Hasta La Gadget!

Last week, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima shared images of the iDroid case via Twitter. It makes the iPhone 5 and 5S look like the eponymous cutting edge walkie-talkie used by Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Snake must have been wearing cargo pants in the game, because this thing is huge.

Kojima also pointed out the features of the case on Twitter. It has a blue light in place of the in-game item’s holographic display and a fake antenna that’s actually a small stylus. The case also has buttons for the iPhone’s sleep and volume controls. The part of the case that covers the phone’s camera lens and flash can also be removed. As a final touch, Kojima encourages fans who will get the iDroid case to download the free MGS V: GZ app.

According to Metal Gear Informer, Sentinel will release the iDroid case in Japan this October for ¥7,500 (~$74 USD). I don’t know if it will be released internationally. If you’re more of an Attack on Titan fan, you’ll be glad to know that Sentinel also has a 3D Maneuver Gear hand grip iPhone case on its lineup. [via Hideo Kojima & Metal Gear Informer via Siliconera]

“Designed by m”, a Kickstarter graduate, recently debuted a modified version of its AL13 iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s bumper, where it is known as the AL13 v2 (but of course!) iPhone bumper that has an edge (an overwhelming one at that) compared to the rest of the aluminum enclosures in the market. The main selling point? It is apparently the first aluminum enclosure design in the market that offers zero cell signal loss.

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Al13 v2 iPhone Bumper Claims To Deliver Zero Signal Loss original content from Ubergizmo.

A new Kickstarter project aims to make your GoPro filmography easier to handle, with a case designed to hold the GoPro in such a way that you have a full view of the screen of your iPhone 5s or 5, so that you can monitor all the action while you shoot one-handed.

There are no shortage of iPhone cases that offer double-duty performance with some other task, be it acting as a wallet, or opening beers, or propping up your iPhone itself, but the GoPhone might have just the right feature mix for the action hero in your life. It features a hump at one end that’s designed to allow you to slide in your GoPro’s quick release buckle, giving you full access to the screen at any orientation.

The iPhone still connects to the GoPro in the traditional manner – wirelessly, using the camera’ s inbuilt Wi-Fi connectivity, but now a shooter can watch the action as they film while operating as a follow cam, which is particularly useful if you’re trying to capture your buddy showing off at the skatepark or on the bike track.

It’ll come in multiple colors when it ships, and offers not only live video while shooting, but also a quick and easy way to review footage just shot without having to put down one mount and pick up your phone. Australian project creators Andrew Dorn and Carson Tully have aimed for an economy of design here, and they’ve also spent months testing it in real-world situations at the skatepark. Tully is an industrial designer and illustrator, and Dorn works in the film industry and previously created an iPhone app called ‘Ramped Slow Mo.’

The GoPhone case is seeking $15,000 AUD ($13,538 U.S.) in funding over the next 60 days, with backers at the $40 level securing a pre-order. If all goes according to plan, the accessory should ship this September.

So, you have just gotten yourself a spanking new iPhone 5s, and would want to do your level best to make sure that it does not end up scratched unnecessarily. This line of thinking is certainly one that continues to drive the evolution of the smartphone accessory game forward, and the latest protective case for the iPhone 5s would be one from the folks over at Snow Lizard, where they have unveiled the SLXtreme 5. The SLXtreme 5 has been described to be the ideal iPhone 5/5S case for those who want to bring their smartphone along on outdoor adventures, as it will boast of ultra-rugged, waterproof protection in addition to battery-boosting technology.

Steve Calle, CEO and Co-founder of Snow Lizard Products, shared, “The SLXtreme line has a proven track record of protecting and enhancing iPhone usage while tackling the harshest outdoor conditions. We are excited for consumers to check out the SLXtreme for the iPhone 5/5S as it shields against drops, spills, providing peace of mind that their investment is protected.”

Just what kind of technological wizardry will the SLXtreme 5 bring to the table? For starters, it will come with an integrated 2,550mAh battery which should be able to double the life of an iPhone 5/5S. Not only that, you might be in the middle of nowhere and the SLXtreme 5 has run out of juice, what next? Fret not, since this puppy would be a firm favorite of any Scoutmaster since it also sports a built-in solar panel just in case of emergencies where you need power on the move – only when there is sunlight available, of course.

The SLXtreme 5 was specially designed to be waterproof up to 6 feet (2 meters) with a rating of IP-68, all the while ensuring that the iPhone 5’s functionality would be maintained, making it a decent addition for those who love to capture photos while they are underwater – snorkelling in this case, of course, as it would not be able to survive a bout of diving. You can pick up the SLXtreme 5 in Black, Orange, Yellow, White or Hunter Camo shades for $149.99 a pop, clearly making this one of the more expensive models out there.

Press Release
[ Snow Lizard SLXtreme 5 iPhone case offers protection and more battery power copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

The FLIR ONE iPhone case significantly ups the imaging powers of your iPhone 5 or 5s, making it into a thermal imaging camera that lets you see heat signatures from either live people and animals from up to 100 meters away, or from environmental sources including heating ducts, wall gaps and more.

Most of FLIR’s products to date are aimed at hunters and professionals, but this iPhone case brings an affordable smartphone-based thermal camera to the masses for the first time, the company told me at CES. The FLIR is $350, which might seem steep for a case with a built-in camera, but it’s actually around $750 cheaper than their least expensive standalone model currently available, and it provides an easy-to-use interface that anyone could quickly learn.

The app for the FLIR ONE offers numerous modes that interpret thermal data differently, with some showing many degrees of temperature, and others more clearly showing more or less binary differences between extreme heat, average temperature and extreme cold. Amazingly, it also picks up residual heat, like that left by a foot on a carpet for quite a while after a person was there.

At first, I was a little skeptical about the potential use cases for a thermal iPhone case for the average consumer, but the company’s representative at CES explained that you could use it for something as simple as figuring out whether your dog is climbing up onto your bed when you leave or not. It could also be used for home security, detecting thermal leaks in your house, or finding water leaks in pipes behind the walls.

Of course, it can still be used for industrial and commercial applications, too, including contracting, home inspection and building maintenance. Users can snap photos of infrared images for their phone’s library, and share pictures from within the app. There’s also a plan for an SDK later in 2014, to let others build apps for the case.

The case also has a battery within that powers the camera itself for up to four hours of continuous use, which can also provide up to 50 percent more power for your iPhone, too, if used as a backup battery. The company says it’ll ship this spring, but pre-orders are open now. Thermal imaging might not be on the top of every smartphone user’s wishlist, but it could end up appealing to more people than you might suspect.