OpenaCase
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Opena Case: Open beers and protect your iPhone 4/4S
So, where would you expect an iPhone case that also opens beers to come from? If you guessed Australia, you're absolutely correct. I first heard about the Opena Case (AUD$39.95) when it was a Kickstarter project, and now that they're in production, I really wanted to try one. What better device to use to open up a frosty bottle of Fat Tire than an Opena? Like Shimmer, which was both a floor wax and a dessert topping, the Opena is a bottle opener and an iPhone case. The case is easy to snap onto your iPhone 4/4S and holds on tight. In fact, I had a bit of trouble trying to get the hard case off of my iPhone 4S until I figured out that I could push the phone out from the hole in the back of the case. It's made of an extremely hard polycarbonate/ABS material that feels like it could withstand the bite of an Australian Saltwater Crocodile with no problems, with a stainless steel bottle opener that slides out smoothly. Although it seems a little expensive for a case, the Opena is built like a tank while still remaining relatively thin. I used the review case to open a bottle of beer for yesterday's TUAW TV Live (see video below, starting at 6:45), and then handed the phone and case to a bartender at a local burger joint so she could try it out. Since then, I've done a lot of research opening beer bottles and I give the Opena a definite thumbs-up. It's a little late to order one for Christmas, but hey -- it'll make a heck of a New Year's gift.
TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET: The 2nd anniversary show
Time flies when you're having fun. Yes, believe it or not, TUAW TV Live has been polluting the blogosphere every Wednesday afternoon since December 22, 2009, making today the second anniversary of this live video stream. Viewers have been treated to hundreds of product and app demos, interviews with fascinating guests, and most of my hat collection. Today I'll have more of the same on tap, including demonstrations of the Doxie Go scanner ($199), the Verbatim Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard ($84), Newer Technologies' NuTouch Gloves ($19.99) and NuScribe ($19.99) stylus/pen, the Autriv High-Sensitive Magnetic Stylus ($19.99), the very cool Deckster Re:Class iPod nano watchband (CAD$165), AblePlanet Clear Harmony active noise canceling headphones ($299 with an 8 GB iPod touch), and the most important of all -- the Opena iPhone 4 case (AUD$39.95). Please note that the last demo involves beer... As usual, I'll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we'll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you're unable to join us for the show, remember that you can always subscribe to the video podcast and watch the show at your leisure in iTunes or any other favorite podcatching app. The past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel. The chat is now available as well on IRC: join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv.
