That headline is probably a bit of an overstatement, since this is probably the only iPhone stand made out of cutlery. ForkedUpArt of North Salt Lake, Utah, is actually selling two different stands. ForkHead, who you see standing at attention at your right, and SpoonHead, ForkHead’s smarter brother.

Sold through our favorite iPhone accessory store, Etsy.com, the ForkedUpArt iPhone stands can be customized if you want, and according to the artist, “I’m making these guys as fast as I can.” Read more…

Apple’s next update to the blockbuster iPhone handset is expected by one prominent analyst to have a lower total cost of ownership, and to also include new gesture-based functionality.

Katy Huberty with Morgan Stanley maintains that the biggest barrier to greater iPhone adoption is the cost of the hardware, followed by the service plan. The investment in the device has been its biggest issue in both developed markets like the U.S. and emerging ones like China. Read more…

Matias has released a keyboard that gives you a whole new way to use your smartphone…
With a stand built into the keyboard, your iPhone or iPod touch can now be part of your desktop work environment. It’s the most comfortable way to use your smartphone apps, when you’re at your desk.

“This new setup is so convenient,” said Edgar Matias, CEO of Matias. “I have all these little apps on my iPod that I use all day. With the new keyboard, they’re in easy reach, all the time.”
Read more…

There’s a huge world of creative, crafty people on Etsy.com, and we’re always hearing about new Mac or iPhone-related products that have been developed.

The latest, by Etsy shop owner and artist “PlayingGrownUp,” is the cool iPhone Chalkboard (US$25.00 plus shipping), The chalkboard is hand cut and painted to look just like the iPhones that Mom and Dad use. It has a wonderful funky folk-art feel to it, which is exactly why I want one in my office. Read more…

iPhone power saving features may be the cause of network overloads rather then its high bandwidth consumption, according to an ArsTechnica report.

Normally devices that access data networks use an idling state that maintains an open data channel between the device and the network.

However, in order to get more battery life, Apple configured the iPhone’s radio to simply drop a connection once it received its requested data. If more data is necessary the iPhone sets up a new connection. Read more…

An iPhone can be an expensive investment, and given that its users generally carry their phones everywhere, damage from dropping, stepping on, running over and flushing iPhones are more common than warranty-related problems. And no warranty can protect you from theft. As a result many users have looked for third party insurance to try and protect themselves from loss.

Worth Avenue Group garnered a lot of attention at this year’s MacWorld with their booth featuring a man methodically smashing iPhones with a hammer. According to Chris Holt at Macworld.com, they claim to cover the iPhone comprehensively, whether it has been dropped, stolen, or submerged in water or beer. According to their website click HERE, 80% of iPhone failures are due to an accident of some kind, and accidents are not covered by AppleCare. Read more…

NLU Products makes a very large line of screen and computer protection products. I got a chance to speak with Kirk Feller the President and CEO of the company about their newest product ScreenGuardz Privacy (US$19.95), that was released last month at the Consumer Electronics Show.

With the iPhone gaining more functionality seemingly every day through third party apps, privacy has become a concern. I really don’t think I want someone looking over my shoulder when I’m doing online banking or reading private email. Read more…

I’m still skeptical about laser projectors — while the technology is impressive, the practicality is still a little limited. And unfortunately, Microvision’s demo of their SHOWWX projector here at Macworld 2010 didn’t do much to change my mind. It’s a nice little device — it’s almost exactly the size of the iPhone, and the rep told me that most of the unit is actually the battery — and there are some good applications for it. But for the consumer market that Microvision really wants, the $500 unit (that will go on sale in March) is still a little too small in terms of scale and usability. Read more…

Here’s the thing. You know, and I know, that AT&T has not yet enabled tethering in the US, while carriers all across the globe have already given their iPhone customers the ability to use their phones as wireless modems for their laptops. You and I also know that strictly speaking tethering falls outside the normal terms of use for your iPhone data contract — and that there are jailbreak solutions to get around this (hopefully temporary) constraint. Read more…

World’s Fastest IPhone Texter – Funny home videos are a click away

I can type fairly quickly on my iPhone, at least in landscape mode — I average about 30 – 35 words per minute compared to around 77 WPM on a standard keyboard — but the guy in the video above has gone to plaid with his typing speed. Using an app called iTextSpeed [US$0.99, iTunes Link], this anonymous texting speed demon reaches an incredible 56 words per minute on his iPhone in portrait mode. I have no idea how he does it, particularly in portrait mode; I make an average of one mistake every other word unless I’m in landscape, but the guy in the video, whose thumbs look even bigger than mine, only screws up one word during the entire timed sequence.

A few people grouse about the iPhone’s lack of a physical keyboard, but the cyborg-thumbed guy in this video proves that for some of us, it’s not an issue whatsoever.

[Via Tuaw.com]