We probably shouldn’t be basing predictions for important new Apple products on protective case mockups from China. Even so, things like this have revealed the truth in the past. iDealsChina is reporting that XSKN is working on a silicone skin for the upcoming “Nano iPhone” a shorter, chubbier version of the iPhone 3G.

According to iDealsChina sources, the phone will feature EDGE data, but otherwise is pretty identical in specs to its predecessors. Well, it has a smaller screen. According to them, Apple plans to sell tons of these for low prices in places like Walmart, and that the company will be unveiling the new handset in January during Macworld.

Diamond jewellers De Vere’s of London have unveiled the all black Apple iPhone 3G. The ‘Midnight’ iPhone 3G features a deep black bezel surrounding the front screen to match the rear case. The Midnight iPhone is exclusive to De Vere’s for £799 (USD$1199) or as a bezel fitted to an existing iPhone for £299 (USD$449).

The black Midnight iPhone was originally created by De Vere’s to show off the effect of diamonds set into its luxury De Vere Diamond iPhones. Then they realized how good the all black iPhone looked without the diamonds.

If you find yourself slipping and sliding in the winter months, why not make like your car tires and get some chains on your sneakers? This is an absolutely brilliant idea. And they go nicely with the Tire tread iPhone case.

For $59, you can throw fashion out the window and make sure that your sneakers always have a firm grip in snow and ice. They feature “strategically placed stainless steel spikes connected to a dynamic flex-chain with a tough elastomer shoe harness”. And they don’t require any special buckles or straps.

Here’s an iPhone case that’s a bit different. If you’re in the market for a case for your iPhone 3G, but you “tire” from the search, this may be for you. The Case-Mate Vroom Tire Tread Pattern Case features 100% impact resistant rubber and it’s only $15.

Its rubber case can protect your expensive phone by cushioning the blow of impact of course. But there’s an unseen danger most users ignore. What if…Just what if it slipped from your gadget loving hand? The tire tread pattern will prevent iPhone hand slippage and at the same time send others a message. Presumably, “Don’t tread on me.”

The iPhone has never really been a friendly device for the blind, so this case designed by Bruno Fosi is fairly impressive. The Silicone Touch covers the iPhone’s screen and features a selection of bas-relief buttons that correspond to menu items in a custom app.

This lets the visually impaired access all of the phone’s functions, even multi-touch and finger flick scrolling. None of the phone’s functions are compromised. It’s just a concept at the moment, but this is one that we hope will see the light of day very soon.

As I am sure you are all aware, Verizon Wireless is launching the much-anticipated BlackBerry Storm tomorrow. This device is RIM’s first delve into a touchscreen mobile phone and swing at taking some of the market share away from Apple and the iPhone. We had a chance to get our hands on the Storm on the eve of the launch day and had some fun playing with the touchscreen and its unique clicking technology.

Obviously the most interesting part of the Storm is the single big button of a screen so we’ll just cut to the chase. The touchscreen in general works as you would expect, sensing your touch on the glass and allowing you to scroll through things like lists, menus and across maps. What’s different about the touchscreen on the BlackBerry Storm which sets it apart from other touchscreen phones is that the glass display is like a single large, mechanical button.

Incase is at it again. Their latest iPhone offering, The Power Slider, will double your iPhone’s power for up to 5 hours of talk time on the 3G network and 10 hours on 2G. It will increase your audio playback time to 26 hours, and give you video playback time to 7 hours.

Pretty nifty. But that isn’t all. With this device, you can now sync with the iPhone still in the case, which is pretty convenient. Amazingly it doesn’t make your iPhone look too bad, though it does fatten it some. We’ve seen much worse. No word on price yet, but it should be available on November 28.

Maybe you want to dress your iPhone like celebrities dress their tiny dogs, so you can look all snazzy at the Christmas office party. Or maybe you have been looking for an excuse to hang your iPhone on the tree. Well my friends, for $30 you can dress your iPhone like a Christmas hooker with these cases from More.

At last your iPhone can look like a 3G street walker and hang out with all of your treasured ornaments. It’s almost like your iPhone was chewing gum loudly and smoking a cigarette, while flipping some dude the bird and simultaneously adjusting a wedgie inside it’s shiny pants. The mirrored screen protector and form-fitting plastic casing should protect it adequately from falls when your cat shakes the tree.

