Thursday, April 16, 2009
Sena Cases Ultraslim Pouch for iPod Touch mini review
I have always been a fan of Sena Cases products - I personally found them to be the best leather case manufacturer for my Windows Mobile devices due to their quality leather, great construction and slim form. They have a range available for iPods so seem like a good place to start a search for the iPhone or Touch.
Sena Cases very kindly sent me a sample of their Ultraslim Pouch for the iPod Touch 2G.
The Ultraslim pouch is a slip case which I prefer for the Touch as I like to use it out of a case when interacting with it.
This case is very slim fitting, made from soft Napa leather with a velvet lining. There is no reinforcement or additional padding in this case which means it doesn't offer the same level of protection of some other cases but it does mean it is an elegant, device hugging solution. The leather is textured and sports an embossed Sena logo on the front in what is otherwise a very simple, clean design.
While the protection of offer is adequate to avoid scratches or small impacts, the slip design leaves the top of the iPod is left exposed and so should it be unlucky enough to fall on this edge, the Touch will take the brunt of the impact. I would liked to have seen the top edge of the case extended a few mm's to overlap the top of the iPod and offer some minimum impact protection on this edge.
Because the fit is very tight, you can safely hold this case upside down and the iPod will not slip out which offers great peace of mind and yet it is still easy to push out from the bottom side due to the soft, flexible leather.
The bottom section is fully covered meaning there is no access to the connector for charging & syncing or even the headphone socket. I just pop the iPod into the case upside down when syncing/charging or listening to music since both connections are then exposed.
The case comes in a plain but attractive presentation box and offers a basic level of protection for what is a fairly simple design - think more scratches and small drops. The leather employed by Sena really is of high quality and there is a good selection of colours available. I highly recommend visiting the Sena Cases website for more details if you are on the lookout for a slip case for your 2nd gen Touch.
Sena Cases very kindly sent me a sample of their Ultraslim Pouch for the iPod Touch 2G.
The Ultraslim pouch is a slip case which I prefer for the Touch as I like to use it out of a case when interacting with it.
This case is very slim fitting, made from soft Napa leather with a velvet lining. There is no reinforcement or additional padding in this case which means it doesn't offer the same level of protection of some other cases but it does mean it is an elegant, device hugging solution. The leather is textured and sports an embossed Sena logo on the front in what is otherwise a very simple, clean design.
While the protection of offer is adequate to avoid scratches or small impacts, the slip design leaves the top of the iPod is left exposed and so should it be unlucky enough to fall on this edge, the Touch will take the brunt of the impact. I would liked to have seen the top edge of the case extended a few mm's to overlap the top of the iPod and offer some minimum impact protection on this edge.
Because the fit is very tight, you can safely hold this case upside down and the iPod will not slip out which offers great peace of mind and yet it is still easy to push out from the bottom side due to the soft, flexible leather.
The bottom section is fully covered meaning there is no access to the connector for charging & syncing or even the headphone socket. I just pop the iPod into the case upside down when syncing/charging or listening to music since both connections are then exposed.
The case comes in a plain but attractive presentation box and offers a basic level of protection for what is a fairly simple design - think more scratches and small drops. The leather employed by Sena really is of high quality and there is a good selection of colours available. I highly recommend visiting the Sena Cases website for more details if you are on the lookout for a slip case for your 2nd gen Touch.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Proporta Leather Case for iPod Touch mini review
Proporta are a company that are almost relentless with their release of products to support the latest mobile gadgets and they very kindly sent me one of their leather cases for the iPod Touch 2G.
This case takes a minimalist approach to styling with the majority of the iPod being put on display when the case is open. Made from soft leather, the finish of this case is very good and you have easy access to all areas. This case also offers a handy storage option with two credit card slots under the cover. The leather flip incorporates a reinforced insert allowing it to be relatively thin yet offer increased screen protection. A stylish touch is the subtle Proporta logo embossed on the inside.
Unusually for a flip-top case, the catch on this design folds under from the rear and fastens magnetically on the front of the flip.
If you love the styling of your iPod Touch, this is a good alternative to the other cases available although the side protection on offer here is not quite as high as some. This case cannot be used while the iPod is docked although a USB cable works fine and may well be sufficient to make this the ideal case for many.
This case is available for the majority of the iPod range in various colours and more details can be found at the Proporta website.
This case takes a minimalist approach to styling with the majority of the iPod being put on display when the case is open. Made from soft leather, the finish of this case is very good and you have easy access to all areas. This case also offers a handy storage option with two credit card slots under the cover. The leather flip incorporates a reinforced insert allowing it to be relatively thin yet offer increased screen protection. A stylish touch is the subtle Proporta logo embossed on the inside.
Unusually for a flip-top case, the catch on this design folds under from the rear and fastens magnetically on the front of the flip.
If you love the styling of your iPod Touch, this is a good alternative to the other cases available although the side protection on offer here is not quite as high as some. This case cannot be used while the iPod is docked although a USB cable works fine and may well be sufficient to make this the ideal case for many.
This case is available for the majority of the iPod range in various colours and more details can be found at the Proporta website.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Exciting applications on their way to iPhone
Two of my most anticipated applications for iPhone OS have finally been announced. First up we have the hugely versatile ListPro from Ilium Soft. This has been one of my favourite Windows Mobile applications for years and truly is versatile; you can use it as a basic checklist for shopping or a full on expenses tracker for business travel managing different locations, currencies, totals etc. It was speculated that only a viewer application would be released to work alongside the desktop client however Ilium Soft have confirmed this will be an editable client so you can add and make changes to your lists on the move. I genuinely believe this will prove to be one of the most useful applications available on the iPhone OS.
