How to Sync Your iDevice When the Case Gets in the Way

Reader Jed wrote in with this problem:

My iPhone lives inside one of those extended-battery cases, which is good for power but bad for syncing. I've lost the special sync cable that came with the case, meaning I now have to take the case off (major hassle) whenever I want to sync with iTunes. This is driving me nuts. Is there some other way to sync?

Good news, Jed: there is! With the introduction of iOS 5, Apple made it possible to sync with your PC via Wi-Fi, meaning you don't need a dock, cable, or anything else -- just your existing home network.

This feature came and went without a lot of fanfare, which I find surprising because it's singularly awesome. Well, okay, there's one downside, but it shouldn't affect you: Your iPhone must be plugged into a power source for Wi-Fi syncing to work.

Because your iPhone is pretty much constantly plugged into a power source (i.e. your battery case), syncing should be a snap. Just tap Settings, iTunes Wi-Fi Sync, Sync Now.

However, I will add that there's one other option to consider, one that's good for anyone who's running into a PC-sync issue (whatever it might be): Skip the PC altogether. Thanks to iCloud, you can now get all your syncing done without involving your PC at all.

Needless to say, you have a couple good options for solving your sync situation. I tend to be fairly old-school, meaning I'm continuing to sync with my PC, but I can see the advantages of switching to the cloud -- er, the iCloud.