Quirky novelty accessories for iPods and iPhones are pretty uncommon these days, so when I got my hands on a Padacs Snap rubber iPhone stand, I was pleasantly surprised with it. The accessory itself is straight forward and dead simple to use. It’s a small rubber ball with a suction cup attached. How does it work as a stand? It’s simply suctioned onto the back of an iPhone, and the rubber ball will hold it up from the ground in either portrait or landscape mode.
The simplicity is really the key with this product. It’s just one simple piece of silicon. Nothing to break, snap, tear or crack. I tried throwing mine around a bit and pulling it around, but nothing short of using scissors will ruin the Snap’s shape. The suction cup couldn’t be simpler, and it can be put on and removed without leaving any marks.
If you’ve ever purchased a protective film for an Apple device, chances are you’ve heard of Power Support. The United States based company has well respected screen protector products available for iPhones and iPods, and they’ve transferred all the awesomeness of their previous products into their protective films for the iPad. Like past products, there are two types available, the clear ‘Crystal Film’ and the Anti-Glare Film. For the majority of iPad owners, the anti-glare should be the more appealing option, as anti-glare protective films have certain qualities that are superior to clear films. Both films have the same properties as films of the same type from other companies, but it’s the quality of each property that is most important in choosing a protective film.
For those who aren’t familiar with anti-glare films, their main appeal lies in the reduction of glare, reduction of fingerprints, protection from scratches and dust, and the matte finish of the surface. So how does the Power Support film perform? First off, let me tell you that I had one of the easiest installations in a long time with this film. It only took a couple of minutes, and the result was absolutely no dust or air bubbles underneath the screen, and pretty much perfectly lined up. The film went on easily, bubbles were easily eliminated, and the single dust speck that stayed under was swiftly and easily removed using the cello tape method described by Power Support. The film is precision cut, and I found it to be a very appropriate size, not too big so that it leaves absolutely no room for error, but not too small that it compromises in protection.
We have reviewed several outstanding products by Padacs, a company that brings consumers low cost, quality accessories for Apple products, and today we take a look at some of Padacs’ iPhone 4 case lineup. There are three cases here, the Storm, the Plexus and iPhone 4 Bumpers. Each are very dfferent from each other, with the Storm being a play-through case, the Plexus being a snap on shell, and the latter being simple rubber bumpers.
The Storm case for iPhone that I received was the clear version, although Padacs also offers a blue version. It is a semi hard silicon case similar to the feel of the Belkin Grip Vue, and the back has a wavy designs of dots. When put on the iPhone, the design was more prominent, and contrasted the iPhone’s glass back quite nicely. The case has a slight lip over the front sides, although not quite as much as many cases. Functionality wise, the case has integrated button covers, which do line up well and are fairly easy to press. It’s got a decent sized opening for both the headphone jack and the cable connection, while the mute switch is also easily accessible. The hole for the camera and flash is also nicely shaped, and should not interfere with any photography. The only downside I saw with this case was that in my hand, it just felt a tad bit like cheaper quality silicon. Most people probably won’t notice it, but perhaps it is just because I’ve become accustomed to the glossy Grip Vue case. However, at a price of $9.95, it’s hard not to consider this as a case for you.
A short while earlier, I posted a review on Belkin’s iPad sleeve cases line up, and today I have another case that fits into the sleeve category, but this one is unique compared to the other three. The Belkin Envelope case for iPad focuses on a business style look with the simple function of keeping your iPad safe while transporting it to and from your home. The outside of the case is made of synthetic leather, but it looks very classy and does not have any distinct smell to it. The case has white stitching going around the edge of the case and a flap at the top of the case to prevent the iPad from falling out. The inside is lined with a VERY soft felt-like material, and I can’t see any way how it could cause scratches to your iPad.
Padacs currently have several iPad folio cases available for purchase, and today this review focuses on their newest addition to the lineup, the Largo iPad case. This case is similar in design to the Incase convertible jacket, as both cases have a fold-back mechanism that allows the iPad to act as a stand very securely. This case is available in black and tan, and is made of synthetic leather. The front flap is secured by an elastic band, so this may either be a plus for people who are worried about using magnets, or a negative for those who would find it annoying.
The case stands by having half of the back side folding back on itself and resting on the cover side of the iPad (looking at the pictures below will be much easier). Unlike the Incase that uses grooves in the base to rest the iPad in, this case has a line of small Velcro teeth lined along the left hand side. These Velcro teeth are unnoticeable, and they work by gripping onto the soft lining that covers the base. I was slightly skeptical at how well this design would work, but it turns out that it is very stable and you can easily press the screen without moving the iPad while in stand mode. The only downside to this kind of case is that because it has to be more stable, the case will take much more space on a desk (unlike the Apple case which only has a small portion of the case on a surface). The typing mode is a decent angle, but is it not quite as sturdy as cases that uses the Apple case function. This case does add some bulk to the iPad, so when looking around for a folio case you should consider how much the thickness will affect you.
The outer layer synthetic leather feels nice and doesn’t smell like some other cases do, while the inside fabric is soft enough not to scratch your iPad. On the down side, when the case is placed down with the cover folded directly back, the inside material can attract some dust and dirt, although not to the extent of the Apple case. The iPad is slid inside from the spine side of the case, and secured by two small elastic straps that are secured with Velcro. This elastic is also what is used around the other sides of the iPad to keep it in. I found that the elastic and inner fabric takes away from the business type look of the case, and the elastic provides limited protection for the sides of your iPad. A large percentage of the iPad’s sides are exposed, so if you’re looking for a completely covered case, this might not be the one for you. On a positive, the border around the iPad leaves approximately 1cm of the iPad’s black border exposed, so for those don’t like cases that come all the way up to the screen, there’s no problems here. All ports are accessible and relatively easy to reach.
