Hasta La Gadget!

For those of you who picked up a brand new iPad mini with Retina display, I am quite sure that you would have also mulled over whether you ought to pick up a protective case for the device itself. After all, who knows? You might even opt to sell the tablet in a couple of years’ time, and obviously the resale value would be a whole lot higher if it were to still be in pristine condition compared to having received knocks, scratches and dents here and there. What about those moments in life when you bring your iPad mini with Retina display to places where there is water – and lots of it? This is where LifeProof comes in with the announcement of the availability of nuud and fre, where these are the two very first waterproof cases for the iPad mini with Retina display.

LifeProof intends to offer the utmost security from daily hazards for the iPad mini with Retina display, where its renowned design would feature quad-levels of protection – waterproof, drop proof, dirt proof and snow proof. Dropped your iPad mini into the swimming pool? Not a problem, as it is capable of withstandinng submersion in up to 6.6 feet of water for up to an hour, and will also be able to brush off drops from as high as four feet.

LifeProof CEO Brian Thomas shared, “With both the LifeProof nuud and fre for the iPad mini with Retina display, our customers have the freedom to choose a style that best suits their lifestyle. Some customers prefer fre, with its built-in screen protector, while others opt for the nuud design that allows direct access to the Retina display. It’s a win either way because our cases are among the most highly engineered and versatile waterproof cases available.”

The LifeProof fre and nuud for iPad mini with Retina display will arrive in either black or white colors, where the LifeProof fre costs $99.99 while the nuud would retail for $119.99 a pop.

Press Release
[ LifeProof announces nuud and fre waterproof iPad mini cases copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

You got to give it to Motorola, it’s pretty specific with its handset releases. Today’s announcement? It’s the DEFY Pro doing the Samba towards Brazil. The “lifeproof” phone is designed to battle the elements (water, dust and carnival spirit,) and is the first touchscreen / QWERTY Android handset from the firm. There’s 2.7-inches of Gorilla Glassed screen to poke at, an SD card slot to upgrade the 2GB onboard memory (upto 32GB) plus GPS and WiFi (so you can find your way home with the morning after). How much for this party of a phone? We don’t know just yet, but the fun starts on July 15th, when it becomes available.

Update: Motorola reached out to us with some clarification on its claim of being the first touchscreen / QWERTY Android handset:

The release denotes that the DEFY Pro is our first life-proof device to feature both a QWERTY and touchscreen. Motorola’s life-proof devices are water resistant, scratch resistant and dust proof, ready to handle life’s daily challenges, indoors and out. Admiral and Titanium have similar features but are categorized slightly differently since they are iDEN-based products and have different mil-spec certification.

Continue reading Motorola DEFY Pro heads to Brazil, offers tough and tactile Android action

Motorola DEFY Pro heads to Brazil, offers tough and tactile Android action originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 11:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LifeProof has made a name for itself as a maker of super rugged iPhone cases that you can take in the ocean, to the beach, or even to the top of Mt. Everest. This thing can survive in some surprising environments. But today, the company has finally answered the call for a LifeProof iPad case, the Nuud. The case vacuums against the glass panel on the iPad so that there’s no front screen protector, allowing for the same tactile interaction we’ve all grown so fond of on Apple’ tablet.

But that’s not to say it loses any of its ruggedness — all the same specs migrate over from the iPhone case, including Military Grade shock and impact protection, waterproof up to 6.6 feet, and resistance against all the elements. Plus, you can plug in your headphones using the O-ring sealed headphone adapter, letting you take waterproof headphones into the pool or shower. (FYI, I would love to take care of the day’s obligatory phone calls in the shower.)

The iPad case comes with four small inserts on each corner to let you attach straps and carry it as a briefcase, alone with port covers that vacuum seal just as tight as the case itself. The camera cover is made of the same type of glass that you would find in a Nikon or Canon DSLR camera, anti-reflective on both sides.

Now, since the iPad has a capacitive display, the screen won’t work when submerged under water. That’s not to say it can’t be submerged — it would be just fine. But that’s not the point of the case. The point is to feel comfortable using your iPad at the pool or in the tub or in the rain. The LifeProof iPhone case, on the other hand, can be used under water to take pictures because of the physical shutter button.

The sheer durability of the iPhone case case along with its usability has let people do some crazy things with their iPhones — things that would make any iPhone addict cringe at the mere thought of them — but just take a look (if you dare).

It’ll be interesting to see how people use the Nuud, but my bet is that the iPad will start showing up in the bathtub, the pool and the kitchen much more.

There’s still no pricing out for the Nuud iPad case, but it should be available on store shelves and online in July.