Case-Mate’s Hug wireless iPhone charging solution shipping now for $100

Remember that wireless induction charger that we saw poking around at the CES iLounge Pavilion earlier this year? Seems that Case-Mate has finally given that little doohickey a name, a price and a ship date. The aptly-titled Hug (which consists of the Hug Case and Hug Pad) slips onto one’s iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS and allows Apple’s darling to get recharged by simply laying on the aforementioned platter. Of course, the case itself is distractingly bulky, and this whole thing relies on the same eCoupled technology that we’ve been seeing for years now — though, the fact that this pad will charge any other case that utilizes the same standard is worth noting. Is the ability to never need your dock connecting cable for rejuvenation purposes really worth the $99.99 asking price? We’re guessing not, but those that disagree can get their own shipped out this very moment.

Continue reading Case-Mate’s Hug wireless iPhone charging solution shipping now for $100

Case-Mate’s Hug wireless iPhone charging solution shipping now for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone gets a stainless steel clamshell case, we’ll wait for the titanium version

You know, for all the praise the iPhone has received in its time, we never thought it looked quite Matrix-y enough. Thankfully, that all-important deficiency has been remedied by a man named Ryan Glasgow up in Portland, who has just started selling the above case to all who care to have one. It’s built out of stainless steel on the outside and silicone padding on the inside, with strategically located cutouts for wireless signals and heat emissions to get through. You can flip the front plate open, turning it into a rather outsized clamshell, or you can just talk with the lid closed, it’s all up to you. Aluminum and engraving options (how about “my other phone is a Vertu“?) are also available with each case costing a slightly spendy $95. See more of it in the gallery below.

iPhone gets a stainless steel clamshell case, we’ll wait for the titanium version originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Level 10 gaming chassis gains Asetek liquid cooling solution

We’re guessing that most Level 10 owners spend more time dusting off their chassis than actually using it for “computing purposes,” but those that have been pinching their pennies in order to snag one now have yet another reason to do so. Asetek, which knows a thing or two about system cooling, has teamed up with iBuyPower in order to deliver the first and only liquid cooling option for what’s quite possibly the planet’s most astounding PC enclosure. The pain? Not a dime, as the option is now standard equipment on systems that include the case. Huzzah!

Level 10 gaming chassis gains Asetek liquid cooling solution originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: photovoltaics, footballs, and Greener Gadgets

The Week in Green is a new item from our friends at Inhabitat, recapping the week’s most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us.

This week at Inhabitat we saw several hot advances in solar technology that stand to shape how our buildings are built and how we power the electronics in our lives. CASE in point: this beautiful glass photovoltaic system can be affixed to windows and actually magnifies the available sunlight inside into tiny solar chips to create electricity.

In other photovoltaic news, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania just unveiled the world’s first solar-powered circuits. These tiny chips may one day be integrated directly within computer touch screens, essentially transforming them into multitasking solar panels.

We’re also excited to see that the finalists of the 2010 Greener Gadgets Design Competition have been announced. Two of our favorites right off the bat are these wind turbine streetlights that harvest energy from passing cars and Rocco, the kinetic energy-generating rocking horse. Check out all the entries and vote for your favorite!

This week was a big week for efficient aviation as we learned of Portugal’s plans to replace PVC airplane parts with lightweight cork and watched as Seymourpowell floated a fantastic plan for a fuel-cell powered luxury airship.

Finally, the states may be getting charged for Super Bowl Sunday, but youth in Africa are kicking around a different kind of football — one capable of generating energy in off-grid locations. We also saw a similar concept called the swirl ball that makes doing laundry a blast – fill it full of clothes and water and then kick it around until they’re clean.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: photovoltaics, footballs, and Greener Gadgets originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple’s iPad keyboard dock, case and other accessories get the hands-on treatment

Apple didn’t give us a great amount of time with its newly unveiled iPad today, and as you’ve likely seen, we spent the bulk of our allotment touching the unit itself. Lost in the proverbial shuffle were a number of the unit’s launch accessories, including the admittedly intriguing keyboard dock ($69), case ($39), iPad Dock Connector to VGA adapter ($29) and camera connection kit ($29). Each of these doodads seem to look and feel exactly as you’d expect ’em to, though we’re still baffled by Apple’s decision to make you pay extra for access to the world’s most widely accepted connector. We’re also somewhat appalled (but not surprised) by the $39 price tag purportedly attached to the stripped-down case, and while the $69 MSRP on the keyboard dock is apt to cause some grumbling, at least there are a few iPad-specific keys on there to make it (marginally) worth your while. Dig in below for more on each.

