I bought my 4GB iPhone way back on June 29th, 2007, release day for the US. Upon removing it from its box, all shiny and smooth, I thought, "I need a case for this thing." I'm what you call scratch-phobic. But then I saw the rigorous torture test that PCWorld subjected their unit to, and was persuaded to go commando.

Here it is nearly two years later and my iPhone's display still looks great. There's a single nick next to the earpiece but other than that it looks fantastic. The back is another story.

I have two kids aged 4 years and 6 years. Occasionally, I'll hand over the iPhone to keep them entertained. For instance, at the end of a day of boring errands when their patience is at an end, I'll whip out a little Wheels On The Bus [App Store link] or Pocket God. As any parent of young kids will tell you, one of the things they love to do is drop stuff.

My iPhone has seen the floor of the mall, Dunkin Donuts and my Saturn Vue. It's been in sand and sun. In other words, it needs protection. I picked up an Otterbox.

Here's a great idea. Digital Life Outfitters is releasing a new Jam Jacket silicone iPod case with a twist: integrated earbud and cord management. As you can see, your Apple earbuds fit into the molds and the cord wraps around the back. This way you only have to unwrap as much of the cord as you need. Brilliant!

The Jam Jacket with cord management is also affordable at $19.99; there also a version for the 2nd generation nano for the same price. I think I may just have to pick up one of these.

[Via iLounge]

A word of caution to diabetics: this iPod case is so cute and so sweet that it may just turn your stomach, let alone make you need to inject insulin. In a design that's calculated to make people utter "Awwww! Look at the cute widdle iPod case! Isn't it the cutest widdle iddy biddy nano case evah!", Boomwave Products offers a protective nano case with Teddy-bear ears and angel wings. (The wings let you wrap your earbud wires when they're not in use.) And if that weren't enough, each case comes with a matched doggy tag for users to wear so they can feel close to their iPod case even when they're not actually, you know, listening to music. And of course, you'll have a "beary good time" with it. Shudder.

As my valet was preparing breakfast for me today in TUAW's underground HQ he turned to me and said, 'Sir, you haven't blogged about iPod cases in a good while.' I pondered this and realized, with a start, that he was right. Luckily, fate intervened when I happened upon this Nicole Miller iPod case (which can also serve as a cell phone or Blackberry case).

$25 will get you this odd little case, which I haven't decided if I like or not (though it would clash with most of my wardrobe).

[via Shiny Shiny]

Mophie has these cool new cases for the new iPod shuffles. The Wraptor doesn't just protect your tiny iPod with a composite Lexan shell, it provides convenient, tangle-free headphone/earbud storage as well. It does so with a precision engineered groove that goes around the entire case so you can wrap your wires around neatly and snugly.

Although I only see the crystal clear cases on their site right now, I'm told there will be other colors available, like pink, smoke and blue. Looks pretty good for $10! Stocking stuffers, anyone?

This How To might have a limited audience, since it is only relevant to people who own the following items:

• Apple in-ear headphones
• a second gen iPod shuffle

The in-ear headphones come with a case that is suitable for use as an iPod shuffle case, with some alterations. Follow these instructions, which consist mainly of getting rid of the pins inside the headphone case, and you've got yourself an Apple branded shuffle case. Pretty sweet.

[via MAKE]

iFrogz finally has the Tadpole page and pics up and now that I see it it's even cooler than I'd expected! I'm impressed by the design and the intent and as an added bonus the Tadpole comes with the "Screenz" protective film for the front so the screen and clickwheel are covered as well. Screenz include your choice of stock or custom decals that tattoo the click-wheel, allowing you to to personalize the Tadpole any way you see fit with your own images.

You can pre-order the Tadpole now for $20 ($5 off the regular price) and it's expected to ship on Nov 1. Unfortunately for my darling niece it currently comes in only orange and purple... not a pink Tadpole in sight :(

This is the best iPod case I have ever seen, with a compartment for every iPod ever made. Wow.

