Hasta La Gadget!

Nokia’s been awfully fond of slapping its high-end hardware into polycarbonate bodies, but that trend may soon come to an end if a new report from The Verge holds true. According to unnamed sources within Nokia, one of the Finnish phone company’s new top-tier Windows Phones (codenamed “Catwalk”) will be clad in lightweight aluminum instead of the usual colorful plastics.

Of course, the key words there are “one of” — The Verge’s Tom Warren points out that two Windows Phones are being prepped for a launch sometime in 2013. At this point there’s still little in the way of hardware specifics, though the so-called Catwalk isn’t expected to be a great leap over the existing 920.

That Nokia would consider a shift in design isn’t a huge shock — aluminum bodies could help Nokia keep the weight of future smartphones down — but it does fly in the face of some of the company’s earlier crowing. Shortly before Nokia’s most recent Lumia launches, it posted a neat little piece on the effort that went into crafting the devices on its Conversations blog where it noted that the polycarbonate gave its phones “a human touch.” What’s more, Nokia has noted more than once that those eye-popping colors that have become a hallmark of its Lumia Windows Phones were only really possible by using plastics instead of metal, so it remains to see how (if at all) Nokia’s colorful design language will be tweaked as a result.

It goes without saying that once you get a Mac on your desk, you want to try and match its cool aesthetics anyway you can, from removable hard drives to stands for your other iDevices. Check out this cool-looking iPhone stand that makes your iPhone look like a miniaturized Apple Cinema Display.

The SGP Kuel S10 Mobile Stand is elegantly-designed, and will look good alongside any Apple device. It’s made out of hard, scratch-resistant aluminum and the phone holder itself is made from a smooth polycarbonate plastic. It’s adjustable to a variety of viewing angles, so you can tweak things to your personal preference.

And if plain old aluminum isn’t your thing, the SGP Kuel S10 comes in six different accent colors, including gold, pink, silver, smoke, clear, and white. It’s available directly from SGP for $29.99 (USD).

[via The Gadget Flow]

It’s been said that any computer monitor should be situated at about eye-level for optimal ergonomics. That being said, most monitors needs a bit of extra lift to make them work at that height. Twelvesouth’s HiRise for iMac elevates your computer just to the right height.

HiRise for iMac will make it comfortable to view your monitor at the right height, so that you won’t slouch in your chair or try to use an old phone book underneath it to get it to the sweet spot. The internal metal support shelf can be adjusted so that you get your display at just the right height. This stand also has got some hidden storage, perfect for an external HD, Mac Mini, iPhone, or anything else you want to stash away.

The sturdy aluminum HiRise works with all iMac and Apple Cinema Displays that have an L-shaped stand, including the new Thunderbolt Display or the 27-inch iMac. It sells for $79.99(USD) from Twelvesouth.

Unlike some of you out there, I prefer to keep my iPhone nicely wrapped up in a case. Since I know that phones can be easily dropped, and that I want to ensure that I will get maximum value when I upgrade to another phone, it makes sense to use a case. I’ve never particularly liked bumpers, since they are so thin, but check out this one from Cooler Master.

Cooler Master’s Aluminum Bumper is slightly different from others that I’ve seen since it’s almost a complete case. It covers not only the edges, but parts of the back of your iPhone, while still leaving much of Apple’s industrial design visible. This makes it an interesting option in my opinion. The case is made from aircraft-grade aluminum, polished to give a near mirror finish on the edges, and brushed on the back. There’s a thin layer of EVA foam on the inside to keep your phone from getting scratched as well. It’s also not supposed to hamper the antenna in any way, which is always good.

There’s a seamless slide-n-lock design that allows you to take the bumper off easily, which is a must since I change/rotate cases every couple of weeks or so. CoolerMaster hasn’t announced pricing yet, but it will be launched soon.

[via FarEastGizmos]

Bloomberg is reporting that Apple’s iPhone 5 production is slowing, as it attempts to cut the number of devices shipped with nicks and scratches by improving aluminum quality control at Foxconn. More »