The i-Station Rotate from Logic3 is the latest offering in the i-Station line. It makes sure that your iPod or iPhone is always oriented in the right direction, which I’m sure will help you avoid some neck problems while watching videos. The i-Station Rotate has a built-in dock rotating mechanism that turns your device horizontal or vertical depending on your whims, when you still need it to be connected to the dock.

It’s pretty practical and compact, which is good for taking the i-Station Rotate with you on the road etc. It features a Video Out function, TDMA noise suppresion, 3.5mm Stereo line-in socket, a remote control and a carrying case. You can get the i-Station Rotate in January of next year for $129.99.

Typing on the iPhone’s touchscreen is pretty awkward. It’s really no fun. Your life is about to get easier thanks to the BTKeyMini, a Bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This small keyboard has a cover that also holds your iPhone. It should fit in even a very small briefcase. It uses a battery of it’s own so it won’t suck off of your iPhone. There’s still the iPhone’s lack of copy and paste, but hey this will still make it easier for you. It almost makes your iPhone into a laptop. No word on when it’s shipping, but it will cost you $92.

According to some recently discovered fine print in the Android Market terms of service, it appears Apple is not the only one implementing a remote kill switch for applications on their phone. In this case however Google has openly stated that they may “discover a product that violates the developer distribution agreement”, and in such cases they reserve the right to “…remotely remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion”.

This all comes after somewhat of an uproar when a developer happened upon a feature that allows Apple to remotely remove applications from the iPhone. This type of remote kill feature is meant to help with security and privacy in the event that some malicious application finds its way onto your mobile device, but many find it a little intrusive since it certainly does not give you free reign to run whatever applications you would like on your Google phone with Android.

One thing that has been a concert going tradition as long at power ballads have been around is holding your cigarette lighter above your head with the flame going. This can be a problem if you want to partake in the tradition but don’t smoke. Zippo has just the thing for non-smokers who want to participate.

Zippo and software firm Moderati have launched a new App for the iPhone that is available free on the Apple App Store. The application is called the Virtual Zippo Lighter and will work on the iPhone and iPod touch.

Griffin Technology earlier this week unveiled two new accessories for iPhone owners. These are known as the AirCurve and Clarifi and they price around $20 and $35, respectively.

The AirCruve, which works with both the iPhone and iPhone 3G, takes the sound from the phone’s built-in speaker and amplifies it without the need for a power supply., Griffin says a coiled waveguide within the AirCruve helps to deliver “amazing amplification that sounds like desktop speakers.” It includes a a pass-through slot allowing you to charge and sync your iPhone when using a cable.

I’m still not sure what to make of this, but apparently there is some new miracle heater called the Heat Surge. It’s Chinese technology that you just plug into any standard wall outlet. Supposedly it only uses about as much energy to run, as a standard coffee maker, but will produce 5,119 BTU’s as on-board heat turbine silently forces hot air out into the room so you feel heat instantly. It has a UL listing and everything. Even if all that is true, the odd part is that those anti-tech, iPhone shunning Amish are busy as Christmas elves building mantles for these heaters, trying to keep up with demand so that customers can get their new fake fireplace before Christmas. If you ordered a mantle in the last 48 hours, the heater was thrown in for free. But now it will cost you from $249.00 to $337.00.

This is all centered around the Heat Surge Roll-N-Glow fireplace that actally rolls from room to room. How the Amish got involved in this I have no idea, but I do know that as they slave away on fireplace mantles, barns are going un-built, shunnings and exiles seem few and far between. What’s next? Will they trade in the horse and buggy for a Model T? It all seems like some sci-fi plot, where huge events are foreshadowed by strange behavior. What are they really doing? What happens when we take these heaters into our homes? Could this be the long dreaded Amish invasion that some of us have feared, where they turn the tables and take our technology, leaving us to plow fields and milk cows? Will I punished by our new masters for writing this? Probably not, since they have no internetz. Still I’m growing an old man beard and wearing plain clothes…just in case.

The onslaught of iPhone 3G cases continues with several recently announced offerings from iPod accessories maker iFrogz. These new cases are the Wrapz, Treadz and Luxe. The first two price around $15, while the Luxe is around $20.

All three cases are available now in a variety of colors. iFrogz says the basic design of the Wrapz case offers 100 percent silicone encasement, while the Treadz case offers an “extra-thick” silicone casing and a tire tread design. The Luxe case, meanwhile, provides protection with a hard, plastic shell, finished with a metallic facade and a “soft …