Read – iPad keyboard dock hands-on
Read – iPad case hands-on
Read – iPad Dock Connector to VGA adapter hands-on
Read – iPad camera connection kit hands-on

Apple’s iPad keyboard dock, case and other accessories get the hands-on treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BookBook for MacBook Notebook

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The BookBook is a MacBook book-case. Designed to look like a heavy, ancient leather-bound tome, the BookBook notebook sleeve is in fact a zip-open, padded leather-bound tome, a vintage hardback disguise for the MacBook.

As I have mentioned/complained before, it doesn’t take long before a perfectly good homegrown solution becomes an overpriced, over-thought commercial product. Think bike polo mallet shafts (vs. cheap second hand ski-poles), for instance. Now, instead of merely hollowing out a musty volume gotten from the thrift store, you can buy this case for $80 from TwelveSouth, the maker of usually innovative Mac accessories.

Still, at least the case is done properly. The distressed cover is real leather (so vegan Steve Jobs won’t be using one, we’ll bet) and the zipper-pulls resemble, to the uninterested eye at least, bookmark tails. The inside is padded and the tough hardback and spine offer some protection. I’ll stick with my re-used Tyvek bubble-velope, the nice ones that Fed-Ex sends me free with each and every delivery. $80, in 15 and 13-inch sizes, red and black covers.

BookBook [Twelve South via TUAW]


Ask Engadget: Best TSA-approved laptop bag?

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Addison, who now needs a shiny new laptop bag to house that shiny new laptop that arrived for Christmas. The kicker? TSA approval is passionately desired.

“I was lucky enough to receive a new Laptop (ASUS UL80Vt-A1) this Christmahanukwanzaakah. Hurray! The only problem is, my old LL Bean Messenger bag just isn’t going to cut it anymore now that I’ll be carrying around my precious laptop along with school books and a whole gaggle of cables. Perhaps your readers could suggest to me a replacement? I would prefer a messenger / shoulder style bag, but if there is an especially cool backpack out there, I wouldn’t turn my nose up at it. TSA compliance would be an added bonus since I have to fly quite a bit nowadays. What do you think, could you and the hive-mind give me a hand?”

Air travel just gets worse and worse these days, so we’re emphasizing that “TSA-approved” bit for Addison’s own good. We know the bulk of ’em ain’t that pretty, but for the jetsetters out there who have had a chance to weed through and pick the best, we’re hoping they’ll share their secrets down below.

Ask Engadget: Best TSA-approved laptop bag? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Case-Mate at CES 2010: it’s (mostly) about power

Case-Mate is set up within the new iLounge Pavilion in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, and among the displays chockfull of silicon skins there was some new gear we wouldn’t mind bringing home. On hand were a ton of their Fuel models (you know, the cases that charge your device while they’re on) for a boatload of phones — including multiple BlackBerry models as well as for the iPhone. Also new were the very artsy iPhone cases featuring various designs on the back. Finally, Case-Mate was showing off its first foray into the increasingly crowded induction charging space with a matching iPhone jacket that was a bit bulky for our tastes. Case-Mate has always been one of our favorite case companies, and we’re definitely excited to see where they’re headed into the future.

Case-Mate at CES 2010: it’s (mostly) about power originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW-designed Thermaltake Level 10 scores breathless review

As PC cases go, the Level 10 is easily the most outrageous design to ever get the go-ahead for commercial distribution, and according to PC Perspective the reason for that is clear: the product’s workmanship and long-term durability match its most excellent looks. Weighing in at nearly 50 pounds of densely packed aluminum, the Level 10 sports a modular design with room for six hard (or solid state) drives, three optical drives, multiple jumbo-sized GPUs, and even an appropriately huge power supply. Alas, the one shortcoming of all this supersizing (apart from the price) is pretty big in itself — the case turned out to be so large as to make it impossible to connect some components with their standard cabling. We’ll call that a newbie filtration feature and continue to hope someone loves us enough to buy us one.

BMW-designed Thermaltake Level 10 scores breathless review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cygnus X1 PC casemod mixes otherworldly design, old world charm

We’ve seen plenty of PC casemods that look more like a traditional piece of furniture than a computer case, and plenty that take a decidedly more modern approach, but we haven’t seen many that combine the two as effectively as this so-called Cygnus X1 built by Attila Lukacs. As you may notice, the top of the case bears a striking resemblance to some of Alienware’s latest rigs, but it seems that might not be the source of Atilla’s inspiration, as he actually started building the case way back in 2008. Of course, the real eye-catcher is that beautiful, hand carved wood casing (made West Australian Jarrah), which actually swings open on both sides — no small feat when each panel weighs about ten pounds. Eager to see more? Then hit up the link below for a thorough account of the complete build process.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Cygnus X1 PC casemod mixes otherworldly design, old world charm originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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