I’ve been looking for a functional wallet/iPhone case hybrid for years. The allure of carrying -- and keeping track of -- one fewer item would simplify my life, and putting some decent protection on my phone wouldn’t suck. At first glance, the BookBook by Twelve South seemed like the answer to my prayers. However, after using it for a month straight, I really wish I’d prayed just a little bit harder.

After months of impatience and even a few pangs of longing, music fans in the U.S. can finally use Spotify, the European music-streaming phenom that promises access to any song, any time, anywhere. But of course even the latest and greatest in online streaming isn’t terribly impressive when you’re listening through the equivalent of a tin can and some string, so we were pleased when Sennheiser’s CX880i iPhone headset arrived just in time for us to pull some double duty testing them both.

While we love the protection and style provided by iPod and iPhone cases, they can also be a huge pain in the rear. Like fitting a square peg into a round hole, some audio docks and other accessories don’t offer the kind of clearance around the dock connector that’s needed in order to leave our cases permanently in place. Of course, you can spend time prying your favorite case off every time you want to charge your iPod touch -- or you can use RadTech’s ProCable Shortz Extender to give your dock connector–equipped device just a bit more breathing room.