Accessories

iPads don't come with their own protection. In fact, these sleek metal and glass beauties ship naked. That just won't do: you need a case. But when it comes to the iPad Mini, I quickly discovered, what makes a good case or bag is a very different proposition than for the larger iPad.

To help you pick out something good, here's what I've observed so far over the last couple of months of hard-core iPad Mini use. Let's take a look, shall we?… Read more

Update, December 18, 2012: Added 15 new products, including cases from Element, Tavik, Loop, Pure.gear, uNu, Knomo, Spigen SGP, Mapi, Trident, and Ballistic.

With the launch of every new iPhone comes an onslaught of cases to protect it.

What's the best one? Very hard to say. The problem is that everybody has different tastes in cases. And, of course, some folks choose not to bother with them at all.

In doing this roundup, I've tried to present a good selection of products, highlighting some of the better cases that have hit the market -- or are about … Read more

What are you willing to sacrifice to make your iPhone really stand out from the crowd? How about the use of its camera? OK. How about your dignity, too? Great, I have just the case for you. It's the Lobster Mobile Telephone Case from Noddy Boffin.

Way back in 1938, Salvador Dali created a piece known as the "lobster telephone." It involves a lobster attached to the handset of a rotary-dial phone. Flash-forward to 2012 and Australian designer Elliot Gorham channels the ghost of Dali into an accessory for modern smartphones. … Read more

Tablets are dandy just as they come, but sometimes you can really stand to have a keyboard at your fingertips. You can carry around something like Apple's wireless keyboard or a fat case with a keyboard built in. Or you can get behind the Nibiqu iPad keyboard project on Kickstarter.

I don't really know what Nibiqu stands for, but I do know it's mighty thin at less than a quarter inch in thickness. It doubles as a case, but the most compelling aspect is the full keyboard with keys that depress. The maker is advertising it as "the thinnest keyboard for your iPad," though it may have some competition in that department.… Read more

It was just a few weeks ago that I wrote about N2A Cards' new Android 4.1 upgrade options for the Barnes & Noble Nook Color and Nook Tablet.

Now the company offers a similar option for the Nook HD+ (by all accounts a fantastic tablet). Whether you're not a fan of Barnes & Noble's heavily modified (and, some would say, limited) version of Android or you just want the option of a more traditional Android tablet experience, there's now a plug-and-play solution.

Starting today, you can download one of N2A Cards' specialized image files, copy it … Read more

Who needs a bottle opener iPhone case when you have the TaskOne?

The multi-tool iPhone case -- now seeking funding on Indiegogo -- houses 16 hardened steel tools, including a 2.5-inch knife with serrations, a 1.8-inch sawblade, screwdrivers, and a bottle opener. The screwdriver even doubles as a kickstand for watching videos.

Ex-Apple engineer Addison Shelton, who developed the case, says the TaskOne won't add too much bulk or weight to your iPhone. The case weighs 3.1 ounces and 3.3 ounces for the iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5 versions respectively.

The TaskOne is made … Read more

Part digital camera, part smartphone, the 4G Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Camera could be the start of a new generation of digital cameras. And as of this week, both Verizon and AT&T sell it.

On the one hand, Samsung could find some advantage in branching into the digital camera realm early before the trend really takes off. On the other, reaching outside its core technologies into new territory could prove a major misstep for the Korean electronics giant.

Touted as the first 4G LTE camera in the world, the Galaxy Camera deserves a bit of attention. With features such … Read more

The original Swivl was basically a motorized platform for your iPhone that tracked your movement. Turn on the camera and you could easily record video of yourself or make FaceTime calls without worrying about drifting out of the picture.

Since its launch earlier this year, the device's creator, Satarii, has been getting a steady stream of requests for a model that supports an iPad, digital SLRs, or Android devices.

The new Swivl is basically the same thing as the original, but with expanded capabilities thanks to a redesigned base and built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It can now support all … Read more

Picture eliminating camera shake with what looks like an old film canister. Japanese brand Gizmon, which brought us the quirky iCA case, has released a remote shutter that looks like a used roll of 35mm film.

Hidden within the "film cartridge" is a retractable cable that plugs into the headphone jack of any iOS device, with a button on top of the canister acting as the shutter button. This makes the remote shutter useful for long-exposure shots or even self-portraits. The button can also be used to start or stop video recordings. … Read more