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Material 6 Wooden iPhone Back Panel: Wood Beats Plastic Every Time

Range — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:00:37 +0000

While there are a plethora of different options if you want to customize your iPhone, I have to say that these wooden backs are definitely stylish, since they’re not just veneered stickers. Stickers are cool, but this bit of customization with the wood makes your iPhone different from most of the others around you – except for those who bought one of the other wooden iPhone backs on the market.

What sets the Material 6 Wood iPhone Backs apart is that they’re available in a bunch of different finishes. Each package comes complete with a the special screwdriver that will allow you to remove the glass back of your iPhone and replace it with this wooden one.

Material 6 sells these from $90 to $100 (USD), so there on the expensive side of things, but they do look quite good. The backs are available for the iPhone 4 and 4S. Custom engravings are available for an extra $5.

[via Uncrate]

Monolith Solid Wood iPhone Back Panel: Wooden It Be Nice?

Range — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:30:17 +0000

There’s definitely something cool about juxtaposing your high-tech glass and metal iPhone with some good old-fashioned wood. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this idea executed, but this wood back has a clean elegance to it, and really accentuates the natural grain of the wood.

These Solid Wood iPhone Back Panels by Monolith will be available in oak, teak, or walnut for the iPhone 4 or 4S. They will definitely make a nice pairing for your phone, and come in equally stylish packaging. The product page is quite sparse, so it’s not clear if it completely replaces the back panel, or if it’s just a veneer that sticks on. Given its $55 price tag, I’m guessing it’s a full replacement panel.

You can order yours directly from Monolith when it goes on sale later this month, so check back with them or sign up for their newsletter for updates.

[via NOTCOT]

Killspencer iPhone Zebrawood Veil: Wood Looks Good

Range — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:00:32 +0000

This isn’t really a case, but it’s a back that can be added to your iPhone, to protect it and to make it look different from all of the other iPhones. Killspencer’s Zebrawood Veil looks pretty handsome, since it’s trimmed to precisely line up with the back of your phone.

The veil is attached to your smartphone thanks to a special industrial adhesive, that’s supposed to leave no residue if removed. It will most definitely add a bit of a natural touch to your futuristic phone. They use maple wood veneer to create the veil, and it’s made in the USA by hand. It definitely looks better than the vinyl stickers and plastic backings that we’ve seen before.

You can purchase the wooden iPhone 4 Veil from Killspencer for $30 (USD).

[via Swipelife]

Spinovo Concept: Wearable Back Pain Reliever

Lambert Varias — Tue, 10 May 2011 11:45:24 +0000

I’ve always had bad posture and of course with it back pain. Years of writing, gaming, browsing and working while sitting in varied postures – all of them undoubtedly incorrect – have only worsened my condition. That’s why I was so intrigued by Justine Smith‘s concept garment Spinovo, which not only alleviates chronic back pain but also remind the wearer to correct his or her posture.

The Spinovo relieves middle and lower back pain by heating, cooling and “transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)”. That last one sounds a bit creepy, but it seems like the embedded electrode pads will only deliver the mildest of currents to stimulate the nerves. The TENS as well as the temperature treatment can be triggered by the user via the remote control, but I’m not sure if there’s an option for them to activate automatically.

As for correcting the wearer’s posture, bend sensors and electromyography sensors are used to detect the movement and position of the spine, as well as muscle activity. The wearer will be given aural and visual feedback via the remote if he needs to correct his posture. A couple of Lithium-ion batteries are used to power Spinovo for as long as 2 hours per charge.

Sounds neat, although it would be nice if the Spinovo was also a bit rigid so that the wearer would be coaxed into the proper posture as soon as the garment is worn. The Spinovo was one of the finalists in last year’s James Dyson Award, but there’s no word if Justine Smith is planning to turn her concept into an actual product.

[via TechChee]

XGear Smart Cover Enhancer Protects the Naked Backside of Your iPad 2

Shane McGlaun — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:30:13 +0000

I just mentioned that cool Miniot wood cover for iPad 2 that looks and works a lot like the official Smart Cover for the iPad 2. If you have the iPad 2 and use the Smart Cover, you have noticed that the thing offers little protection for drops and bumps for most of the iPad. The problem is that putting a normal case on the iPad 2 will mean your fancy Smart Cover isn’t usable.

XGear has a cool new product just for you called the Smart Cover Enhancer for the iPad 2. This thing is made specifically to protect the iPad 2 from drops, scratches and bumps. It clips onto the back of the tablet and can be removed easily. The design is thin enough so that it doesn’t interfere with the Smart Cover.

It is offered in black or clear colors and is shipping right now for $34.99 (USD). This case would give me a lot more peace of mind that if I dropped my tablet it might survive than using a screen protector only like the Smart Cover. Hit the video below to see the enhancer in action.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

IPhone 4 Metal Back Replaces Fragile Glass

Technabob — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:15:14 +0000

I always have wished that Apple never moved away from the nice brushed aluminum back of the original iPhone. I never really cared to for the fingerprint magnet backs on the 3G/3GS and 4. And with all the buzz about iPhone 4′s and their easily damaged back glass, it’s no wonder people are looking for creative solutions, like this replacement back.

This simple beveled metal back doesn’t just cover up the back glass of your precious iPhone 4, it replaces it. It installs on your iPhone with just a little bit of careful disassembly, giving it a durable brushed metal look, complete with Apple logo and iPhone branding.

The beveled meta back sells for just $12 (USD) and can be found over at Cellular Natiowide Network. (Note: Their site appears to be straining under the weight of all the publicity, so you may have want to wait a few days and try again – but before Apple’s lawyers go after these guys.)

[via Unplggd via lifehacker]

USB Gadget Reminds You to Watch Your Posture

Technabob — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 04:12:03 +0000

If you have a tendency to slouch when working at your computer like I sometimes do, you might want to think about this little gadget that’s been around in Hong Kong for a while, but just now hitting our shore thanks to Chinese gadget exporter, Brando.

The Visomate is a little LED device that plugs into your USB port and keeps watch on the position of your