zagg
Latest
Mophie resurrects the Juice Pack for iPhones
Mophie’s Juice Pack, once practically synonymous with smartphone battery cases, is making a comeback. With Apple having discontinued its MagSafe Battery Pack, Mophie has seized the moment to reintroduce the Juice Pack for the first time in five years.
A new competitor to AppleCare offers cheaper insurance for smartphones
Zagg’s new mobile device protection plan may be a cheaper third-party option.
Mophie's latest battery bank can charge itself wirelessly
Mophie's new Powerstation Wireless XL battery bank can not only charge your devices wirelessly, but charge itself that way too.
Mophie's wireless iPhone battery case keeps your Lightning port free
Many iPhone battery cases use the Lightning port to keep your handset topped up, and that's obviously a problem when there's no headphone jack. Case makers either need to add a port back or make you forego wired listening altogether. Mophie, however, has a simple solution: wireless charging. Its newly unveiled Juice Pack Access relies solely on Qi to power the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, keeping the Lightning port open for wired headphones while adding 25 to 31 hours of extra talk time. This also avoids the bulky chin that you've seen in the past.
The best Cyber Monday deals
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter, reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.
Zagg buys battery phone case maker Mophie for $100 million
In what appears to be a coming-together of a phone accessory empire, Zagg has just announced that it's buying Mophie for at least $100 million, with perhaps more to be awarded later on depending on Mophie's sales figures. Zagg is a mobile accessory company that makes all kinds of devices from keyboards to cases, while Mophie is best known as the maker behind the popular phone battery case, as seen in the image above. Mophie first gained popularity as the battery case of choice for iPhones, and then slowly expanded its line to include battery cases for certain Android flagships plus standalone battery packs.
CES 2015: ZAGG announces new iPhone accessories, including Pocket wireless keyboard
ZAGG announced some new products at CES 2015 today, two of which are designed to improve your interactions with an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or other "phablet". First, the ZAGG Speaker Case is an innovative protective case that adds a removable bluetooth speaker to the back. It's also packed with power with an interior 1800 mAh battery. The speaker will be available later in the first quarter of 2015. Probably the most interesting announcement was about the ZAGG Pocket (US$69.99), a small folding Bluetooth keyboard that delivers over 85 percent of the size of a desktop keyboard. By folding between two lines of keys, it's possible to fold the Pocket into a 9-inch long by 2.5-inch wide x .5-inch space. Magnets keep the Pocket folded, and a carrying case is included. It will also be available later this quarter. ZAGG is the current market leader in keyboard cases, and the Pocket will open up keyboard usage for owners of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and other phablets.
How a keyboard case can turn your 8-inch tablet into a productivity machine
What's up with 8-inch tablets? Microsoft reportedly canceled the Surface Mini at the last minute. Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0 is long overdue for a refresh. Even the current class leader, the iPad mini, only came about after years of procrastination at Apple. Perhaps it's just a little harder to convince people of the merits of this category of device, compared to the greater pocketability of a phablet, the affordability of a 7-inch Android slate or the extra productivity offered by a full-sized tablet, hybrid or laptop. However, I'm happy to report that with a bit of smart accessorizing -- namely, the addition of a high-quality keyboard case that allows for proper touch-typing -- an 8-inch tablet has plenty of scope to operate as a serious productivity tool, if not an outright laptop replacement.
