Lowepro Pro Messenger 160AW
Price: $159.95 US
Company: Lowepro
The Lowepro Pro Messenger AW series are camera shoulder bags. They are suitable for traveling light or for small photography assignments. They store a minimum of equipment, but just enough for this kind of photo shoot. Like many photographers, I am a bag freak and I am glad I had the chance to review the 160AW model.
Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac
Logitech
$50 US
This new solar-powered wireless keyboard is almost perfect. It works great, but it has some perfectly annoying “features.”
There is no printed manual or full set of Internet instructions. Its web site is incomplete. No built-in indent on the keyboard is provided for storage and travel with its USB dongle. There is no way to know when the caps lock key is activated.
Aside from those four minuses, Logitech has done a stellar job with engineering and design of its new Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac. Solar and ambient light battery charging are effortless. So is power management using a free software download. Battery efficiency is exceptional.
iPad Extreme Sleeve
Company: G-Form LLC
Price: $59.95 USD
http://shop.g-form.com/products/ipad-extreme-sleeve
There are all types of different cases for the iPad; soft cases, hard cases, cases made from neoprene, leather, faux leather, plastic… the list goes on. They allow you to carry your iPad around and for the most part, protect your iPad from accidental harm. Now what would you think of a soft, flexible case that upon impact, becomes hard and protects your iPad?
Otterbox Reflex iPhone 4 Case
Company: Otterbox
Price: $44.95 USD
I’ve never been disappointed with any of Otterbox’s products. It’s well-known among fans of Apple’s iOS platform that the cases Otterbox makes are some of the toughest you can buy. Whenever my iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone is protected in an Otterbox case, I feel much more secure in using my expensive toys. Once again, Otterbox doesn’t fail to impress with the Reflex, the latest addition to its growing line of iPhone cases.
Otterbox Latch for the iPad 1
Company: Otterbox
Price: $ 49.95 USD
Otterbox is no slouch in making accessories for iPads, iPhones, and iPods. I’ve been using an Otterbox Defender case on my original iPad ever since I wrote a review about it last summer. It’s an amazing case, so when I saw that Otterbox recently released the Latch, an accessory that adds even further levels of functionality to your Otterbox Defender or Commuter cases, I knew I had to take a look at it for our MyMac.com readers.
C.E.O. Hybrid for iPad
Company: Marware
Price: $49.99 USD
http://www.marware.
Marware has produced cases for iPhones, Blackberries and of course, iPads. The one thing that comes across of all of this is that Marware produces products that the user will find are well thought out and designed to be stylish and functional without breaking the bank.
Folio with Keyboard for iPad
Company: Sena Cases
Price: $149.99 USD
There are cases for the iPad, and then there are “cases” for the iPad. Sena Cases has decided to produce one of the latter ones for the iPad. The Sena Folio with Keyboard is a handsomely designed and executed iPad case that provides the best possible case for the iPad and includes the additional bonus of a bluetooth keyboard that just fits beautifully into the unit and provides the user with the best possible working unit.
Black Wallet for iPad Case
Company: Happy Owl Studio
Price: $79.99 USD
The iPad has cases coming in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors and materials since its introduction. Happy Owl Studio has produced a new case for the iPad that encompasses providing a stylish case that still provides protection, flexibility to adjust the case to view or type and the additional functionality of enabling the user to store other items within the confines of the case without going too far overboard.
iPad sales are phenomenal so it should come as no surprise that everywhere you look there’s another iPad accessory. Apple reported that in the quarter that ended on Christmas Day 2010, it sold 7.3 million iPads. That’s just one quarter. Sales of that magnitude have spawned a fertile and highly competitive accessories industry. I recently dipped one toe into the accessories pond and found that quality and usefulness ran the gamut from good to downright chintzy. Here are a few examples of both:
Concerti
Company: Moshi
Price: $55
The Moshi Concerti is one of the nicest of the accessories. It’s a stylish iPad case that is made from a hybrid silicone/microfiber fabric, but it looks and feels like suede. I handed it to my wife as she was about to leave on a two week trip. She found it functional in most respects but with limitations.
The Concerti opens like a book. The right side has a rubber frame that accommodates the iPad with a snug and secure fit. The frame holding the iPad has openings for all cable interfaces and buttons. When open, the left side of the case has two ridges that allow the user to easily prop up the iPad in its horizontal position. The ridges are stiff enough to make the iPad feel secure if it’s sitting on a desk or the seatback table on an airplane, but it’s far less stable if it’s sitting on your lap.
Two Unusual iPad Case/Stands Reviewed by Jackie Richards, Guest Writer
PowerBack Battery Case with Kickstand and Dock
Kensington
$90 to $130 online
PowerBack is a combo iPad case, stand, and battery pack. A metal kick stand supports PowerBack in four different easel positions: two each portrait and landscape. The hard plastic shell case of robust construction has precise grid edges for aligning and sliding your iPad in and out.
A Micro-USB port on the bottom rear connects PowerBack to a computer or other USB charging source via an included cable. You may need an inexpensive Kensington or third party USB wall or car charger if you discharge all iPad and PowerBack juice while away from a computer. Blue lights flash to indicate incremental charging capacity: 20 – 40 – 60 – 80 battery fuel gauge, as Kensington calls it. The company claims up to five extra hours of power and our tests confirm that approximate range, depending on iPad activity.
