Magpul's New iPhone 5s Bump Case Reports For Duty

Magpul's highly anticipated tactical Bump Case for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5 is now available in 7 colors for $27. Although it features a similar textured ribbed surface design as the inexpensive Field Case we reviewed, the Bump Case offers more protection in that it combines a hard polymer exterior shell with a shock absorbing semi-rigid interior layer to maximize protection against abrasions and impacts without adding unnecessary bulk. The Bump Case's hybrid dual co-moulded material construction is reminiscent of the all too popular Speck CandyShell, albeit tactical in the way it looks and feels.

The company that is more known for manufacturing third party tactical gear for weapons managed to impress us with its affordably priced, USA-made iPhone cases in the past, namely the Field Case for the iPhone 5 which has proven to be a really terrific value for the amount of grip, fit and finish it offered compared to countless cases selling at more than double the price. While it's true that now Magpul has raised the price of its original Field Case from $13 to $17, we think it still remains to be a superb option. The Bump Case on the other hand will set you back $27, however, understandably so as it's a more complex case to produce.

Jawbone Debuts UP24 Fitness Tracker With Bluetooth 4.0, Real-Time Syncing

Jawbone has released an improved version of its popular UP fitness wristband tracker named the UP24. An improved version that now features Bluetooth 4.0 with wireless real-time data syncing in the background between the UP 3.0 companion app which currently only supports iOS. Thanks to the low-energy Bluetooth 4.0, the UP24 is always connected to your iOS device (hence the name) to alert and motivate you in real-time with your progress. It's also aesthetically different from the original UP wristband in that it has a rubbery wavy pattern design across its exterior surface as opposed to a zigzag pattern. Jawbone claims its UP24 can run for up to 7 days on a single charge.

UP24 is the only lifestyle tracker that pushes tailored, actionable information to you at just the right moment, enabled by wireless syncing via Bluetooth Smart™. It notifies you when you’ve reached your step goal with a push notification on your iOS device, as well as when you’re getting close to hitting your goal and need a gentle, motivational nudge to help you to succeed. UP24 can also be set to send notifications with a summary of your recent sleep activity at the moment you wake up, or a workout summary as soon as you complete a workout. Conveniently tap into the notification to see how you did or add more information. All notifications for UP and UP24 can be customized from your app Settings menu.  

The new UP24 is now available in persimmon orange and in onyx black colors for $150. In the meantime, the company will still be selling the original $130 UP band in 5 different colors.

BookBook Travel Journal Case Covertly Carries Your iPad And Other Accessories

Have you ever wondered what a gear bag would look like if it were a giant ass vintage-looking book? Now you know. Twelve South's new BookBook Travel Journal is a peculiar protective hardback gear case (or briefcase as Twelve South calls it) made out of genuine vintage-looking leather and styled to look like the rest of Twelve South's BookBook case offerings.

Featuring a dual-zippered opening, it can hold any iPad model including the iPad Air or an iPad mini inside a dedicated and padded slip-compartment, along with a few other essential items like your fold-flat headphones (shown here with the BeoPlay H6 by B&O headphones), MacBook or iPad chargers, cables, and other small accessories you'd need to carry with you which can be organized neatly thanks to pockets and adjustable straps across the interior. Twelve South's BookBook Travel Journal is available now for $100.

Apple Discontinues The 15-inch MacBook Pro

Apple has silently killed off the 15-inch MacBook Pro and is now strongly pushing towards the future with its more powerful slimmer and lighter Retina-equipped 13-inch and 15-inch MacBooks. People looking to get an affordably priced 15-inch MacBook Pro will have to turn to the refurbished and used market, while Apple has made efforts to lower the price point of the new 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro down to $1,999 from last year's $2,199 entry price. The 13-inch standard MacBook Pro is still being offered for purchase with year-old specs, and is now the only remaining Mac to come with an optical drive. But for an additional $100, you can get an up-to-date Retina model with a super fast PCIe-based 128GB of flash storage which can be a compromise for some.