TamsIJungle

Gadget lovers know OtterBox for its name-giving OtterBoxen, which are extremely sturdy, waterproof boxen that can be used to transport and protect small electronic devices. However, the company has recently begun to offer cases for devices…can their Defender stack up?

OtterBox cases ship in special yellow blisters that have a strange lab or construction-site touch:

A small “manual” is included with each case:

Getting the iPod Touch into the case is a funny procedure – first, the PVC cover is removed from the “skeleton”. The skeleton is then torn apart, the iPod touch is inserted. Afterwards, the process is “undone” – which leaves you with the iPod inside the case:

The iPod remains perfectly functional while in the case – the screen can be controlled through the thin PVC layer with ease. A cutout makes hitting the home button fun:

The power button can be pressed, too:

Ports are covered by flip lids that must be pulled “off” before something can be plugged in – the images below demonstrate what I mean:

In the end, the OtterBox Defender makes an excellent and very sturdy case that will definitely protect your iPod touch from drops and scratches. If the case would also be waterproof, it would be perfect. As it is now, it nevertheless is great – the price of just 30$ makes this an absolute steal and must-have if you can live with the slightly bigger size.

Unfortunately, Apple’s iPod touch ships without a printed manual. Even though this may save Apple a few cents per unit, some people (like yours truly) prefer dead-tree documents as they are easier to read. APress to the rescue - but can their iPod touch/iPhone manuals fill up the void?

The book starts out by looking at various purchasing options available to prospective iPod touch/iPhone users. The book discusses US retailers and their warranty programs, and also takes a look at what the Apple web shop has to offer.

The next two chapters look at text input and web browsing. People coming from another smartphone/handheld platform will find these chapters very valuable, as they contain loads of things that can’t be figured out easily.

After that, a few chapters look at media management. As I am very happy with the media capabilities of my Treo, these chapters haven’t been too interesting for me - but they still cover everything in considerate detail.

Two chapters deal with the PIM tools found on the machine. An additional chapter looks at the new features found in the so-called “January Software Upgrade” - the latest 2.0 upgrade hasn’t been included yet, but will likely be covered in a future edition of the tome.

Finally, an appendix contains a few useful links regarding jail breaking and other iPod touch trickery…

Erica Sadun’s book is pretty well-written and easy to understand. Black-and-white images clarify key concepts where needed. The paper quality is ok - my Parker 45 (x-nib) didn’t have any blotting issues. Unfortunately (and typical for APress), the iPod touch version book contains a few flaws: for example, the book talks about iPod Touch calls (which don’t exist)…

In the end, Taking your iPod touch to the max is a great book for everyone who wants to get to know their iPod. The Amazon.com price of just 15$ makes this a bargain: when buying an iPod touch at Amazon’s, get this book by all means!

I stumbled across UNIEA at last year’s Hannover-based CeBit fair. The manufacturer’s excellent PR team agreed to provide me with samples immediately. They are the new kid on the block - but can their stuff stack up? Our first test candidate is a “crystal case” called U-Feel…read on for the full test.

UNIEA’s products ship in small blister cases that protect the stuff well - my samples arrived unscratched:

The case ships with a belt clip that can be attached to the back. I personally dislike these due to the higher risk of theft - people who feel like taking the risk will be happy as the clip appears to be pretty sturdy:

Getting the iPod touch into the case is easy. First, the case is pulled apart. Then, the iPod is inserted into the front part. Finally, the “lid” is slid onto the case:

The iPod touch remains perfectly usable in the case. The case’s front contains a “screen protector” that covers the screen. I tortured my iPod quite a bit and found the screen to remain perfectly responsive. A small cutout allows you to access the home button:

Cutouts at the top and the bottom allow you to sync, attach headphones and use the power button:

In the end, the U-Feel is an excellent case for people owning an iPod touch - if you like crystal cases, there is nothing not to like about this one. It offers decent protection and doesn’t get in your way - the zen of cases… The only issue I see availability - as the UNIEA online store isn’t ready yet, you need to find a distributor close to you via their distributor finder…