case

Forget about those silly bomb-defusing alarm clocks. This is one piece of hardware that would make Jack Bauer proud (real or fake versions alike).

This case mod was designed to "look like the sort of atomic bomb that one sees in spy movies or on TV shows like 24," as described on TechEBlog. The creator is quick to add that he "tried not to base the design on any real or fictional bomb, but simply out of my imagination." That's a relief--we think.

If simplicity creates good design, this is a perfect example. With so many MP3 speakers on the market, it's almost impossible to stand out. But this system from MoMA has managed to do just that, not by adding bells and whistles but by reducing its appearance.

The "Soundsticks II," as you can plainly see, has a transparent casing that lets you inspect its innards while enjoying "high-quality stereo sound for music, MP3s, movies, and games." Uber-Review says the bases of the speakers are easy to adjust, which is a good thing because you wouldn't … Read more

iPod cases have become such a commodity that we can't even say they're a dime a dozen anymore--that almost seems too high. (Unless we're talking about an iPod trunk, though that's a different story.)

But we had a soft spot for this one, as it brought back old memories from junior high and our first stereo. 45 iPod Cases is an outfit that recycles old 45-rpm records and brings them into the digital age to adorn the iconic music players of the 21st century. Outblush says the cases are fashioned from plexiglass, cork and felt, in … Read more

I'm still trying to figure out why one would need a workout case and armband for an MP3 player that already has a built-in clip, but whatever. I suppose DLO's Action Jacket for iPod Shuffle does provide some protection from that corrosive bodily fluid known as your sweat, so that's a plus. The silvery-white color of the case accents the colored Shuffles quite nicely. The case, which will set you back about $20, is made of a polyurethane-coated neoprene to protect your player from falls and spills (the dirty, wet kind). And I have to add that … Read more

One of digital technologies benefits has always been saving trees--or so we thought. It seems somewhat ironic then that such products as wooden computers, TVs and cameras appear to be on the rise.

Either way, we should have known that techno-fashion accessories wouldn't be far behind. Enter MoMA's wooden laptop tote, which is purportedly made from "ecologically thinned cedar," whatever that is. Shiny Shiny says you must pay for the privilege of being on the cutting edge, of course, to the tune of $265. But you'll be the envy of everyone at the next Gilligan'… Read more

It's a classic case of high tech meeting low tech. For the security-conscious listener, Japan's Elecom has a new line of locking cases for the iPod.

We're not talking about DRM kind of locks here, but the kind that we used to lock up our 10-speed bikes in junior high, complete with a four-digit combination. It even has a steel cable just like the old bike locks did too--which means it could be snipped just as easily with a pair of medium-sized wire cutters. (Not that we know any of this from first-hand experience or anything.)

Despite … Read more

Every day is like Christmas around here: it seems I'm always opening a package or three. This does somewhat take the shine off of the actual holiday, but I can't pretend it's not fun trying to guess what's in each nondescript box. Imagine my suprise at opening one such oversized package from Speck products and discovering that rather than a correspondingly large product, the box contained many, many small ones. Cases, to be exact. Lots of them. Indeed, it appears that Speck has created a protective sleeve for every variety of mobile gadget. This is, of … Read more

Here in the CNET editorial cube farm, we're usually not too fond of receiving random, unannounced packages from tech vendors. Not that I'm afraid of anthrax or suspiciously ticking boxes. No, it's more that I prefer to be aware of the products I'm receiving to ensure that they're not being sent to me in vain--there's not a lot this San Francisco-based MP3 editor can do with a digital camera accessory except ship it to the camera editors in New York. But every once in a while, I receive an unexpected package that contains something … Read more

The good news: I have found photos of what is undoubtedly the most awesome iPod case ever, thanks to Make Magazine's blog.

The bad news: Like most stuff featured on Make, you can't buy it anywhere.

Flickr user sirljohns has put up a sort of tutorial of how to make a fully functional iPod case out of an old Game Boy console, but you'll still need a good amount of technical know-how in order to build one yourself. Nevertheless, this is about as cool as it gets.