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Logitech's modular iPhone case lets you change features on a whim
As clever as smartphone cases can get, their features are usually set in stone; if you decide you need a battery pack after you bought a wallet case, you might be stuck. Logitech hopes to eliminate that accessory anxiety with its new Case+ add-on for the iPhone 5 and 5s, built in part by the TT Design Labs crew it acquired last year. The modular design starts with a basic protector, but lets you attach components depending on what you need. A +Drive piece gives you a magnetic car mount, while +Energy more than doubles your battery life; +Wallet offers space for your credit cards, and +Tilt (based on TT's TidyTilt) provides both a kickstand as well as a magnetic mount for your fridge.
Logitech acquires TT Design Labs, launches iPhone accessories
Many crowdfunded companies are just happy to get their products out the door, let alone to enter the big leagues -- yet that's where TT Design Labs finds itself today. As part of a move into mobile gear, Logitech has acquired TT Design Labs and is relaunching the young firm's iPhone accessories for a wider audience. The starting catalog includes the Tidytilt Case, a $35 iPhone 5 shell with a Smart Cover-style flap, and the JustMount, a $25 magnetic wall mount for the Tidytilt and other metallic gadgets. Pre-orders for the Logitech versions are available now, and we're told to expect deeper collaborations in the future.
Logitech acquires smartphone accessory design house TT Design Labs
Remember hearing Tim Cook's admission during his lovefest with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at D11 that Apple had swallowed up something like nine companies since the beginning of the year? Well, they're not the only tech company making acquisitions, and one on a much smaller scale was announced today -- Logitech, the manufacturer of a lot of tech accessories, announced that they're acquiring TT Design Labs. If you're like me, your first response was "Who?" and you'd be entirely justified. But upon further research, I discovered that I was familiar with the company. TT Design Labs, a tiny two-person design shop consisting of Derek Tarnow and Zahra Tashakorinia, is the company behind very interesting iPhone accessories. The first was the TidyTilt (image above), which can be best described as a Smart Cover for iPhone. It's a tiny little foldable magnetic cover / stand that also serves to hold headphones and do other amazing tricks. TT Design Labs then came out with the JustMount on Kickstarter, a wall mount designed to magnetically hold an iPhone for hands-off viewing or FaceTime action. Both products will be available from Logitech starting today, and the two TT Design Labs employees will continue on in their duties; Tarnow will be a full-time Logitech employee, while Tashakorinia will be providing consulting services on an ongoing basis. The TT Design Labs acquisition is a perfect example of how crowdfunded projects can evolve into deals that benefit everyone.