ZAGGkeys Folio for iPad Air: The best keyboard so far
If you've been reading TUAW over the last month, you've noticed that I've been methodically working my way through the variety of keyboard cases for the iPad Air that have been announced. For those of you who have been waiting for me to announce the one that I think is the cream of the crop, you can stop waiting -- the ZAGGkeys Folio for iPad Air (US$99.99) is without a doubt the best iPad Air keyboard case released so far. The ZAGGkeys Folio is a rather thin (.697"/17.7 mm with iPad Air inserted) plastic shell with a faux leather exterior in either black or white. It's not the lightest keyboard folio for the iPad Air. Be prepared to add over a pound of weight to your skinny tablet, as the ZAGGkeys Folio weighs in at 18.87 ounces (535 grams). The keyboard on the white version is white with a surrounding gray shell, while the black version has -- naturally -- a black keyboard. The Folio contains a 950 mAh lithium polymer battery that lasts for "months" in regular use. However, there is a special situation where that battery may drain a bit faster, and that's when the backlighting feature is used. Yes, the keyboard is backlit! That's perfect for those times when you're typing away at night on a dimly lit airliner and don't want to turn on the overhead reading lamp to illuminate your keyboard. Instead, you simply tap one key on the keyboard to turn on the backlight, which can then be adjusted to glow in one of seven colors -- red, light green, dark green, light blue, dark blue, purple or white. The letters on the keys are transparent, so you can really see them with the backlight turned on. Of course, backlighting means nothing if the keyboard isn't comfortable to type on, and that's where the ZAGGkeys folio really shines. The other keyboards I've reviewed so far from Kensington, Belkin, and Logitech all have some oddities in terms of key size or placement that make them more difficult than expected to type on easily. I'm an extremely fast touch typist, especially when I'm blasting out reviews on an Apple Wireless Keyboard. I think that keyboard has met its match with the ZAGGkeys Folio, as I'm able to type just as fast and with as much accuracy as I do on the Apple keyboard. The keyboard has a pretty good feel to it -- it could be a little more "snappy" in terms of response, as it's mushier than the precise click of the Apple keyboard. However, it's much better than any of the other iPad Air keyboards I've tested so far. The key placement is perfect -- every key is exactly where it should be, so my fingers aren't prone to pressing the wrong key when I try for punctuation or pressing the tab key. There are six rows of keys, with the topmost row being special iPad-only functions. There's also a special battery level button that indicates with a series of LED blinks how much battery capacity is left; a button to turn the backlight on or off and cycle it through three brightness levels; a button to switch between alternative international keyboards, and a set of arrow keys, one of which provides a way to switch the color of the backlight. The iPad itself is held into the protective shell of the back plate by several almost-invisible plastic clips that are molded into the lip of the case. While it's easy to get the iPad in and out of the Folio with this design, I worry that it might not hold the iPad into place securely enough. Only time will tell... There are two buttons on the right side of the keyboard; one is an on-off switch if you want to be absolutely sure that the keyboard is turned off, while the other is a Bluetooth pairing button. Pairing is dead simple; you just press that button to make the keyboard discoverable, pop into Bluetooth in Settings, and connect to the keyboard. There's also a micro-USB port on the side near the buttons that is used for charging the Folio's internal battery -- ZAGG thoughtfully provided a USB to micro-USB cable for charging. The way the Folio is set up, you open it to turn on your iPad Air. It links via Bluetooth very quickly, so much so that it's often faster to just type in your lock screen passcode on the keyboard. The "screen" hinge is nice and tight, so you can adjust it back or forth for the best visibility. The screen will only tilt about 45° back, so you don't need to worry about having the Folio suddenly flip over backwards. As a hardcore user of Siri, I love the addition of a microphone button in the top row of keys. I found it much easier to simply tap and hold that button to engage Siri's attention rather than tap the iPad's Home button. I certainly don't have any qualms about the Folio's ability to make your iPad typing-friendly. My only real complaint is about the construction. As I noted earlier, it doesn't feel like the iPad is being held too securely in the "top" of the Folio, and I noticed some very thin gaps in