The second application I was excited to hear about was TomeRaider with the upcoming version 4 marked for an iPhone release. This is a paid for document and ebook reader with many free documents available for download. The reason I think this will be a big draw on the iPhone OS, especially for iPod Touch users is the ability to handle large files such as a full offline Wikipedia document which is also available for free. An offline version of Wikipedia for Touch users or iPhone users in poor network coverage areas is considered by many to be a digital holy grail.
These are two applications that will be a must have for me when released.
The second application I was excited to hear about was TomeRaider with the upcoming version 4 marked for an iPhone release. This is a paid for document and ebook reader with many free documents available for download. The reason I think this will be a big draw on the iPhone OS, especially for iPod Touch users is the ability to handle large files such as a full offline Wikipedia document which is also available for free. An offline version of Wikipedia for Touch users or iPhone users in poor network coverage areas is considered by many to be a digital holy grail.
These are two applications that will be a must have for me when released.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Beyza Cases Leather Case for iPod Touch mini review
When I first got my 2nd generation Touch, I really loved the slim form and wanted to get a leather case that kept things as slim as possible so started on my quest to search the web for a suitable candidate. I opted for a slip case as I like using the Touch out of a case when interacting with it and my early searches led me to order a case from Beyza Cases.
The first thing that struck me about this case was the padded feel of the leather - it really felt like thick, soft leather. Further inspection showed this to be two sections; one soft leather and one soft velvet feeling lining bonded together with a layer of padded material in between. The same is repeated on the rear face meaning that there is a surprising amount of cushioning in what is a relatively slim case wall.
There is a good level of protection on offer should you drop your device from waist height due to the way the front and rear faces are stitched together with the seam facing outwards. This means you have approximately 5mm of border around the device to absorb any side impact. Due to the slip design however, the top of the iPod is relatively un-protected - should it be unlucky enough to fall on this edge, the Touch will take the brunt of the impact. I would liked to have seen the top edge of the case extended a few mm's to overlap the top of the iPod and offer impact protection on this edge.
Because the fit is quite tight, you can safely hold this case upside down and the iPod will not slip out which offers great peace of mind and yet it is still easy to slide out when required.
On the bottom is a cut out section that allows access to the connector for charging & syncing. The headphone socket is still hidden away though so I feel this cut out to be largely unnecessary - I just pop the iPod into the case upside down when syncing/charging or listening to music since both connections are then exposed. The biggest benefit of this cut out section on the bottom though is in assisting in sliding out the iPod - you can push it from the bottom then grasp at the top to pull out.
The case comes in a plain but attractive presentation box and offers a good level of protection for what is a fairly simple design. The leather employed by Beyza is of high quality and there is a great selection of colours and finishes available. I highly recommend visiting the Beyza Cases website for more details if you are on the lookout for a slip case for your 2nd gen Touch.
The first thing that struck me about this case was the padded feel of the leather - it really felt like thick, soft leather. Further inspection showed this to be two sections; one soft leather and one soft velvet feeling lining bonded together with a layer of padded material in between. The same is repeated on the rear face meaning that there is a surprising amount of cushioning in what is a relatively slim case wall.
There is a good level of protection on offer should you drop your device from waist height due to the way the front and rear faces are stitched together with the seam facing outwards. This means you have approximately 5mm of border around the device to absorb any side impact. Due to the slip design however, the top of the iPod is relatively un-protected - should it be unlucky enough to fall on this edge, the Touch will take the brunt of the impact. I would liked to have seen the top edge of the case extended a few mm's to overlap the top of the iPod and offer impact protection on this edge.
Because the fit is quite tight, you can safely hold this case upside down and the iPod will not slip out which offers great peace of mind and yet it is still easy to slide out when required.
On the bottom is a cut out section that allows access to the connector for charging & syncing. The headphone socket is still hidden away though so I feel this cut out to be largely unnecessary - I just pop the iPod into the case upside down when syncing/charging or listening to music since both connections are then exposed. The biggest benefit of this cut out section on the bottom though is in assisting in sliding out the iPod - you can push it from the bottom then grasp at the top to pull out.
The case comes in a plain but attractive presentation box and offers a good level of protection for what is a fairly simple design. The leather employed by Beyza is of high quality and there is a great selection of colours and finishes available. I highly recommend visiting the Beyza Cases website for more details if you are on the lookout for a slip case for your 2nd gen Touch.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Samsung NC10 forum
As I have recently picked up a Samsung NC10 netbook for myself, I was on the lookout for a good community to discuss this netbook and iron out any issues that may arise. Thankfully one has appeared quickly and is already changing for the better as it picks up a higher readership. Head on over to www.sammynetbook.com/ and introduce yourself if you have got yourself one of these great little netbooks.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Proporta offer a Guy Fawkes 15% discount promotion
Proporta like to celebrate in style, and Bonfire Night is no exception. Celebrate on them with a 15% discount off all Proporta branded products with the promotion code FAWKES. Simply enter it at the cart page when you order to receive your discount. I'm not sure if this is a day only promotion but a great deal none the less!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Proporta supporting the new iPods
If there is one company that you can be sure of to support a mobile device then it is Proporta. On my quest to see if the new Touch can work as a PDA replacement, I discovered that Proporta have a slew of new products for this latest iPod release including the usual large selection of cases. More details can be found at the Proporta website. Hopefully a review or two will appear here shortly.