5-in-1 for iPad
Company: Brenthaven
Price: $59.95 USD
With the iPad, things changed, at least case-wise they did. Getting a case for your iPhone is relatively simple; you want something to protect the iPhone. With the iPad, things got a little bit more complicated. Do you want to just carry the iPad in the case, protect the back of the case, protect the front and back, or are there other things that you want the iPad to be able to do when you want to use it? Can you use the case to angle the iPad so you can type or watch a video? Do you want to protect as much of the iPad as you can without making things too complicated or too heavy to use? Brenthaven’s 5-in-1 for iPad may be the answer to your questions.
ZAGGmate with Keyboard for iPad
Company: ZAGG
Price: $99.99 USD
The iPad has turned out to be an enormous hit since its introduction in 2010, far surpassing what the estimates were for such a product. One of the things that has both worked for and against it has been the lack of a “regular” keyboard. Users have either loved the on-screen keyboard or have railed against it. One of the solutions that has popped up has been a keyboard linked to the iPad via Bluetooth connectivity. The ZAGGmate with keyboard case is one of those products.
MiCorder
Company: Olens Technology
$60 to $80 online
If you are an iPhone or iPod touch snob, stop reading now and get back to your favorite time-wasting toy. If you want to learn about a promising new audio recording device, keep reading.
MiCorder does only two things, and does them well. It records ambient sound, live music, and voice easily and efficiently with a built-in microphone in non-audiophile MP3 compression. And it records from any line audio source with an included cable, also as a 128mbps MP3. Stop yawning. The latter is MiCorder’s greatest asset.
Commuter Series Case for iPad
Company: Otterbox
Price: $64.95 USD
I have been using Otterbox cases for my iPhones since I purchased my first iPhone. Solid and dependable, built to protect my iPhone, they have always presented a great product. When I purchased my iPad, one of the first things to cross my mind was “I know that Otterbox has to have a case for it.”
Ecopad Bamboo Lapdesk for Notebook Computers
Macally
Price: $29
Macally has a reputation for making computer accessories that combine form and function without sacrificing aesthetics. The Ecopad is a typical Macally product — minimalist in design, attractive to the eye and hand, and serving a useful function. The Ecopad is a bamboo lapdesk, suitable for any laptop.
Eco-Envi + for iPad
Company: Marware
Price: $69.99 USD
Just in case you haven’t noticed, Apple’s iPad is appearing everywhere. Classrooms, stores, and more importantly, in business offices. Now since the iPad has been around for the past several months, cases of every design are everywhere. The question is what do you put your iPad in if you are going to be taking it to the office with you?
Might I suggest that you consider Marware’s Eco-Envi + for the iPad. First, the Eco-Envi + consists of two items; a clear polycarbonate MicroShell that covers the back of your iPad and a high-grain eco-leather case with a fleece interior to baby your iPad when you place it inside. With or without the polycarbonate rear shell, your iPad slips into the case like a hand into a brand new glove. After several weeks of use, the iPad continues to go into the case with really no expansion of the leather so there is very little chance that your iPad would accidentally slip out if you turned the case upside down. I have turned my case upside down and the iPad has not moved at all. The flap on the case keeps the iPad inside and the dirt/dust outside.
Continue reading »
BookBook for iPad
Company: Twelve South
Price: $69.99 USD
Twelve South
The iPad is such a unique device that manufacturers are only starting to catch up with accessories and cases that match its style. Twelve South, a manufacturer of creative MacBook cases, has released their first iPad product, the BookBook for iPad. Continue reading »
The BookBook for iPad is a handmade, hardback leather case that resembles a vintage tome. Not only does it provide physical protection for your iPad, but adds a level of security because of its uncommon design.
WaterField iPad Wallet, Hard Candy Stylus and Pen, Griffin Technology iPad Tablet Stand, and Griffin Technology Elan Passport Graphite iPad Folio Case
Guest iPad gear review by Jackie Richards – Part Four. Many of the items reviewed below will make great stocking stuffers any time of year.
iPad Wallet
Company: WaterField Design
Price: $79 U.S. (plus optional straps and D-rings)
WaterField’s iPad Wallet has an clever design for storing and carrying an iPad plus an Apple Wireless Keyboard and several accessories. It is a premium all-weather product. The construction and design are stylish, attractive, and suitable for men and women. This tote can be ordered with or without two kinds of strap and/or D-rings, as customized from the company’s web site. Six outer colors are available.
The Wallet’s rectangular shape is enhanced by genuine leather edging, in addition to rugged outer material. Interior padded pockets “keep your iPad and Keyboard separate and safe,” according to WaterField, and that claim is accurate. A loose premium nylon mesh rear pocket is deep enough for a small purse, several cables, or a book.
SportShell Convertible
Company: Marware
Price: $59.99 USD
There will soon be a bazillion (is that a real number?) cases for the iPad. Choosing the “best” one can become something of an exercise in futility as they all offer some feature twist the other ones don’t. The case, or cases, you ultimately select will be based on your own need, or how and where you intend to use your iPad.
Elan Holster Metal iPhone 4 Case
Company: Griffin Technology
Price: $34.99
When I was evaluating the Elan Form Graphite iPhone 4 case, I was also working on evaluating Griffin Technology’s Elan Holster Metal case for the iPhone 4. Unlike the Form Graphite, the Elan Holster Metal case is a case that sits horizontal on your belt and provides wrap-around protection for your iPhone 4.
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