Hasta La Gadget!

Smartphone cases are a mixed bag nowadays — some are great, some are good, and some are just pretty awful. On top of the fact that cases are a hotly-debated item in the first place, it’s pretty difficult for case manufacturers to get the attention of smartphone users, and only a few have done it successfully. Loop Attachment has made a pretty unique silicone case called the Mummy, and it’s arrived just in time for Halloween. I ended up trying one out for myself to get a first impression and see how well it worked.

Personally, I don’t use a case on my phone since I’m not a huge fan of them to begin with. However, the Mummy case got my attention pretty quickly, and it’s one of the few cases that I was excited to actually try out. Obviously, right away you’ll notice the back of the case makes it look like the phone is wrapped with mummy wrappings (hence the name). The Apple logo and the “iPhone” are still visible, which is some clever design work to say the least. The mummy wrappings also serve another purpose besides just looking cool. You can stick credit cards, IDs, or cash in between the case and the phone, which also makes it a great makeshift wallet.

As with any silicone case, it can be a little difficult to slide your phone in and out of your pocket due to the rubbery texture, but the Mummy actually felt less rubbery, and it slid into my pocket a lot easier than most cases would. However, just like with any case, the Mummy does add a little bit of thickness to the iPhone, which gets rid of one of the features that makes the iPhone appealing in the first place. It can take time to get used to the size difference, but if you love the thinness of the iPhone, you’re probably not even using a case anyway.

The button “extenders,” so to speak, for the volume and power buttons work surprisingly well; they don’t take any more effort to push than normal, which can’t be said with most other iPhone silicone cases sadly. The opening for the ring/silent switch just above the volume buttons is a bit off, but that’s only because the case is catered towards both the iPhone 4 and 4S, which have slightly different placements when it comes to that small switch — not a huge deal there.

I did find it a bit of a nuisance trying to fit a credit card into the back of the case. Loop didn’t make it easy, since you kind of have to jimmy it in pretty good. There were even times where I was afraid I was going to scratch up the back of my iPhone with my credit card. Cash is even worse, since it’s more flimsy than a card. The trick is just to lift up the flaps and slide it in as best you can.

Overall, if you’re looking to get a minimalist and stylish silicone case for your iPhone, I’d probably tell you to get this one, despite the couple of very minor flaws. The case is well built, looks great, and has a one-of-a-kind unique Halloween theme that also works year-round.

Loop Attachment makes the Mummy case for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and the new iPhone 5 (pre-order only). The iPhone 5 version will be available early next month for a special introductory price of $20. The iPhone 4/4S version costs $25, or you can get a bundle of three Mummy cases for $60.

There’s no doubt that smartphone accessories can get expensive, so how about a case that doubles as a gamepad? Billed as “protection with a purpose,” Canopy’s Sensus case aims to do just that. While there are several peripherals that add keyboards and joysticks to smartphones, Sensus goes one step further by adding touch input to a device’s entire outer surface. The case’s sensors recognize an additional ten touch responses, including controls on the sides and back of a device similar to the rear touchpad on a PS Vita. The focus with Sensus is to provide its users with unique touch input combinations that avoid taking up precious screen real estate. Most likely due to its uniformed design, Sensus is currently only being offered for the iPhone 4 and 4S; the outfit is taking pre-orders at $39 a pop, with shipments expected to begin in the first quarter of 2013. If you’d like to get a better feel for what Sensus has to offer (we know, we know), check out its demo video by visiting the source link below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile

Canopy’s $39 Sensus gaming case protects your iPhone 4 / 4S, adds plenty of new touch sensors originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 21:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smartphone cases have been sort of a saturated market lately. Pretty much everyone and their siblings are making all kinds of different cases that are flooding the market, and it seems only a few good case manufacturers are getting the press coverage they deserve, like OtterBox, Mophie, and Moshi to name a few. However, a company called Loop Attachment is looking to make a dent in the market with a unique Halloween-themed iPhone case called the Mummy.

The Mummy iPhone case is only compatible with Apple‘s newly-discounted iPhone 4/4S line currently, but the company has said they’re planning on stocking up on iPhone 5 cases sometime this month and early November, so stay tuned for those if you happened to upgrade to the latest iPhone.

When you put the case on your iPhone, it essentially looks like mummy wrappings are covering the back of your device (hence the name of the case in the first place). However, it’s not just all about looks. All that fancy silicone on the back is also meant to hold credit cards, money, ID, etc., so it actually doubles as a makeshift wallet, while at the same time providing your iPhone with a little protection. The Mummy is available in 10 different colors and is priced at $25 each, or three for $60.

Loop Attachment’s flagship product isn’t actually for the iPhone, though. It’s simply called the Loop, and it’s a wristband for your 5th- or 6th-generation iPod Nano that turns the device into a glorified watch. We’ve seen these types of products before, but the Loop is a unique one-piece band that snuggly fits an iPad Nano on top, and can be easily removed if need be. It comes in seven color varieties and will cost you $20 each or $50 for a bundle of three.

Show your Halloween spirit with the Loop Mummy iPhone case is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Now that the whole world is addicted to KickStarter-like programs such as Indiegogo, groups creating items such as the rather intense multi-functional ReadyCase for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4/4S can jump in from a whole different direction. What we’re seeing here is a funding effort that had a $15,000 USD goal, has already raised $58,740, and still has 21 days left to go to raise more. The product is a set of cases, one that works for the iPhone 5, the other that works with the iPhone 4/4S, both of them absolutely strangely wonderful.

