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Bioserie bioplastic iPhone 4 cases: Review and giveaway
Is there a better way to start a new year than to get an innovative new case for your iPhone 4? Bioserie recently sent TUAW two of their iPhone 4 cases to review and give away to our readers. As you know, we get a lot of different iPhone and iPad cases to test, so what makes these different? It's that they're not made out of petroleum-based plastics like most of the other cases we receive. Instead, the Bioserie cases are made of bioplastics derived from plants. The company does a very good job of using environmentally friendly materials in their packaging of the cases as well. The cardboard box is made of 100 percent recycled materials printed with soy inks, and the plastic "window" of the box is also made of bioplastic. The cases we received are rather simple in design, but they do a good job of protecting the back glass and sides of an iPhone 4 while allowing easy access to the ports and buttons. The case snaps onto the iPhone 4 in a flash and can also be removed for cleaning. There is a texture to the Bioserie cases that makes them less slippery than some cases I've reviewed. %Gallery-112308%
TUAW Review and Giveaway: A couple of products for green Apples
Just about every time you turn around, there's another ad for a green product. Cleaners, cars, food products, you name it. Well, the trend was bound to make it to the Apple market, and we're happy to say that we have two products to tell you about. Even better, you have a chance to win one of these green products. The first item is the Agent18 EcoShield+ case for iPhone 4 (US$34.95). What's "green" about a case for the iPhone? Well, when it's totally made from recycled plastic (one recycled bottle in every case!), that's a pretty good start. I do have to wonder about the plastic cover / hanger and box insert that are used for packaging the EcoShield+ case. If you're going to make a green case, why not develop packaging that's not going to end up needed to be recycled? The EcoShield+ case (below) has some great points that are lacking on many other iPhone 4 cases. First, there is protection for all open ports. There's a sliding door for covering the headphone port as well as a swiveling cover for the Dock Connector. That cover is the second unique feature of the EcoShield+, as it also serves as a stand to prop up the iPhone in either portrait or landscape mode. Although the EcoShield+ isn't as stylish as some other cases we've reviewed, it offers good protection, has a nice soft touch feel, and the built-in stand is definitely a plus. This case isn't available for sale yet, but we're going to be giving one away to a TUAW reader. Check the rest of this post for details.
Road Tested: Voltaic Systems Generator laptop bag
Thinking green? Voltaic Systems' Generator laptop bag (US$499) might be just the thing to buy for Earth Day on April 22nd. I had a chance to road test one of these incredibly cool bags for a month and was very impressed. What makes it so special? Well, it could be the big photovoltaic panel on one side of the Generator that provides 15 watts of power to feed your electronic devices. Voltaic points out that the Generator is the "first solar bag powerful enough to recharge a laptop." That panel charges an internal 58Wh Lithium Ion battery pack that can run most laptops. The solar panel isn't the only thing that's green about this bag. The materials that make up the majority of the bag are made from recycled PET soda bottles. In fact, the shell, webbing, mesh and lining of the case are made of 100% recycled materials.
