cases

The iPhone 5: thing of beauty, right? It's slim and pocket-friendly and just a marvel of engineering, yes?

Gravity: 24-7, right? Strikes without warning, yes? That's why you'll never catch me carrying a phone without a case, even if it means hiding some of its beauty and lessening its pocket-friendliness.

The question is, which case? You've got a million options, with prices ranging from around five bucks all the way up to 50 -- sometimes even higher.

If you want robust, colorful, popular protection for your phone, there's a deal to be had: For a … Read more

Now that Samsung's Galaxy phones have achieved iPhone-like popularity, accessory makers are quick to get in on the action as soon as a new model is unveiled.

Several case makers, including Speck, Cygnett, and Otterbox, have announced that they'll have new cases available for the Galaxy S4 around the time it hits stores next month.

Not surprisingly, since the S4's overall design isn't so different from the S3's, those new cases look very similar to existing cases. Speck's offerings will include the CandyShell, CandyShell Grip, SmartFlex Card, SmartFlex View (not pictured). All of them … Read more

Facebook has won an important ruling on its ban of pseudonyms across its social network.

A German court yesterday ruled that it had no jurisdiction over Facebook because its European headquarters are in Ireland and therefore, could not offer an opinion on the social network's pseudonym use. The Associated Press was first to report on the court's ruling.

The court's ruling comes just two months after data protection agency Unabhaengiges Landeszentrum fuer Datenschutz (ULD) in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein ordered Facebook to allow for its users to employ pseudonyms. The company has a policy that … Read more

Nokia Lumia 820 owners will be able to create their own cases for the handset.

Nokia today announced that it's now releasing 3D templates, case specs, and recommended material guidance to help Lumia 820 owners produce their own shell to replace the removable case on the back of the handset. Nokia has offered several cases for customers to choose from, but didn't allow owners to develop their own.

In order to actually create the cases, however, users will need to have access to a 3D printer. With 3D printing, users can input material and churn out their creation.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Lego! iPhone! The two were made for each other.

iPhone cases are like snowflakes in Aspen at CES 2013, but Belkin's tucked-away iPhone 5 Lego cases found a way to catch my eye. Maybe because they're cute and colorful...and maybe because I have a 4-year-old who likes to make Lego dioramas when we're out at dinner.

I can't help but imagine setting up my face-down iPhone at a table and setting up a Star Wars action scene on it...or building an awkward tower. Or, using bricks to design your own 3D makeshift look. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--iPad keyboard cases galore litter CES, but Belkin has some nice new models up its sleeve, including a clever one that converts your old Apple keyboard. I gave them a whirl over at Belkin's booth.

The Convertible Keyboard Case (top), announced at the show, costs just $49 and adopts a standard Apple bluetooth keyboard to become a pretty portable keyboard case. The foldable case essentially acts as a wraparound folio/stand, but its design is elegant, finding a way to fold the Apple keyboard's tubular back into the design without adding bulge.

The Ultimate Keyboard Case is … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Apple may not be at CES, but accessories for its products seem to be everywhere.

I went out in search of new iPhone 5 cases, including extended battery cases, which a lot of readers have been asking about. Alas, Mophie still isn't ready to introduce its popular battery case for the iPhone 5, but a few other companies are getting ready to ship theirs.

I was also on the lookout for tough cases. While Lifeproof has already shipped its industry-leading waterproof case for the iPhone 5, other companies debuted waterproof cases, some slimmer than others.

Here's a … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The Canopy Sensus is a new touch-sensitive case that does more than just provide protection or add style to your iPhone. This case lets you interact with apps using multitouch surfaces on both the right side and back of the case.

The Sensus looks like a regular case that protects the sides and back of your iPhone, and Canopy says the industrial design exceeds marketplace protection standards. But with an app that supports it, you can touch and swipe on the back and right side of the case to interact with apps and games.

Though Canopy showed only a … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- There are bazillion different types of iPhone cases out here, and a company here wants to help people make their very own right from their iPhone.

Sculpteo, who is presenting at CES Unveiled, is in the 3D printing business and has a product that lets people design and create an iPhone case that captures 3D depth from photos they've taken.

On display here are a number of options, from cutouts of people's silhouettes, to the faux stitched Apple logo seen above. The company says it can even tweak the texture to give objects a soft, … Read more