Dodocase Mini
Price: $60
Ratings: 4/5
Web: www.dodocase.com
Dodocase
Mini
The Dodocase mini for Apple’s smaller iPad
isn’t quite a hardcover book, but it brings forth all the qualities I love
about books. It’s a bound, hardcover shell with a (much improved) bamboo tray
for your digital device. The cover folds back to create a nice typing plane,
and the case has embedded magnets in the cover to sleep and wake your device.
You can even use the iPad’s rear camera through an optional camera hole.
My only niggle with the Dodocase mini is
that with the iPad encased, it weighs almost as much as two iPad minis glued
together – not unlike a hardcover book.
The Dodocase mini won’t be the perfect
cover for everyone. But it’s just right for me.
MetaWatch Frame
Price: $199
Ratings: 3.5/5
Web: www.shop.metawatch.com
MetaWatch
Frame
MetaWatch’s Frame smart-watch makes me feel
like the future has arrived. The watch’s stainless-steel face is 2 inches by
1.5 inches, and the display is about 1 inch square. Buttons on either side
control lighting, music, status info, notifications, home screens, alarms, and
Bluetooth (which you use to pair the watch with your iPhone). You can populate
the four home screens with weather, time, calendar, stocks, and other widgets.
I’d like to see more and better apps, and
more extensive notifications, but this can all be fixed once MetaWatch opens up
its software to iPhone developers, as it plans to do soon. In the meantime, the
future is here.
Mophie Juice Pack Air
Price: $100
Ratings: 4.5/5
Web: www.mophie.com
Mophie
Juice Pack Air
Mophie’s Juice Pack Air battery case for
the iPhone 5 doubles your iPhone’s battery life and looks great to boot.
The two-piece Juice Pack Air weighs 2.7
ounces, which adds a noticeable amount of bulk to the phone. But with that
slightly bigger size comes serious battery power. Mophie says the Air adds 8
hours of talk time and between 8 and 10 hours of Internet use. The Micro-USB
port at the bottom charges both the case and the enclosed iPhone fairly
quickly.
The deeply recessed headphone jack requires
use of the included adapter with some headphones. But overall, the Juice Pack
Air is a pleasure to use.
Tiffen Steadicam Smoothee
Price: $169
Ratings: 4/5
Web: www.tiffen.com
Tiffen
Steadicam Smoothee
Shooting video with a smartphone can give
you decent footage, but when paired with the right gear, an iPhone can really
shine. Tiffen’s Steadicam Smoothee is an impressive stabilization device. I
popped the iPhone into the mount, and was soon filming even while racing around
on roller skates. Using it is much more comfortable and stable than shooting
iPhone video with my hands. My arm did get tired after a few minutes, though.
The Smoothee is small, affordable, and easy
to set up and you likely already have the required camera in your pocket.
