Case Closed

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of gadgets, especially smart phones. Even though I’ve owned several smart phones, I’ve always resisted purchasing a protective case for them. Why? I just don’t like the look or feel of the cases, nor the added bulk that a case adds to the overall phone.

Well, I’m here to tell you that you can teach an old geek new tricks. Unfortunately a couple of weeks ago I dropped my iPhone. The phone just slipped out of my hand and tumbled gently to the carpeted floor. I have dropped the phone many times before on concrete, asphalt, tile, etc. and hadn’t had any issues. This time however, the phone’s initial landing was perpendicular to the floor and angled with a corner down. I was heart broken when I reached down to pick up the phone and saw the now shattered screen.

Luckily, the collision between floor and iPhone only shattered the outer glass, which allows the phone to still be functional albeit hard to read.

This devastating incident may have been avoided if I had just quit being stubborn and purchased a case. Most cases today are made from sturdy and flexible impact resistant rubber and in the case of my iPhone, the rubber barrier would have absorbed the shock from the phone hitting corner first and more than likely prevented the screen from shattering. It is important to note that cases will not prevent all damage to your smart phone, but when you realize that even if you have bought insurance on your phone, the deductible will be around $169 making that $30 for a protective case a very smart investment.

There are many manufacturers of gadget cases, but around the newsroom we are fond of the cases manufactured by Otter Box. Indeed, its hard to not be impressed by a company who’s stated mission exclaims “Our cases are dedicated to all the klutzy, spontaneous, chaotic, graceless individuals who have broken a device or valuable due to their active lifestyle…”. Available for a wide variety of smart phones and tablets in a wide array of colors, the Otter Box cases look good and are strong and sturdy.

So what if my phone would have been totally destroyed? What if you lose your phone or it drops into the bottom of the hot tub (I’ve done both)? I think it safe to say that in most cases, the data you store on your phone is worth much more than the phone itself. We all know that in this day of data the importance of backing up our critical files, but many of us skip that important step because of the perceived inconvenience. When you think about it, it doesn't really makes sense that somehow we’ve gotten used having to charge our phones every night but don't have time to do a backup. Well, what if you could automatically backup your iPhone every time you charged it without having to run that clumsy white cord to your computer?

Enter the Iomega Super Hero. This attractive device comes with a 4GB Compact Flash card and automatically backs up your iPhone to the flash card when placed in the cradle.

While there are other devices out there that sync your iPhone with your computer, this device is a simple brain off solution. Plug in the dock. Download the App. Place your iPhone in the cradle. The initial backup does take some time, but afterwards the backup is completed in seconds.

If you lose or otherwise destroy your iPhone, download the app on to the replacement phone, set it in the cradle, and restore your photos and contacts!

The Iomega Super Hero is available from the Iomega store for $59.99.

Next week: Reach out and Skype someone. With area colleges opening their doors to students you might be wondering what is the best way to keep in touch with your college bound student. On next week’s Taming technology segment Rob explains how to ward off separation anxiety by using the Skype application to get a little face time with your friends and family.

C Robert Dillon is the digital developer at  WISH-TV   in Indianapolis and serves as a technology consultant and on-air contributor to WISH as well as the technology expert and host of the Taming Technology segment on Indy Style. Opinions presented are those of the author and not necessarily of LIN Media, WISH-TV, or Indy Style.

You can keep up with Rob on  Twitter ,  Facebook , or  Google+ .