The AL13 Ultrathin iPhone Bumper Is A Sharp, Classy, And Minimalist Delight [Review]

Hip industrial table with screws not included.

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Apple might not make bumpers anymore, and Antennagate may be a thing of the past, but there are still some good bumpers out there… and top of the list is the AL13.

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Olloclip’s Quick-Flip Case May Be Essential For Serious iPhoneographers [Review]

It does everything!

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Add the Olloclip accessory lens’s price to the cost of this new Olloclip Quick-Flip case and you get to $120. That used to be the price of an entry-level camera from a fairly decent brand, but I’d recommend you buy the Olloclip gear instead. Your iPhone’s camera way, way better than a $100-200 point-and-shoot, and the Olloclip gear makes it much easier to use.

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Acase Collatio For iPhone 5: A Great Wallet Case At A Great Price [Review]

The BookBook from Twelve South has long been the best and most luxurious leather wallet case for iPhone, but it has a new contender from Acase that wants to steal its crown. It’s called the Collatio, and in many ways, it’s very similar to the BookBook.

As well as holding your iPhone 5, the Collatio holds up to three credit cards, and features a larger pocket for bills, receipts, and anything else you’d like to stuff in there. It provides access to all of your iPhone’s buttons and ports — though you will need to open it up to use the volume buttons and mute switch — plus its front- and rear-facing cameras.

The biggest difference between the Collatio and the BookBook, however, is the price. While Twelve South’s offering will cost you $60, the Collatio is just $40. But is it as good?

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The iX500 Scanner Sends Your Digitized Docs To Your Mac or iDevice [Review]

Looking like a prop out of Star Trek: the ScanSnap iX500.

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Once I started my review of the ScanSnap iX500 document scanner, the new model in Fujitsu’s hugely popular line of top-tier ScanSnap scanners, it didn’t take long to see this machine was going to earn its pedigree.

With a small footprint, dashing good-looks, scanning direct to an iOS device, and progressional-grade intake rollers, the iX500 actually makes digitizing papers easy, and dare I say, maybe a little sexy. Its included software suit also makes sense of doing something with all those scanned docs.

There’s a reason many consider Fujitsu’s ScanSnaps the finest scanners around, and the iX500 continues in that legacy with some useful new features.

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The Lenmar Helix Battery Pack: Powerful, But Not Powerful Enough [Review]

External battery packs are one of the least sexy aspects of the mobile age. They’re the equivalent of the plastic gas can in the back of your trunk: stinky, unsexy, and probably empty when you need it.

Lenmar’s Helix battery pack isn’t particularly sexy, but it doesn’t smell (despite the “Undead Power” branding, which implies putrifying flesh) and it’s unlikely to be empty when you need it: it has a massive 11,000mAh battery inside, capable in theory of charging a third- or fourth-gen iPad from 0% to full. All in a battery pack not much bigger than a deck of playing cards.

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The iOStand Is A Cool, Elegant iPad Stand With Magnets [Review]

When my fingers are covered in egg, or I want to use my iPad as a second-screen when working at my Mac, or when I’m performing computer surgery and I want to keep iFixIt in the corner of my eye, there’s a lot of situations in which I might want a stand for my iPad.

Unfortunately, of the few I’ve tried, I’ve found most of them only to be good in specific situations: great for, say, using your iPad as second monitor at your computer, but not good for cooking or doing computer surgery.

The iOStand by iOMounts is the first stand I’ve really liked, because sometimes simpler is better. But it’s not perfect.

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The Projectone iPhone Dock Is The Perfect Dose Of Industrial Design Your Desk Needs [Review]

For the past six year that I’ve owned an iPhone, not once have I thought about buying a dock. What’s the point? You’ve got your cable right there anyway, and unless it adds some great functionality to the iPhone, I’ve never seen much point in them. But the Projectone from Karas Kustoms has changed my opinion on the usefulness of iPhone docks.

The Projectone is a machined aluminum dock for your iPhone 5 that passively amplifies sound like a megaphone. Its simplistic style and industrial stylings make it one of the best-looking iPhone docks we’ve seen in a while, but is it actually worth its $45 price tag?

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iCarrier Portable Charger Keeps Your iPhone Going, And Going, And Going [Review]

No outlet? No problem.

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Travelers, campers, heavy users, and those who spend a lot of time away from outlets know when you rely on your iPhone for work or play, it’s not making it through the day without at least one partial recharge. Especially with all the hip Vining and Instagramming we’re all do these days.

For those who need a lot of portable power to-go, New Trent’s iCarrier, as the highest capacity portable charger they make, promises not just one smartphone recharge, but up to six. Six!

I devoted my iPhone 5 to iCarrier-only charging to see how well the big boy performed.

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Goal Zero Switch 8 Solar Charger Is Small, Tough And Just Powerful Enough [Review]

Unobtrusive, and with more hooks and loops than a roller-coaster full of pirates.

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As travel chargers go, The Goal Zero Switch 8 kit is about as convenient as it gets. The two panels fold into one easy-to-carry pack, and on the back is a zippered mesh bag in which the battery pack and USB converter sit. There’s space in that bag for a phone or other small device, and there are enough paracord loops around the edges to secure the pack, open or closed, to just about anything.

So how does it perform?

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The Mummy From Musubo: A Pretty, Protective TPU Case For iPhone 5 [Review]

The Musubo Mummy is a soft-touch TPU case for iPhone 5 that promises top-to-toe protection and a unique, glossy design. It has a ribbed back that increases grip on your device and maximizes impact protection.

The Musubo Mummy — not to be confused with Loop Attachment’s Mummy case for iPhone — covers your volume buttons and sleep/wake button for protection, but provides access to your mute switch, your headphone jack, and your Lightning connector. It also leaves your speakers and rear-facing camera exposed.

It’s available in seven bright and pretty colors, and it’s priced at $30. Let’s find out whether it’s worth it.

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