Things have taken a rather turn for the strange here at iDownloadBlog today, with news coming from the New York Post of a swanky new iPad cover being made available.
The new cover, offered for sale by Frederick James, are apparently fashioned out of the pants (that's trousers, for us Brits) of one Bernie Madoff...
In honor of the 4th of July, we figured it was appropriate to show off this promo video by SlickWraps. The iPad wrap manufacturers have gone through unusual lengths to show off their products before, but this one takes the cake.
TUAW's Erica Sadun passes on this viral clip of a wild demonstration of SlickWraps' durability. I'll give you a hint, it involves an iPad, a SlickWrap and a bunch of explosions...
Here at iDB, we are huge fans of homegrown, iDevice-related products. We've featured all kinds of crazy inventions from an invisible instrument to a remote control helicopter.
Unlike the aforementioned products, the iCADE wasn't a Kickstarter project. In fact, it originally started out on ThinkGeek's website as an April Fool's prank. Well, obviously the iCADE materialized and the $99 accessory just opened up it's doors for 3rd party development...
Here at iDB, we love a good Kickstarter project. Created so independent designers and inventors can get the funding needed to progress, Kickstarter has been home to numerous much-loved tech in the past.
The latest iDevice to receive the Kickstarter treatment is a smartphone and tablet stand, dubbed "The Infinite Loop."
Yeah, we loved the Mothership reference in there too.....
We love the iPad as a gaming device as much as the next person, but we just can't help but feel hampered by the lack of buttons. Granted that the large, 9.7" touch-enabled display does have its advantages when it comes to changing the way we think about games, but there are some times when a pair of good ol' fashioned joysticks would come in handy.
Apparently we aren't alone in thinking such thoughts, with the JOYSTICK-IT proving that sometimes prodding things with your finger isn't always the best way to go.
With iPad gaming, at least...
Remember that iPad case that we showed you earlier this year called the Extreme Sleeve? Let me give you a quick reminder. G-Form, a company well known for their extreme sports protective gear has ventured into the portable electronic arena. They have made protective gear for MacBooks and other laptops, and they now have one for the iPad.
Their G-Form Extreme Sleeve has been grabbing headlines over the last few months, as the G-Form team has gone through great lengths to prove its durability. They've dropped bowling balls on their Extreme Sleeve-covered iPads and have even dropped one out of an airplane. Each time the iPad has emerged unharmed.
When we previously reported on the product it was not available yet, but it promised to start shipping May 2nd of this year. Well it looks like the Extreme Sleeve is starting to make its way to user's hands, as a new video from Mobile Syrup puts the Sleeve through its own durability test. Is the Extreme Sleeve tough enough to protect an iPad from being run over by a car? Let's watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrLNVcYz6ZM
Though the video stops playing, the iPad appears to be just fine. Now that these G-Form Extreme Sleeves are available to the masses, I'm guessing this isn't the last we've seen of these extreme iPad survival videos. I'm sure G-Form is loving the free viral advertising.
What do you think?
Today, Apple announced the next generation of the iPad. The iPad 2 is the next stage in Apple's tablet evolution, and the device boasts a significant redesign from its predecessor.
There's a lot that's new about the iPad 2. It's thinner, lighter, and 2x faster than the original iPad. It also borrows elements from the iPhone 4, including dual cameras for FaceTime.
Let's take a closer look...
The guys over at VIPad have a picture of a giant iPad table, apparently at some electronics store. Can you imagine having that in your living room? That would go very well with the iPhone icons coasters ;)
I don't like cases. I really don't, especially on Apple products where the design and the look and feel are a big part of the experience. However, I've been changing my mind about cases over the past week after I received the Case-Mate Gelli Checkmate case for iPad.
Although I've never wanted to stick my iPhone into a case, I feel it's a bit different with the iPad. Unlike my iPhone, the iPad is big, doesn't fit in my pocket, and goes around many hands. For these reasons, I felt my iPad was actually much more vulnerable than my iPhone was so I decided to give it some protection.
The Case-Mate Gelli comes in 3 translucent colors and gives your iPad case a funky design that will definitely set it apart from the rest. I got mine in grey which actually is more "clear" than "grey". You can also get it in a flashy green or blue, but these colors are definitely too much for me.
Not only do I like the look of the Gelli but I also like the feel of it. It feels really good in my hands as the thermoplastic material used gives me more grip and prevents my iPad from sliding off my hands or off my legs, depending on my position.
It's very simple to put on, and once on, it obviously gives you easy access to every port or button. The case goes all the way to the front of the iPad to cover just about a millimeter past the bezel. This way, even if the iPad falls flat on the screen, it will be protected, that is assuming the ground would be completely flat of course.
I feel a little let down that Case-Mate didn't throw in a free screen protector in the box. That's no big deal though, we will use the InvisibleShield for iPad.
Pros:
Perfect for every day usage Light Stylish, elegant Not "bulky" Feels good in your hands Adds grip Provides great protection Relatively inexpensive ($36.95)Cons:
Not a heavy duty case Doesn't come with a screen protectorIs the Case-Mate Gelli a heavy duty case for iPad? No, it's not. It is however a light and stylish case that will do a great job at protecting your iPad in average every day usage. The Gelli completely sold me on iPad cases and I'm glad I now have it to protect my iPad from those awful scratches I would get from putting it on the coffee table.
I'm still not sure I would want it for my iPhone because I don't feel my iPhone needs protection. However, my fiancee Tina will be getting the Case-Mate Gelli for iPhone 4 as soon as she gets her white iPhone. She's much less careful with her devices than I am and will need something like this to protect her iPhone.
At $36.95 from our iPhone Store, the Case-Mate Gelli case for iPad is a product I highly recommend. You can order the Case-Mate Gelli here.
Are you feeling a little nostalgic of the good old days prior to the PC revolution? If so, and most importantly if you have an extra $400 to spare in a somewhat useless accessory, then the USB Typewriter might be for you.
Dubbed as a "groundbreaking innovation in the field of obsolescence", old fashioned manual typewriters can be used as keyboards for iPad.
According to the website USB Typewriter doesn't involve messy wiring and doesn't alter the look and feel of the typewriter, except for the USB adapter itself, which is mounted in the rear of the machine.
At $400, that's an expensive accessory. I might stick to Apple's $69 iPad keyboard...
Are you in a retro mood? Or maybe you just want to give your iPad a more classic look? Then check this out.
The guys over at site hirac took a Macintosh Classic, removed the screen and every other component and finally modified the casing so the iPad can fit in there and replace the screen.
It might not be very convenient to use but it sure looks good.