the seams in the gray material used for a lot of the case that just looked unprofessional. In comparison to the aluminum construction of the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard for iPad Air or the smooth lines of the Logitech FabricSkin Folio for iPad Air, it just looks and feels less sturdy. Conclusion In terms of typing, the ZAGGkeys Folio for iPad Air is the current leader of the pack. The key placement and size is perfect for fast touch typing, and the backlighting makes typing in dark rooms a piece of cake. And surprise! All of this comes at a price that's a bargain compared to what other accessory manufacturers are charging for less capable keyboard folios. If you plan to use an iPad as your main device for blogging or writing, then this is the keyboard to get at this time because it simply lets you type quickly and accurately. Pros Excellent keyboard feel and key placement Backlighting is nicely implemented and a very big help when typing in dark conference rooms Fast Bluetooth pairing Top row of keyboard is dedicated to iPad functions, including Siri Less expensive than competitive offerings Cons Construction seems somewhat less robust than Belkin and Logitech offerings Heavier than other keyboard cases Who is it for? Anyone who needs a fast, comfortable, and capable keyboard for an iPad Air and is less interested in the looks of the case than in how it works
ZAGGkeys Cover and Folio keyboards for iPad mini
April showers apparently brought May iPad Bluetooth keyboards, as I reviewed a ton of them during the month. The month of June is starting off with a duo of iPad mini keyboards from ZAGG, the ZAGGkeys Cover and ZAGGkeys Folio (both priced at US$99.99). While these two keyboards aren't available for purchase yet, this review may keep you from buying a competing iPad mini keyboard in the meantime. Design Let's talk about the difference between the Cover and the Folio first. The Cover is exactly what the name implies -- a keyboard that covers the screen of the iPad mini when not in use. The Folio, on the other hand, provides a keyboard and a back cover to shelter your mini. The ZAGGkey Cover is really a marvel of engineering. I was stunned with how thin it is -- 6.3 mm, or just less than a quarter inch thick. It's also lightweight at just .68 lb (308 grams), identical to the weight of the mini alone. The Cover is made of thin aluminum in black, although it looked more like a dark gunmetal blue to me. Nonetheless, it's quite attractive. When installed, it also works as a magnetic on/off switch for the iPad mini. It can be easily removed and placed behind the mini for "tablet mode" use. %Gallery-190150% Now here's the amazing thing; this little keyboard not only has a very usable layout, but it's backlit. And not only is it backlit, but you can choose from seven different backlight colors. The backlight automatically shuts off when you don't type for a few seconds, then power back up when you begin pounding the keys again. The Cover comes with a standard USB to micro-USB cable for recharging; battery life is expected to be about three months in normal usage. There are also four stick-on rubber pads to be installed in the corners of the Cover -- more on that in the Functionality section of this review. As for the ZAGGkeys Folio, it's a much more traditional folio type design with a leatherette cover that the iPad mini snaps into. Pop open the folio and the mini turns on, close it and it shuts off. As with the Cover, the Folio also has those amazing backlit keys. It weighs in at exactly .69 lb, just a tiny amount more than the aluminum Cover, and is only 6.9 mm (.27 inch) thick when installed on the iPad mini. Functionality There's really no better way to test a keyboard than to type up a review with it, so I used both the ZAGGkeys Cover and Folio to write this review. The keyboards are essentially the same in layout, backlighting, and feel. The layout is very traditional in most respects, which is probably why I took to typing on it very quickly. The only real difference from the standard Apple layout is that the caps lock and tab key are the same, and the Q key has been stretched to also provide access to the accent/tilde key that is usually to the left of the 1 key. Some other underused keys are also combined in special ways - the dash/underline key usually sits next to the equals/plus sign key, while on this keyboard they're all combined on one key. To access the equals sign, you use the function (fn) key in concert with this combination key, while a fn-shift gives you access to the plus key. It's the same way with the right brackets and slash keys; they're also combined into a larger key that works with the fn and shift key. What I like about this layout is that the delete key is now full-sized -- something that isn't true on some other iPad mini keyboards. I tend to use the delete key a lot