By David Ponce

There’s a project getting some steam on Kickstarter that would bring back the old timey joys of the Etch-A-Sketch for the iPad generation. Granted, there may be kids out there who have no idea what we’re talking about, but those of you who played with one back when this was the toy to have will be pleased to know about the lengths that the team behind this is going to in order to preserve the authentic feel of the original. It’s called The Etcher and is a special case for all three generations of iPads that would emulate the toy. And although it’s not set in stone, as it would entail higher fabrication costs, the Ohio Art company (makers of the toy, and owners of the trademark) have expressed willingness to manufacture it. And even if they don’t end up making it, they’ve already granted a license, and quite enthusiastically. A lot of effort is going into small details, such as programming a stylus that is visible underneath the line being drawn, as well as the line getting darker with multiple passes of this stylus, just like in the original. And it would work pretty much as you’d imagine, except with some added iPad perks. For example, shaking the thing would erase your image, but it wouldn’t have to be gone for good; you could save it or share it with friends.

At the moment you can pre-order yours on Kickstarter (and help contribute to their reaching their funding goal) for $60. Estimated shipping would be sometime in October of this year.

[ Project Page ] VIA [ Wired Gadget Lab ]

By David Ponce

If you’re looking for an external keyboard and a case for your iPad 2, the above might be a good all-in-one solution for you. Not only will it nestle and protect your tablet, it contains a Lithium-Ion battery that will give you some extra juice as well. The keyboard will connect through Bluetooth, and there are USB and Micro-USB ports on the side. We’re not sure how these will interface with the iPad seeing as its not exactly setup for USB use, however if you’ve jailbroken your device and installed iFile then you’ll basically have jerry-rigged a full blown laptop. Granted, iOS will still limit the things you’re able to do, but it’s as close as you’ll get without spending the extra dough.

The Notebook Case for iPad is $75 through Japanese retailer Rakuten, which means its US-based partner buy.com could have it in stock in the near future.

[ Product Page (Translated) ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By David Ponce

It’s nice to get out of the house now and then. You might even bring your iPhone with you on those excursions. But what if you like the fresh air so much you wander far from home? And as your battery dwindles you realize that like any normal person, you’re not carrying a charger cable around with you. Calamity. Or, just get the JuiceTank, currently in the funding phase on Kickstarter. It’s a simple iPhone case that features two swiveling plug arms that fold down flat when not in use. And while the case does add minimal bulk to the phone, its got to be weighed against the practicality of being able to charge anytime, anywhere. You can get yours for $55 now, or $70 once it hits retail. The campaign has raised about one fifth of the $150,000 it needs to take off, but if successful, you’ll get delivery by July of this year.

[ Product Page ]

By David Ponce

Shapeways is a company that prints 3D stuff. We don’t know how long they’ll be around for, considering you can now print your own stuff at home, but that’s beside the point. Turns out they decided to “honor” Siri, that little assistant on the iPhone 4S, and they organized a competition to accomplish this. Of all the entries submitted, the above from SaGa Design won. The case is called Omniscient Siri and the idea is that with this case on, you’re forced to use the phone with only Siri, seeing as the only button you can physically access is the one with which you summon her.

Of course, if you want to do anything other than, say, talk on the phone, this is useless. You can’t actually see the screen, at least not properly, so maybe this is more of a novelty item. It is possible to buy it though, and it starts at $90 for a white one, while a gold plated case will set you back a cool $350.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Geekosystem ]

By David Ponce

What with today being the expected announcement of Apple’s new tablet, it seems the news is teeming with iPad related news. The CampFire case is a pillow/sleeping bag made for the iPad 2. It props the device up at any angle you want, and when you’re done “working”, just reverse the bag and it surrounds and protects your beloved tablet.

It’s not life altering stuff, but it’s $60 if this kind of stuff floats your boat.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ UberGizmo ]

By David Ponce

We posted about an iPhone case with handgrips back in December, but that thing was ugly and looked cheap and guess what, it didn’t meet its Kickstarter funding goals. But today there’s something similar, only this one’s a real product and you can buy it now. It’s called the M-27 from iSteady Shot, and is a solid aluminum case with an detachable “crystal clear” 37mm wide angle/macro lens which gives you a 130 degree view. The handgrips let you steady your shot somewhat, and there’s also a standard camera mount for true stabilization. This is for iPhone 4/4S only.

And you can actually purchase this now for $99. Hit the jump for a bunch of pictures and links.

Read the rest of this entry »

By David Ponce

If you buy this case and some accident damages your iPhone 4/4S while being protected with the case, the company will try to fix it. If it doesn’t manage, it’ll send you a new phone. We’re not sure what’s to stop someone from buying this once their phone has broken and claiming it happened after. The only precaution taken seems to be a requirement to register the Cellhelmet within 30 days of purchase, but we’re not sure just what that’s supposed to stop. At $40 a pop, it’s a lot cheaper than buying a new phone. And even if there is some way to prevent fraud that we’re not seeing, the idea is pretty neat nonetheless. It’s not everyone who has carrier issue insurance, so for one year of peace of mind, $40 is not a lot of cash.

The Cellhelmet is a Kickstarter project that has already been funded. The cases look alright, but lets face it, the real product here is the insurance.

[ Product Page ]

By David Ponce

Say for a minute that there’s something, anything, interesting under water. And that you’ve got some desire to go record a high definition video of whatever that is. We say “get a hobby!” But you’re stubborn. So you have a few options. You can spend $300 for a GoPRO Hero2 rugged HD camera and dive up to 60m (200ft) underwater. Then you get to futz about with the camera hoping to get anything cinematic looking. Or you can spend almost twice as much (not quite true if you pre-order) on this rugged FourPro mount and dive half as deep (100ft). Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, the FourPro has a few advantages. First are the Teak handles that allow you some kind of control over your phone/camera, making for a potentially more stable shot. And these handles have threaded holes to accommodate lighting equipment. Lights! Who would have thought things could get dim 100ft under water?

Right now it’s just a project on Kickstarter, and as of writing it appears to be a non-starter. They’ve raised $800 from the $20,000 they need. For $400 you get the whole kit, which is lots, sure, but less than their expected $699 retail if it ever sees an actual marketplace.

Hit the jump for links and a video that features a guy giving a very Troy McClure introduction: “You may know me from…”

Read the rest of this entry »

By David Ponce

It bears repeating at any given chance: past a certain point, megapixel counts in sensors are almost meaningless unless you’re printingroad signs. What matters more is the quality of the lens, and when you’re talking about the camera on a phone, well, size constraints kind of limit things. If you don’t mind giving your iPhone 4 or 4S a trip-to-the-eye-doctor look, Photojojo has created an accessory that could add a little range to the types of photos you can take. Made from aircraft grade aluminum, the iPhone Lens Dial features a rotating dial with three different lenses:

“A 0.7x Wide Angle for sweeping landscapes. Get fun warped images with the 0.33x Fisheye. Switch to the 1.5x Telephoto and get nearly two times closer to your subject.”

Aside from the dubious claim that 1.5 is nearly 2, Photojojo seems to have made an interesting product. The lenses are “optical quality coated glass” and the case gives you access to all your buttons. Holes in the rotating dial let you take pictures with the iPhones regular camera. The only two drawbacks we can see is that shots taken with it appear to display some massive amounts of vignetting. And the price: $249!

[ Product Page ] VIA [ TechCrunch Gadgets ]