TUAW review and giveaway: Quirky Beamer iPhone case
We're starting off the Independence Day holiday with a bang -- a giveaway to one lucky TUAW reader of the Quirky Beamer iPhone case for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Before you enter the contest, however, I'm sure you'd like to know what makes the Beamer different and how it works. That's the purpose of this short review.
The Beamer is one of Quirky's community-designed projects. We've talked about Quirky before -- anyone can make a suggestion for a new product, and if enough people like the idea then it goes through a community design and review process. The Beamer, suggested by Canadian Jenny Tyler, solves an issue for those who don't have an iPhone 4 to complain about; it supplies a very bright LED light that is amazingly useful in taking photos with the 3G and 3GS.
The US$38 Beamer comes in black and what I like to call "Colorado Rockies Purple." The case is easy to install or take off; the bottom and top pieces are connected with a fairly tight friction fit, so you're not going to need to worry about having the case come off unless you want it to. The case has holes in all of the right places, for the various ports and switches, as well as for the all-important camera.
When you want to use the light, you push a sturdy button on the side of the case. It's on the same side of the case as the camera lens, so I found it useful to orient the iPhone so that the button was on top. One push turns on the LED light for 4 seconds, which is usually long enough to take a picture. That 4 seconds is also enough time to let you find the keys that you just dropped underneath the car.
I found the case to be somewhat more "chunky" than I expected, and I already use a fairly thick case (the OtterBox Commuter). Of course, the big butt of the Beamer is due to the need for a battery, which in this case is a easily replaceable CR2026 lithium coin battery. As expected with a Quirky product, the fit and finish of the Beamer is wonderful. Personally, I would have preferred a rougher surface texture to prevent accidentally dropping the case and iPhone, but that's just my preference.
So, by now I hope I've whetted your appetite for a Quirky Beamer. For our giveaway, just leave a comment below telling us what you'd like to illuminate with the Beamer's LED light. Here are the giveaway details.
Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
To enter, leave a comment telling us what you want to light up with the Beamer's LED light.
The comment must be left before midnight on Sunday, July 4th, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
You may enter only once.
One winner will be selected and will receive a purple Quirky Beamer (Value: $38)
I took a few pictures of the Beamer on my 3GS in all of its purple glory. Check 'em out below for an idea of what this little case is capable of. Best of luck, and be sure to stay tuned to TUAW all weekend for more giveaways.
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