when writing, so that's a big plus. The top row of the keyboard contains (from left to right) a home key, lock key, dictation/Siri key, keyboard key, copy and paste keys, and play and volume keys. The alt key is also used to check your battery level. Tap the fn and alt keys, and the power LED will flash green three times to indicate more than 50 percent charge, yellow three times to warn you that you're at between 25 and 50 percent, and red three times for less than 25 percent. When things get critical, the red light flashes once every five minutes. That LED is also used during the pairing process, which is fast and simple. I turned on the keyboards, tapped a tiny pairing button that is right next to the power button (the LED turns blue), and the pairing was complete as soon as I acknowledged it on the iPad mini. The ZAGGkeys Cover and Folio also have a set of arrow keys that are great for working on spreadsheets. Used in concert with the fn key, they're also used to turn the keyboard backlighting on or off, and to change the color of the backlight. Those colors include white, blue, cyan, green, yellow, red, and purple. I could almost get used to green backlighting... Oh, and I almost forgot -- there are three levels of brightness with the backlighting, so you can adjust it to a comfortable level. With the Cover, you have the option of taking the keyboard completely off, turning it around, and then plugging the mini back in so that it sits in front of the keyboard -- perfect for using the mini as Steve Jobs intended, as a tablet. You don't have that same freedom with the Folio, but it does protect the entire mini when closed. If you want to pop the iPad mini out of the Folio for game play, that's quite easy to do. I had one minor gripe with the Cover; I noticed after just a little bit of use that there were some bare spots on the anodized aluminum on the bottom. That's apparently where the rubberized feet are supposed to go; why ZAGG doesn't just install them at the factory is a mystery. When it ships this summer, the Cover will be available in silver or black. The Folio will initially be available in black or white, with more colors coming this fall. Conclusion ZAGG has a pair of winners on their hands with the upcoming ZAGGkeys Cover and ZAGGkeys Folio for iPad mini. By combining little-used keys and placing those that are used more frequently in the familiar places, the company has created a tiny keyboard that is exceptionally typist-friendly. Keyboard backlighting is the icing on the cake; the ability to adjust the brightness and color of the backlighting is the bright burning candle on that cake. At the time of publishing, these keyboards are not yet available for sale. If you have an iPad mini and want a keyboard, I'd suggest that you wait the Cover and Folio are in stores to buy one or the other. Seriously, I never thought that anyone would be able to design a keyboard for a device as small as the iPad mini that would be so usable -- congratulations to ZAGG on accomplishing what no netbook maker was ever able to do! Pros Extremely thin and lightweight Backlit keyboard can be adjusted to any one of seven colors and three brightness levels Excellent battery life Fast and easy Bluetooth pairing Typist-friendly feel and layout Both the ZAGGkeys Cover and Folio are stylish and really complement the design of the iPad mini Cons Rubber "feet" on the ZAGGkeys Cover should be pre-installed Who are they for? Any iPad mini owners who are looking for an affordable and comfortable keyboard
iFrogz's Caliber Advantage iPhone 5 gaming case hands-on
It's no secret that iOS mobile gaming leaves us wanting when it comes to physical controls. Fortunately, at CES 2013, iFrogz is out to fill that void with the Caliber Advantage iPhone case-gone-console. The Caliber Advantage, an iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch accessory, uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect to the corresponding enabled application rather than the phone itself. iFrogz mentions that a deal with Epic Games and Chair Entertainment to build the basis for the Caliber software powered by the Unreal Engine is in the works. In fact, later this April the company will host its own developer conference aimed at seriously expanding the platform and hopefully adding support for previously released titles. Marrying a case with a full-fledged controller certainly adds some bulk, but after handling the prototype, the approximate half inch of added girth honestly didn't incite any ill feelings. The chassis, while clearly heavy on the plastic, felt more sturdy than anticipated, and fairly natural to our hands. As for the buttons? Crisp and responsive, hard though that may be to believe. The unit is set to retail at $70, and curious iOS gamers can feel free to take a closer look in the gallery below. Kevin Wong contributed to this report.
