Hasta La Gadget!

Rugged phone cases are bountiful. But, while they may offer some additional thermal protection, they’re not built for true extremes. For that, you’d need either piles of insulation (too bulky) or some way to control the temperature inside the case. ThermoShield, one of over a dozen student-run companies vying for attention at Northeastern University’s Husky Startup Challenge, went the latter route by slipping a Peltier element inside a slim plastic shell. The current prototype was built on a 3D printer and clearly created for an iPhone, but plans for the initial model should be simple enough to port to any handset. A standard watch battery powers the small plate and by controlling the voltage across it you generate either small amounts of heat or produce a slight cooling effect. A simple switch or slider would be used to manually control the flow of electrons. Trekking through the arctic tundra? Simply crank up the heat to keep your phone from freezing to death. Meandering through the Sahara? Take advantage of the Peltier’s thermoelectric cooling properties to keep the Gorilla Glass from melting.

According to one of the creators, Hannah Bialic, it wouldn’t be terribly difficult to add automatic temperature control. Though, development costs could significantly drive up the price of the ThermoShield. The hardware could all be baked directly into the case itself or an app could be created that would automate everything. Obviously, though, relying on software would limit the case to working with a single device (and let’s be realistic, it won’t be your beloved Nexus 4). There’s no telling when or if you’ll actually be able to pick up one of these variable temperature shells, but you can add your name to the mailing list at the more coverage link.

Filed under: Peripherals, Mobile

Comments

A company called Ipan Ipan has been producing cases that allow for wireless charging for various smartphones for a while. The company has just unveiled a new wireless charging case using Qi Wireless charging technology. This new case is specifically for the Sony Xperia Z.

The case is a flip style with a flap that folds over to protect the screen and unfolds when you want to use your device. Inside the case is wireless Qi charging receiver that allows users to place the Sony smartphone on a wireless magnetic induction charger without having to fiddle with wires. The company says that the case can be had in several colors and made from several materials.

The manufacturer says that this was the most difficult wireless charging case it ever designed because of how the smartphone works. The Xperia Z lacks a removable back or access to the battery so using a special back cover was out of the question. The company says it also couldn’t use the micro USB port so it had to come up with a solution that uses the two pin connectors normally used when the Xperia Z docking station is attached.

That means with this case covering those two pin connectors, you will have to take the smartphone out of the wireless charging case to dock it. The case is available with or without a charging pad right now. Pricing for the case alone is €39 and the case along with the charging pad is available for €89.

[via Ipan Ipan]

Ipan Ipan unveils Qi wireless charging case for Xperia Z is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’ve seen some pretty standard iPhone battery cases that will fit around your device and supply power to it, some of them even allowing you to choose when it needs a boost in power the most by turning the feature on or off. The Gridcase Reactor is an iPhone 5 battery case, but it features a unique method of charging the device.

The Gridcase Reactor features a hand crank that you can attach to the back of the case to crank your way to more power for your iPhone 5. The kit will come with a two-piece case with a built-in micro-generator, a 400mAh boost battery, and a 500mA manual generator. The case is currently seeking crowdfunding on Crowd Supply, which if you’re instantly interested in the case will cost you $99 if you promise to fund it by the start of May. If the Gridcase Reactor becomes fully funded, it expects to launch in October for $149. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Ceramic Device Housing From Apple Could Feature In Budget iPhone, T-Mobile Stocking 16GB iPhone 5 In Store, 32GB/64GB Versions Online,

If you’re a BlackBerry fan that decided to get yourself a new Z10 smartphone, PowerSkin has announced a new accessory you may be interested in. The company has unveiled what it claims to be the first battery case specifically made for the BlackBerry Z10. We are very familiar with the company’s PowerSkin line of battery cases since we’ve looked at them in the past for other devices such as the iPhone 5.

The new PowerSkin for the BlackBerry Z 10 is designed as a one-piece soft touch silicone case that snaps around the BlackBerry smartphone. This case also come promises to help protect the device from scratches and drops. The big feature is the internal battery featuring 1500 mAh of additional power.

The company says that the case can extend the call time by up to 70% and standby time by up to 70%. The case measures 2.89″ x 0.79″ x 5.39″ and weighs 0.19 pounds. That means despite adding a lot of extra battery power, the case doesn’t add much in the way of additional bulk or weight. The case also ships with a cable allowing you to charge and sync the Z10 without removing the case.

The battery inside the case can be activated to charge your BlackBerry at the press of the on/off button. The case also features indicator lights to display the charge level and status of the battery inside the case. The case is also NFC enabled allowing for the sharing of data without having to remove the protective case. The PowerSkin for BlackBerry Z10 is available in black for $79.99 right now.

[via Power-Skin]

PowerSkin launches the first battery case for the BlackBerry Z10 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Love your iPhone 5′s design? Well, then you probably hate how most cases make it look less attractive. Not this case. This Iron Man case makes your iPhone look even better as far as I’m concerned. It’s based on the Mark VII suit and yes that is a glowing, battery-powered arc reactor there in the middle.

As if that wasn’t cool enough, there’s also a little piece of armor that slides aside to reveal the camera lens.

You can pre-order it now and it will be available in April. It’s only $49(USD) from Brando. While it might not protect you from an attack by Whiplash or The Mandarin, it is the cheapest Iron Man suit you can buy.