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Engadget giveaway: win a Samsung Galaxy S5 courtesy of Tech21!
We're officially kicking winter to the curb and pretending the polar vortex never happened. It's time to revel in nature's glory by kayaking, biking or at least relocating to the backyard for a bit. Of course, that means more chances for your smartphone to tumble onto the pavement instead of couch cushions, so we've put together this week's giveaway with that in mind. The device protection gurus at Tech21 are providing a Samsung Galaxy S5 for one lucky Engadget reader and bundling it with an Impact Tactical case and Impact Shield screen protectors to keep it safe from harm. The case is all about shock absorption and impact resistance (if the name didn't clue you in) and it was designed to keep the phone's slim profile intact. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget for up to three changes at winning this butterfinger-proofed smartphone package. Now, maybe you can have nice things again. Winner: congratulations to Viktor G., Guelph, ONT.
Video: Tech21's iBand protective case and its mystical, magical, non-Newtonian goo
If you're the clumsy sort you have absolutely no shortage of protective cases and coatings to shroud your pricey gadget in, but most are ugly, bulky, and likely ineffective. The iBand from Tech21 isn't particularly attractive nor svelte, but after watching the video below there's little doubt about its effectiveness. It's made of a substance called d3o, which is a fancy orange non-Newtonian substance, starting out stretchy and gushy but, when put under pressure, hardening and protecting its precious contents. We've seen this stuff applied to high-impact applications like motorcycle armor, but we're glad to see gadgetry getting a little attention too. The video is a bit curious as it appears that the d3o is just applied around the edges of the case and yet the enclosed device survives a face-down landing, but it's an impressive demonstration nevertheless. Right now the £15 ($25) iBand is only available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but future gadgets should receive the oobleck treatment soon.