Zagg Origin is two speakers in one (video)
Here's a cool little surprise from the Pepcom floor: the Zagg Origin is a two-in-one speaker system. The smaller of the two fits in the palm of your hand, communicating with your tablet or smartphone via Bluetooth. It's got some physical buttons on top and an auxiliary port, power button and mini-USB slot on its rear. It also vibrates like crazy when it plays. Drop into the larger dock desktop speaker and the music starts playing through that via the aforementioned vibes. Pretty cool, really. It's gonna run you around $250 when it launches in roughly seven weeks. Watch video of the origin in action after the break.
ZAGG offers keyboard cases for iPad mini
That didn't take long. Accessory manufacturer ZAGG is now taking pre-orders for iPad mini keyboard cases, hoping to turn the wee iPad into a business powerhouse. The ZAGGkeys Mini 7 (US$89.99) is an exact match to the dimensions of the iPad mini and uses "island-style keys in a sleek and unique layout provide maximum finger space in a compact Bluetooth keyboard, perfect for accentuating the utility and convenience of iPad mini." If you decide that you'd actually like a keyboard with some room for your fingers, the ZAGGkeys Mini 9 (also $89.99) may do the trick. According to ZAGG, it features "island-style keys with a carefully engineered layout to provide the same spacing as ZAGG's traditional tablet keyboard." Although the Mini 7 is a tiny keyboard, it still provides special function keys for "volume control, play, pause, screen lock, home, search, slideshow, copy, paste and more." No word on if it's actually large enough to type on, but we'll hopefully get a review keyboard in the future.
Roundup of announced iPad mini accessories (updated)
Along with today's debut of the iPad mini came a tidal wave of accessory announcements for the littlest iPad. Here's a roundup of several of those new products. Update - 10/24/12 10 AM ET: Added Dicota Protective Covers at the bottom of this post X-Doria X-Doria actually pinged us before the announcement with enticing photos of a new series of cases for the iPad mini. The cases (from left to right below) include the bright and stylish SmartStyle (US$39.99), the SmartCase-like SmartJacket ($34.99), the Dash Folio ($39.99), the puffy and versatile SleeveStand ($29.99), another bright and stylish SmartStyle, and Engage back shell ($19.99). Otterbox You may be more likely to take your iPad mini out for a bike ride or on a hiking trip than your full-grown iPad, so Otterbox has announced that the Defender Series case will be available for the diminutive iPad for $69.95. They're taking pre-orders now, and you can get the case in Black, Crevasse (gray), or Blush (magenta). ZAGG invisibleShield Hey, these guys don't have to do much more than detailed measurements of a device to create the "invisibleShield" for a product, so this was a no-brainer that ZAGG would have one announced almost immediately. The full body (front and back coverage), original military-grade protection protector for the iPad mini goes for $34.99, while the Hi-Definition version is $39.99. They're back-ordered until the week of November 6-14, so order now. Incipio Incipio has come out with four new cases for the iPad mini. The mini NGP ($34.99) is an impact-resistant semi-rigid case that comes in pink, black or white, while the mini LGND ($34.99) is a premium hard-shell folio that folds into a stand. There's also the $39.99 mini Lexington, a hard shell folio case with a "vegan leather" exterior and a micro-suede interior. Finally, the mini Feather ($34.99) is a ultra-thin snap-on case in orange, red, pink, black, light blue, purple or gray. Check out the video below for details. That's about it for today's announcements. Many of the other manufacturers are probably queueing up their PR announcements for the next few days, so be sure to check back often for news of more iPad mini accessories. Dicota European manufacturer Dicota has announced the Flexi Back Cover and Hard Back Cover (see below) for iPad mini. No prices have been announced; visit the Dicota Web site for pricing by country when it becomes available.