This set of cases has a headphone clip, camera lens ring, USB drive (removable), kickstand for both portrait and landscape (using the USB drive stick as the stand), and multi-tool. The multi-tool has a standard blade, serrated blade, flat-head screwdriver, bottle opener, and a choice of colors – black or silver! Of course you’re going to want to pop the tool off the case when you’re heading to the airport – not allowed!

The case fits on your phone like a charm and adds less than 3mm to its surface. The bulk of the case is made of aerospace grade composite materials as well, so you’ll have some basic protection for the back and sides of your device. The USB stick comes in two iterations – 8DB or 16GB, and again, fits into the case in several different ways allowing you some on-the-go stand-up action for your phone.

The headphone clip allows you to keep your phones tight to the device when you’ve wrapped them around the phone, and the integrated lens ring works with a variety of lenses, each of them included in the package. There’s a macro lens, a fish-eye lens, and a wide-angle lens too.

For those of you still wanting to contribute to the Indiegogo campaign, there’s good news – if you’ve got an iPhone 4/4S now and plan to update to the iPhone 5, no worries! You get both an iPhone 4/4S case and an iPhone 5 case in the package together – and the multi-tool and USB stick fit in both! Check it out!

iPhone 5 ReadyCase “swiss army knife cover” blasts past funding goal is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If there’s one person who’s nailed the art of Kickstarter-driven hardware production, it’s Scott Wilson. The designer’s MNML studio had considerable success with the crowdfunding site, which helped launch his Lunatik iPod nano watch bands, a stylus called the Touch Pen, and now the Taktik heavy-duty protective iPhone case. The last is just making its way out to market (for iPhone 4/4S – iPhone 5 coming soon), and I’ve been provided with a review unit to take for a test drive.

Short Version

The Taktik is a beast, and with its beastliness comes significant added size for your iPhone. But its purpose is to protect, and in that regard, it does a very good job, even optionally adding an extra layer of Corning’s Gorilla Glass into the mix. It also has high water resistance, but don’t go dunking your phone like you might with the Lifeproof.

Features:

• A retro-futuristic design that, while big, is at least visually interesting.
• All ports/buttons are accessible without case removal.

Pros:

• Impact/scratching will have little to no effect on your phone in this juggernaut.
• Cutouts and materials used for covering mics and camera don’t degrade performance.

Cons:

• Getting power and home button presses to register can require more pressure than I’d like.
• Six screws to get the iPhone in and out of this baby.

Long Version

Build Quality And Design

If you’re looking for a durable, damage-resistant case, this is where you want to start. The build quality of the Taktik is very high, which is in keeping with their previous products.  It’s made out of aluminum aircraft-grade and a high-density shock-absorbent foam material that handles drops. Upgraded options on my review model include a Gorilla Glas screen protector, as well as Gore water-resistant fabric covers for mics and speakers. There’s nothing loose, rattling or shaking about the case, and movable parts like the dock cover flap and silent mode switch feel sturdy and unlikely to snap off anytime soon.

Maybe it’s because I just watched The Firth Element last night, but this thing looks good to me, too. It’s the type of industrial futuristic design that might be at home in a Halo game or on the bridge of the Battlestar Galactica, and it’s appealing as a result. But also not for everyone. I can see a significant percentage of iPhone users taking one look at this thing and saying, “ugly.” But for the audience it’s after, geeky gadget lovers, it’s a good look.

Durability

I don’t recommend doing the following things to their iPhone, Taktik or not. But for the sake of this review, I dropped my iPhone 4S from multiple heights multiple times, ran it under a tap briefly and splashed water on it. The good news is, it works fine, and even the case doesn’t seem to have suffered any cosmetic damage from my attacks. Falls were a couple of feet (like off of a coffee table), waist height, and from head level (about six feet off the ground). It fell on its face, on its corners and sides, and on its back, on a laminate floor. It bounced around, but didn’t damage the iPhone. That’s very good. Also, water tests revealed nothing inside the case, but Lunatik is quick to note that this thing isn’t waterproof, so don’t submerge it or expose it to water on purpose at all.

Usability

The problem with protective cases and the iPhone boil down to how it affects the iPhone’s natural usability. First, the Taktik adds bulk, making your device more like a Galaxy Note than an iPhone, without the additional screen real estate. And it adds about twice the thickness. Still, it strikes a good balance between grippy and smooth surfaces, so that it’s easy to hold but also slides in and out of pockets without much trouble.

Size aside, the touchscreen works perfectly well under the second layer of Gorilla Glass mine came with (a $25 upgrade from the base model), and the silent slider is a smart and well-executed little innovation. The problem, however, comes from the way the power button and home button are accessed. You have to press pretty hard to get them to register, and it takes some getting used to. I had no problem with the volume buttons, either. But the dock cover flap and the tab that provides access to the headphone jack are both well-made and less of a pain to use than I’ve found with other similar cases.

Conclusion

Lunatik makes good products backed by smart design. The Taktik is no exception. It isn’t without flaws, but those are generally the same kinds of things you’ll see on the Otterbox (which feels less substantial, by the way). Alternatives like the Lifeproof offer waterproof design, and a slimmer profile, but you won’t get the same level of drop protection. Finally, either $100 or $125 or $180 depending on options is a lot to spend (the Otterbox is $49.95), but it’s hard to argue with results, and the Taktik does what it says on the tin. If you want something to protect your iPhone that’s not only rugged, but also stylish, this is a good option, albeit at a premium price.