Accessories

Urbanears bring the party straight to your ears [review and giveaway]

Having admired Urbanears from afar, on the shelves of local retailers, I was blown away when I finally got my hands on a pair of the new Zinken over-the-ear headphones. Urbanears is clearly a company priding itself by paying attention to the little things and even places a 63 page booklet in their headphones' box to prove it.

As a reviewer, I come across a lot of products for iOS devices on a regular basis and I can count, on one hand, how many times I have been impressed with product packaging (excluding actual Apple products). I must say, when it comes to accessories, often, a book should be judged by its cover and Urbanears spares no expense. Let's open the box on this pair of Zinkens my friends at Urbanears sent over and you too have a chance to grab a pair of your own...

The Cygnett SecondSkin softly protects your iPhone 5

Cygnett ranges four continents and sells product in more than 45,000 worldwide retailers across 40 countries. According to Cygnett's description, the company tries to provide mobile protection solutions that are protective, fashionable, and functional. With a diverse line up of iPhone 5 options, they are doing well in their mission and I had the opportunity to give the SecondSkin a run for about a week.

In a crowded market, it is difficult to make a product truly stand-out, but many case companies continue to press forward, taking their stab at the latest and greatest. If you just nabbed your iPhone 5 or are planning to get one soon, start taking a look at the wide selection. We are here to give you a quick glimpse at the new SecondSkin...

BooKase stitches Italian quality into its iPad sleeves

I always keep an eye open for professional grade products, when scouring the internet for review materials and products. The BooKase website is a simplistic and unsuspecting front page advertisement for what amounted to an excellent iPad sleeve. Offering several options for both iPad and iPhone, I chose to review the Colorado collection designed for iPad and quickly fell for the simplicity and quality.

BooKase products are designed in California and produced in Italy. Placing importance on design-build, the materials are eco-friendly and washable to ensure a minimal footprint while offering easy-to-use protection...

Colcasac wraps your iPhone in a snuggly hemp sleeve [review and giveaway]

As precious as your iPhone is, you still love to use it naked... not that you're naked, I mean case-less. Using an iPhone the way Steve wanted you to tends to leave a concern for scratching and flaking anodized aluminum, which several iPhone 5 users have noticed. When tossing an iPhone in a backpack, duffle bag, or purse, there is always potential for scratching. Consequently, I prefer to use luggage or packs with dedicated gadget pockets that are lined with protective fabrics, but that is not always an option. ColcaSac is here to help case-less iPhone users with their hand sewn organic, hemp sleeves and we're here to give away 5 of them...

The Lance Daypack helps you organize your mobile life while on the go

To begin, I will start with a disclaimer. I love backpacks, own five of them. Each of the packs has a specific purpose and I'm always on the lookout for another specific bag to fit an individual need. When approached to review the ECBC Lance B7103 daypack, I jumped at the opportunity because I was looking for a workhorse backpack for my electronic gadgets.

Catching a glimpse of the internal pocket system in the B7103, it was love at first sight, but it faded quickly. After spending a weekend on the road, some very excellent features of the bag made mobile life more organized, but some specific features seemed to be missing...

Rokform brings its v3 case system to the iPad [review and giveaway]

If you follow our review and giveaway sections, you are familiar with Rokform's v3 accessory system for iPhone. For a short recap, the v3 accessory system integrates with the iPhone v3 cases making a wide arrange of additional accessories lock into the existing case. As the RokLock iPad case hits the market, there are two new pieces available specifically for the iPad system, which help mount your iPad most anywhere.

The RokLock is an injection molded polycarbonate slider case for iPad and iPad 2. The beefy case is excellent for protection and the remote mounting system keeps your device locked into place. We are thankful to our friends at Rokform for sending us one for review and you could win one for yourself too...

Incipio’s DualPro case with silicone core will protect your iPhone 5

Spanning three continents, like the old British empire, the Sun never sets on Incipio, allowing them to operate 24 hours per day. Their tireless approach makes them a world-wide leader in fresh and innovative designs that protect and enhance our mobile devices.

Incipio pushed an iPhone 5 accessory line concurrently with the release of the iPhone last Friday, and I was thankful to not only get a FedEx box with my shiny new iPhone, but also received a care package from my friend at Incipio with a DualPro inside. I am pumped about this new case and plan on using it frequently...

Jorno may be the pocketable Bluetooth keyboard you’ve been waiting for

If you are in the market for a Bluetooth keyboard, there are plenty to keep you guessing. However, I am yet to find a model that collapses into a small portable unit for grab-and-go solutions. Today, Jorno utilizes the small, compact design you may be looking to discover and is launching on Kickstarter.

At 3.5"x3.5"x1.2" folded, the Jorno promises to fit in any travel bag or even a back pocket. With a 2011 Design and Engineering Showcase Honors from International CES, it should raise a few eyebrows as it makes its way around the net...

Toast’s wooden skins add life to your iPhone [review and giveaway]

Over my time blogging, I have only spotted a few wood or faux wood skins for iDevices, but have never had the opportunity to review one. Thanks to my new friends at Toast, I have been using their real bamboo iPhone skin for a little over a week and my completely custom skin is getting even better everyday I use it. With the iDownloadBlog logo darkly emblazoned on the pale wooden backdrop, my iPhone skin is the talk of the town...

HoverBar floats your iPad anywhere

Twelve South prides itself by making items for Apple products and only Apple products. With popular accessories such as the BookBook for iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, Twelve South is not a new contender to the accessory scene, but is certainly one of the best. Limiting their new accessories to a mere handful each year, the South Carolina based company ensures each product is crafted to quality standards. The HoverBar now touts iPad 3rd generation compatibility and I take it for a spin, in the kitchen...

Wirelessly streaming files to your iPhone with Wi-Drive

You just preordered the new iPhone 5, but did not want to splurge on the 32GB or 64GB model. While you wait for Friday to arrive, you are growing more and more concerned about the lack of storage space on your shiny new iPhone. After all, you are going to want to watch widescreen movies in their 16:9 glory, but alas, you need all 16GBs to store family vacation photos to show Grandma on your Thanksgiving trip home.

Critically, you scoff that she doesn't have WiFi at the assisted living center, so you can't pull them from iCloud or Dropbox. This Thanksgiving, be thankful for Kingston's Wi-Drive, which will store everything needed in a compact design and wirelessly broadcast the files without an existing network. Even the nagging kids in the backseat can simultaneously enjoy different movies...

VonCase cages your iPhone in aircraft grade aluminum

At vonCase Designs, the team aspires to create an "exceptional iPhone case that is as unique as it is durable." Utilizing American-made aircraft grade aluminum to craft complex designs with a hand-finished touch, vonCase enters with four eccentric iPhone cases that catch attention. Anodized for a permanent finish, the Variants, pop with vivid color and protect your precious device from drops and dings...