My cheap, simple livestreaming rig: iPhone, Ustream, Zagg and Clingo
The challenge: On short notice, I was asked to stream holiday services from my wife's synagogue so that homebound congregants and college students could attend at a distance. "Sure," I said, before I really thought it through. My preferred setup for a reliable video stream would include a MacBook Pro running Adobe's free Flash Media Encoder or Livestream's Procaster, quality FireWire-compatible DV/HDV camera and an Ethernet connection for predictable connectivity -- although I wouldn't dismiss Livestream's adorable and compact $495 Broadcaster hardware streaming kit (to say nothing of the company's $8,500 Studio all-in-one switcher). All of this gear would need room and power to operate, which is rarely a problem at concerts or other events I've streamed from the temple. In this case, however, the pews would be full and there'd be no room to run power cables and networking across the floor. Instead, I threw together the above configuration, which is admittedly low-fi and low-rent but worked surprisingly well. It starts with a Zagg Sparq 2.0 portable battery pack (model discontinued, but there are subsequent units). The Sparq's onboard battery will easily charge an iPhone 4S several times over; plenty of juice for hours of streaming without having to string an extension cord. Next up, a Clingo universal car mount. This articulated arm has a suction cup mount on one end and a sticky, figure-eight pad on the other end. The adhesion pad is strong and reusable but easy to detach from the phone without leaving marks or residue. The advantage over a full-back or bracket mount is easy to deduce: the smaller contact area meant that I could securely mount the phone without covering the back camera. The smooth plastic shell of the Sparq, in turn, made an ideal suction cup mounting surface. Finally, the iPhone 4S, plugged into the Sparq and running Ustream's free broadcasting app. I started with the older broadcast-only app; I could (and should) have been using the new version that supports viewing as well. Some users have reported instability in the combo app, and I wanted to be able to leave this running unattended in a corner, but the difference in quality between the year-old Broadcaster app and the new app is pretty substantial. At that point, all that's left to do is plug it in, check for WiFi coverage, aim it to the front and hit the button. As you can see, there's some modeling clay weighting the Zagg in the picture; although it's pretty substantial, depending on the arm angle the iPhone had a tendency to tip. I used a beanbag on site to keep it stable. Later on, I dug out my Glif and a standard tripod to give me some flexibility with the camera placement, but if I faced a situation that called for this combo I'd definitely use it again. Yes, the sound quality's not great, you've got no zoom, and there are plenty of other issues. But in a pinch, this is the sort of setup that lets you stream an event with only wireless bandwidth and your iPhone -- and if that's not living in the future, I don't know what is.
ZAGG intros a pair of Bluetooth keyboard cases for the iPad, three pairs of gaming headphones
Sometimes at trade shows we see funky-looking Windows 8 devices, other times we see bags filled with a morphing rainbow colors and sometimes we see things whose importance falls somewhere in the middle. That's the situation ZAGG finds itself in this week, as it tries to win attention at IFA amid dozens of laptop / tablet hybrids and 84-inch TVs. The company is in Berlin as we type this, showing off the new ZAGGkeys Pro and Pro Plus, two Bluetooth keyboard cases for the iPad. Both have a magnetic closure, but the Pro version adds backlighting. Those will be available at the end of September for $99 and $129, respectively. Additionally, the company announced a trio of Caliber gaming headphones, including the Stealth, a pair optimized for mobile devices, and the Axiom, which works with Macs, PCs, the Xbox and PS3. Both have in-line controls. Rounding out the list, there's the Vanguard, which offers 7.1 channel audio. Look for these in October, for $60, $90 and $130, respectively. The PR's embedded after the break, though you won't find much more detail there, sadly.
