Review: Incipio iPad 2 Premium Kickstand Case

If you’re looking for a nicely padded folio-style iPad 2 case, the Incipio iPad 2 Premium Kickstand Case may be the one you want. It has a unique three-fold design that converts your iPad into many different positions and uses.

First of all, putting your iPad 2 into the case is absolutely easy. Open the case and simply slide your iPad into the four sturdy clips. It’s best to hold the case in landscape mode when doing this and slide in from left to right. Once it’s in, you have yourself a good looking iPad 2 folio. But transform itself to be much more.

The exterior of the case is made of a rugged rip-stop nylon. It’s thick enough to provide a lot of protection for your iPad 2. To protect it from bumps and scratches, the interior is made of a soft micro-suede material, along with four sturdy clips that hold your iPad 2 in place. There are cutouts in the flaps for the camera and the buttons and ports are not covered, making them easily accessible.

A stand. The tri-fold design allows this case to become a stand. On the front interior flap of the case is a soft rubber strip that has 3 grooves (or indentations) in it. Fold flap with the iPad 2 on it and set it on one of the grooves. This then converts your case into a nice iPad stand. There are three angles that you switch between. Each one is good for surfing, video viewing, and email reading.

Typing Mode. It was such a pleasant surprise when I learned that the case can be converted into a typing position. You’ll first need to flip the case inside out (backwards). Then you’ll notice on the front flap, there’s a smaller mini front flap that can be pulled up. Open and pull up and you’ll see three ribbon stays. Now fit the flap with the iPad 2 into the exposed ribbon stays and it’s in the perfect elevated position for you to type your notes or documents. This feature makes the case work very well in the classroom or business meetings.

Screen View Only. Perhaps you’re playing a game or reading a book and prefer to have your screen exposed. So you need the front flap to not get in the way. To do this, flip the front flap back so it touches the back side. On the back flap is an elastic band. Pull this band over the front flap so it gets held in place. Now the case won’t get in the way of your reading/game playing!

Overall, the Incipio iPad 2 Premium Kickstand Case is not only very functional, but lovely and professional at the same time. The rip-stop nylon on the exterior adds a beautiful texture to the case. The only drawback is that the case is slightly thicker than most folio-style cases. But this extra padding helps absorb any drops or impact the iPad 2 may face. If you enjoy having a built-in stand, need a case that will protect both the front and back of the iPad, and type a lot on your device, this is case may suit you.

The Incipio iPad 2 Premium Kickstand Case is available in four colors — Black Nylon, Light Gray Nylon, Sand Nylon, and Black Synthetic Leather. Each can be purchased for $39.99.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars · MyIncipio.com · $39.99 · Amazon ($25.94)

Disclosure: This product was sent by Incipio for review purposes. This is part of Beatweek Magazine’s coverage of iPad products. Opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Popularity: 1% [?]

New iPhone 4S will be available Oct. 14th!

The new iPhone 4S will be available for pre-order on Oct. 7th, and will launch on Oct. 14th, 2011.

Some new features include:

• Dual-core A5 chip, making it a lot faster than the previous model.
• All-new 8MP camera and optics.
• iOS 5 and iCloud.
• And Siri, your personal assistent.

The new iPhone S will be available in black and white; 16GB for $199, 32GB for $299, and 64GB for $399. 64GB is the first time in an iPhone.

Also, iOS 5.0 will be a free update, releasing October 12th, 2011.

For more information, see live coverage from GDGT and Mashable. Also see Apple.com when the website is back up. ;)

Popularity: 1% [?]

Review: Just Mobile AluPen and AluCube

The AluCube and AluPen are a minimulist iPad-owner’s dream. This set includes the AluPen, a stylus for your iPad (or tablet) with a matching stylus stand, the AluCube.

The AluCube. The AluCube sits nicely on the desk and can be used as both a stand for your AluPen or a paperweight, or even both at the same time. This 1.5″ inch cube is created from a single chunk of premium solid aluminum. On the top is a circular recess that’s lined with rubber to hold your AluPen snuggly in place. On the bottom of the AluCube is a cable recess that allows you to run your iPad cable (or Macbook cable) nicely on your desk. This cable holder helps keep your desk very tidy! On both sides of the cable recess are non-slip rubber bases to prevent your AluCube from slipping or moving around on your desk.

The AluPen. This chunky stylus for your iPad (or tablet) is unique for it’s wider nub that makes writing/drawing precision much better. The AluPen fits in your hand like a crayon or chalk would. You can read a more detailed review of the AluPen here. The AluPen is now available in a big array of colors — Siver, Black, Titanium, Pink, Blue, Gold, Green, and Red.