The Padacs Largo case is generally stylish looking case, with a good stand function for those movie lovers who wish to keep the iPad upright. This however comes at the price of added thickness, and you should consider whether you care about having the sides exposed. It is available for $54.95AUD from Padac’s website.
Belkin is currently one of the main contenders in the iPod/iPhone case market, so it’s no surprise that they have a wide assortment of iPad cases available to protect your expensive toy. Of the types of cases they offer, today we’ll be looking at three different designs of iPad sleeves. Sleeve cases are designed to put your iPad in travelling, and not intended to be used while using the iPad itself. The three designs offered by Belkin are the Pleat Sleeve for iPad, Contour Sleeve for iPad and the Vue Sleeve for iPad.
All three cases are made of durable neoprene inside and out, and the inside feels soft so there’s no need to worry about a naked iPad getting scratched up. Each has a neoprene ‘lip’ underneath the zipper that prevents the zipper from scratching the sides of your iPad, a well thought out addition. The top half of the sleeve unzips, and the inclusion of two zippers makes it easier to open and close these cases. All have a Belkin logo on the bottom right corner, but from here on in, the cases are all unique with their own strengths and weaknesses.
This certain case is available in four colours, grey, blue, black and purple. The Pleat is designed so the front has pleated layers, which is intended to expand as you put items in the somewhat hidden pocket. The layers don’t expand much, but despite this the pocket is able to hold a generous amount of items (I easily added my earphones, mobile and wallet). The zipper for the pocket can be tucked away neatly between two of the layers, making it unnoticeable and giving the front a more streamlined look. The front pleated designed looks nice, although it may not suit some people’s tastes. To prevent items in the pocket from damaging the iPad screen, the neoprene layer separating them is reinforced with a hard but bendable panel. The biggest difference for this case is the size, as it is larger than the other two. Because of this, it can accommodate an iPad within a play through case such as the Belkin Grip Vue.
The Vue Sleeve is available in purple or black, and is quite similar to the Pleat sleeve. It also has a similar capacity pocket and a reinforced panel between the pocket and the screen, but is a smaller fit and will not accommodate an iPad in a case (a slim case such as the Switcheasy Nude might fit). The front pocket is clear, so you will be able to see your contents. Other than this, the case has the same functionalities as the Pleat sleeve and available for the same price.
The final case is quite different from the other two. It lacks a pocket at the front (therefore no reinforced panel either), it’s the same smaller size as the Vue sleeve, and the front has many raised silicon waves running horizontally. The wavy pattern may appeal to others, but to me it doesn’t quite compare to the simplistic looks of the Pleat and Vue sleeves. It also feels more flimsy than the other two, while still costing a $20 premium over the other two cases.
Belkin’s iPad sleeve lineup is guaranteed to have at least one case that will appeal to everyone. My preference of the lot would have to be the Pleat sleeve, as I regularly use play-through cases and the compatibility is great. However, the style of the Vue sleeve appeals to me the most, as the wavy lines on front pocket look stylish yet still simplistic. I find the Contour case to be somewhat of a letdown compared to the other cases, as it lacks the feature of a pocket, and feels less protective of my iPad. At a price of $59.99USD compared to the $39.99USD of the Pleat and Vue, I would only recommend it to people who are purely looking for the style of the design. Follow the link to see these and many other great iPad cases on Belkin’s website.
In-ear headphones hovering around the $60-80 range are often the most popular candidate for people wanting to replace sub-standard stock earbuds, so Padacs has taken a shot at this market, specifically for iPad, iPhone and iPod owners. Enter the Padacs Aksent, a pair of in-ear headphones including volume play/pause and volume control buttons and a microphone, priced at $69.95AUD. These earphones are a great step up from the stock Apple earbuds and will no doubt satisfy anyone looking for a decent upgrade.
These earphones are encased in a very stylish looking chrome shell, and the foam tips’ black colour complements it nicely. The symmetrical cable is also black and has a rubbery texture, similar to that of the Sennheiser CX300s. This cable is not specifically tangle proof, but it does relatively well at keeping tangles to a minimum. The 3.5mm stereo jack features a slim profile, so owners of iPhones/iPods with cases can rest easy that the plug will fit. The other major feature of this model is the buttons and microphone attached to a black housing that lies directly before the wire splits into two.
The sound quality of these earphones is great for the price range, delivering rich sounds through its drivers and directly into the ear canal. The earphones produce a powerful but rich bass, while the treble is still clear and is not distorted. For those who don’t enjoy big bass, these might have too much of a punch behind them, but for most the sound is a clear overall blend that produces excellent sounds with almost all music types. It should be noted that for good bass response, it’s essential that the foam tips provide a good sound seal to achieve the best sound. The included tips should be a comfortable fit for most, and the best way to insert the earphones is to compress the foam, place it in the ear and allow the foam to expand to the shape of your ear.
There’s one thing that I should clarify, although most people probably wouldn’t mind this. The ‘volume control’ is a slider, and rather than directly changing the iPod’s volume, it lets you change between 0% to whatever volume your iPod is currently set at. This isn’t as accurate as having two individual buttons like the Apple earbuds, but in return it makes it much simpler to change the volume. For me, this wasn’t an issue, and the main button I used was the pause button. Like the Apple headphones, double clicking this button will change to the next song, which is a feature I absolutely love. The ‘remote’ is quite large, but this will only be a problem if you plan on using these while going for a run.
The Padacs Aksent earphones are a highly recommendable pair of earphones, and while the remote design could use some tweaking, for the price the sound quality will not fail to impress. Included is also a small carry bag, plus a shirt clip to keep the cable from moving excessively. If they sound like a pair to suit you, check out the link below to see the item’s web page.