Rumor: Best Buy inventory system cites March 11 in-stock date for "iPad 3" accessories
To echo the New Yorker's line about musicians and nightclub owners, Apple authorized retailers lead complicated lives. Big-box chains like Target and Walmart have to plan distribution and promotions weeks or months in advance, but with Apple's notoriously tight-lipped ways regarding new products, things can get wacky. We've gotten word from a Best Buy insider that the electronics retail giant expects to have some new accessories in stock as of March 11, 2012 -- see inventory screenshot above. In this case, the items in question appear to be a variety of ZAGG's InvisibleSHIELD device protectors... and they're showing up under a search for "iPad3." Now, you can take all this with the requisite grains of salt; retail inventory anticipation does not necessarily equate to actual stuff on the shelves. But given that this particular product has to be customized for each individual iPad model (to allow for variations in the position of camera, speaker grilles etc. between the revisions and the Wi-Fi vs. 3G units), it's intriguing. One problem though: the 11th is a Sunday, and there's little or no chance that it's the actual on-sale date of the new iPad model. Perhaps this stock of screen protectors will have time to get shelved and settled before a new iPad hits the streets on Monday the 12th.
HzO's WaterBlock technology could make it to Apple products
While our very own Victor Agreda, Jr. checked out the Liquipel waterproofing technology at CES last week, others were checking out competitor HzO's WaterBlock technology. The Utah company told the Pocket-lint blog that they've been talking to both Samsung and Apple about applying the nanoscale waterproofing technology to upcoming phones. A spokesman for the company told the blog that they're "in the process of signing up a major smartphone partner" and a headphone manufacturer. Headphones manufactured with the process would be impervious to sweat or rain damage, and could be used while swimming or taking a shower. Having this technology applied to a next-generation iPhone would make waterproof cases like those from Lifeproof obsolete, although you'd probably still want to keep your baby safe from drops. For those who want existing devices to be protected from the ravages of liquids, it appears that ZAGG is planning on distributing the technology and hopefully providing aftermarket application of the invisible vapor coating. Check out the video below for an explanation of how HzO's nanotechnology works.
TUAW Best of 2011: Vote for the best iPad case
The nominations are in, and the poll is ready to go! The TUAW Best of 2011 awards are all about you -- the readers -- and what you think is the cream of the crop of Apple or third-party products and software. To vote, select one entry from the top nominations made by readers. We'll be announcing the winner in just a few days. Vote early and often! TUAW is asking for your votes for the best iPad case of 2011. Very few iPad owners seem to keep their devices "naked," instead choosing to wrap them in a case of some sort. Much to my surprise, all of the cases were folio type cases, with the "book style" case being the most popular. Our nominees for this are the Twelve South BookBook for iPad (US$69.99), the Portenzo cases (Customized, Composition, Italian Bonded Leather and Premium Genuine Leather -- $59.95 to $124.95 depending on model, options not included), San Francisco's own DODOcase ($59.95), the Bear Motion folio ($59.95 MSRP), and the Zaggfolio keyboard case ($99.99). And now, let the voting begin! The results will be announced on December 29, 2011. %Poll-72320%
Logitech outs a pair of keyboard cases, gets into the tablet accessories game
Technically, we suppose Logitech already made a play for the tablet accessories market when it launched a rebranded Zaggmate keyboard case earlier this year, but today the peripheral manufacturer's getting serious about slates with the launch of two new portable products. Lacking a Smart Cover to keep your iPad 2 on edge? You could try the $70 Logitech Tablet Keyboard pictured above, which comes with a hardshell sleeve that doubles as a tablet stand and dedicated iOS or Android shortcuts. The keyboard itself is slick, roomy and somewhat plasticky, with a definite Notion Ink Adam vibe. There's also a redesigned Zaggmate, now known as the $100 Logitech Keyboard Case, which comes with "a more intuitive keyboard layout and improved keystrokes for even more comfortable typing" -- a claim we weren't able to test -- as well as a rebranded $100 Logitech Z515 Bluetooth speaker system, and a $50 Bluetooth mouse. Pricey? Definitely. Worthwhile? Decide for yourself later this month, when they're scheduled to hit shelves. %Gallery-123982%