Both the AluCube and AluPen are made of a brushed silver aluminum that matches the back of the iPad nicely, as well as other Apple products.

It’s a beautiful set that I would highly recommend. My only concern is the high price point of the set. Together, the AluPen and AluCube are $39.95. The AluPen costs $24.95 alone and the AluCube costs $15.95. If you purchase the set, you also get the added bonus of a small carrying set for your AluPen. It’s like a slipcover for your AluPen to prevent bumps and scratches.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars · Just Mobile (Xtand.net) · AluCube – $15.95 USD, AluPen + AluCube – $39.95 USD, AluPen – $24.95 (Available in Siver, Black, Titanium, Pink, Blue, Gold, Green, and Red. · Amazon AluPen ($16.08)

Disclosure: This product was sent by Just Mobile for review purposes. This is part of Beatweek Magazine’s coverage of iPad products. Opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Review: GumDrop Drop Tech Series Military Edition Case for iPad 2

Need a super sturdy iPad 2 case? The GrumpDrop Drop Tech Series: Military Edition iPad 2 case is one designed for civilians but inspired by the military. This little gem contains not just one or two, but four layers of protection! And it does that without adding too much bulk. This rugged case features multiple barriers of shock absorption, a built-in polycarbonate screen protector, and microfilm dust filters.

Layers of Protection. The first layer is the polycarbonate front. This is an interior layer that protects the front edges of the iPad 2. It completely covers the front edges, leaving only cutouts for the Home button, front camera, dock port, and headphone jack. The cutout for the front camera has a thin film on it to protect it from any scratches. Before putting this layer on, you need to slide in the second layer, the screen protector frame.

The screen protector frame is nice because you don’t have to deal with any sticky situations. No adhesives to worry about, just simply place it in the first layer and put these two layers on top of the iPad screen. It protects your screen without any of the mess!

The third layer is the Polycarbonate back. This pieces is placed onto the back of the iPad and snaps into the front layer. This piece covers the entire back of the iPad 2 with cutouts for the headphone jack, mic, back camera, rotation button, volume buttons, and dock port. There are also some narrow holes in the back to add in some design. The speaker area has a cutout, but has a thin mess around it to keep dibris from getting into the speaker. The camera has a clear protective film so it doesn’t get scratched.

Finally, the last layer is the military green silicone skin. This piece completes the whole look of the iPad case. When you have all of the other layers snapped in place, put this silicone skin cover around it and push in the edges in place. The soft texture and grooves in this skin makes it easy and nice to hold. This layer covers up the Home button, dock, and headphone jack so no dust or dibris will get in.

Overall. With all the layers together, you have yourself a highly protective case. It protects both the front and back, and all edges and ports. The best part is that it doesn’t feel as clunky as some folio cases and other ones that have this much protection. And because theres a protective film layer, you won’t see as many smudges and fingerprints on your iPad.

There are two minor downfalls with this case. One is that a little difficult to remove once you get it in. It will take a little bit of work to take it apart. You probably won’t need to do this often though, unless you want to put your iPad in a certain stand. The other thing I noticed is that if you need to tap something on the edge of the iPad screen, it may not respond as quickly. You will have to press a little harder since that’s where the film and the interior case meet. There may be a small gap. Again, just a minor issue.

Overall, it’s an excellent accessory choice for your iPad 2, especially if work (or play) in a rough environment. The Military Edition is available in an army green color for $69.95. The Drop Tech Series iPad 2 cases are also available in other colors such as black, black/red finishings, white, and pink for $59.95.

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 · GumDropCases.com · $59.95 – 69.95 · Amazon

Disclosure: This product was sent by GrumDrop Cases for review purposes. This is part of Beatweek Magazine’s coverage of iPad products. Opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Facebook Timeline Enabled!

Facebook announced their new Timeline earlier this morning and it looks beautiful! It’s definitely a new way of expressing yourself. Profile pages will now have some more personality! The feature won’t be available for everyone until later this month, but if you’re too anxious to try it out, follow these steps on TechCrunch to turn on your Timeline profile.

If you already have a developer account, you can skip steps 4 and 5. Instead, go into one of your apps and head straight to “Get started with Open Graph” section. Enjoy!

P.S. Are we connected via Facebook yet? Subscribe to me at http://fb.com/daynah

Popularity: 26% [?]

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