage compatibility, which might be not appeal to everyone. This feature is reportedly in the works so we'll keep our fingers crossed it appears in an update in the near future. Nonetheless, Cryp2Pass comes across as a nicely laid out, quality app for your Windows Phone.

There is a trial version for Cryp2Pass with the full version running $2.99. You can grab Cryp2Pass here at the Windows Phone Marketplace.

Asides from these apps, another solution to password management is creating an Excel document that covers all your passwords, usernames, PIN numbers, account numbers and other confidential information. Store the document on your Skydrive account and it can be accessed through your Windows Phone Skydrive app.

But if you're looking for a more secure method of managing your passwords, accounts and other confidential items any of these apps might be what you're looking for. It's just finding which one fits your needs the best.

Feel free to sound off in the comments as to which password manager is your favorite or if we missed one.

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Weekly Accessory Roundup - Enter to win a BlackBerry Premium In-Vehicle Charger

When I hit the road with my BlackBerry, there is one thing I always remember to bring - my car charger. The microUSB charger I had served me well over the years, but once I came across the BlackBerry Premium Micro-USB In-Vehicle Charger I knew our time was through. The BlackBerry Premium Charger offers the ability to charge two devices at once, twice as fast - you can't beat it. That means you can charge both your BlackBerry PlayBook and phone at the same time, two phones at the same time ... you get it. It's a pretty sweet accessory that is sure to become a solid part of your charging arsenal. Keep reading for your chance to win one!

New BlackBerry Cases

New BlackBerry Chargers

New BlackBerry Headsets

New BlackBerry Bluetooth Speakers

New BlackBerry Car Kits

New BlackBerry Stylus

To enter to win a BlackBerry Premium 1.8A Micro-USB In-Vehicle Charger, simply leave a comment to this blog. Contest ends this Sunday night at Midnight PST. Please, just one entry per person.

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Android Central international round-up - August 18, 2012

As it often is, Samsung was the focus of much of the last week’s international Android news. The Korean manufacturer finally announced and released its Galaxy Note 10.1, an Android 4.0 tablet with a quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and a Wacom-powered stylus. We were live at the launch event, and we’ve got a hands-on preview of the device for you to take a look over.

Elsewhere, we had two Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean leaks in quick succession. Early, but official Samsung firmware for the international S3 (GT-i9300) leaked out on Thursday, followed by a more recent build on Friday. Rumors suggest that Sammy may announce Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S3 alongside the Galaxy Note 2 at its pre-IFA press conference on Aug. 29. Based on what we’ve seen so far, we certainly wouldn’t rule it out.

This week also saw the first wave of Galaxy Note 2 rumors, with some believably -- and not-so-believable -- images of the upcoming Note successor showed up online. The first photo, leaked to a French blog, claimed to show the phone’s front panel and screen -- a 5.5-inch 16:9 aspect ratio display with a gap below for a Galaxy S3-style clicky button. This was followed later in the week by a couple of renders we’re all sure are fake.

What we now know isn't fake, however, is the long-rumored black version of the Galaxy S3 -- that was confirmed as being real by two different retailers this week. The black S3 is said to be launching around early October with 64GB of internal storage on-board.

Expect more IFA leakage over the next seven days, in the run up to one of Europe’s biggest tech shows. We’ll be live in Berlin to bring you full IFA coverage the week after.

Check out some of the weeks’ biggest international Android stories below. If you’ve got news, be sure to tip us at the usual address.

Special features:

News:

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