Check out more pictures here.

This wacky case gets me to thinking, how many iPods do you own? I just have one (an iPod photo at that!).  How about you?

[via Make]

Yesterday morning, I posted a prediction that proved incorrect. Apple didn't announce movies in the iTMS to be the big announcement of the day. Nevertheless, I feel that the Academy Award Nominated Short Films appearing in the iTMS yesterday actually ended up being the biggest news of the day. As I noted yesterday, it's the first appearance of non-Pixar/Disney shorts in the music store, so it paves the way for more great content (although all of the films are presented by the Sundance Channel, so it is kind of like another TV network releasing shows on the iTMS).

As for all the other announcements from yesterday, I can sum them all up—explain why they are all dud announcements—in one simple word: overpriced. $1.99 for the new short films in the iTMS is a bargain. Everything else was overpriced. Overpriced like the $99 leather iPod cases that don't actually provide the user with any access to the controls of the iPod. Overpriced like the $349 boombox that still needs the addition of a $300 iPod to make it as cool as it can be (and even then it is not that cool; I mean "Hi-Fi" is a 70s term, and the boombox is an 80s device; how is this expensive iPod peripheral indicative of Apple's innovation?). Overpriced like the $599 and $799 Mac minis. One of the great things about Apple's Mac mini line should be its affordability, and yesterday, we saw little value added to the Mac mini line and yet the most expensive one of them runs just fourfive hundred less than the faster iMac line that lacks the need to provide your own screen, keyboard, and mouse. I mean, what was added? The expected shift from PowerPC to Intel processors? The fastest they offer in the mini is still only 1.67Ghz. The Apple Remote? If it's so much simpler than all the other remotes I own, then how come it alone is priced at more than any of those full-featured remotes? The new Bonjour-savvy Front Row? Well, that is cool, but all Macs with Front Row will be getting this feature, so I don't think it warrants the attention, especially when nothing really innovative has been done with the new mini to make it an effective media center. Sure it can work with an HDTV, but where's the built-in PVR? I mean, if you want to pipe your HDTV digital cable connection into the mini you are still going to need to spend a couple of hundred dollars on something like an EyeTV. I don't see any HDMI / DVI in on that new expensive mini.

I, like Jan, am under-whelmed by yesterday's announcements, and I agree with Damien that Apple clearly dropped the ball and our disappointment is not the creation of our fanaticism, but rather Apple's failure to live up to the innovation we've come to expect from them.

Finally an iPod case I can love! Some lucky guy is receiving a homemade Domokun iPod case from his girlfriend. She's posted up a how-to guide to make your own. Domokun iPods chasing kittens in green fields. I want, I want, I want. Better go read this before Boing Boing sees it and posts it.

Way in the back of the MacWorld Expo floor I came across Case-ari, a new company that's offering a choice product at a reasonable price. Case-ari makes premium leather iPod cases for the iPod with video and iPod nano. The sheepskin leather is buttery soft and comes in luscious colors made from pure vegetable extract. The sheep hide is molded around impact-resistant plastic to protect your iPod. The iPod slides easily into the case, which is lined with soft felt. The cases comes with a full-face screen protector, a removable belt clip with 360-degree swivel, and even a microfiber cleaning cloth. Cases for the 30GB or 60GB iPod with video sell for $29.99. The iPod nano case is $24.99.

I've been lusting after a good leather case for my 60GB iPod with video for some time now. Vaja makes some beautiful leather cases too, but I hesitated because of Vaja's hefty $50 to $70 price tags. Although I haven't compared the two brands side by side, Case-ari looks to be a more affordable, yet still classy alternative.

The live demo of XtremeMac's SportWrap iPod armband stopped a lot of guys in their tracks at MacWorld. This model, jogging on a treadmill at a busy intersection of the Expo hall, had quite a crowd around her when I walked by. The only trouble was that she couldn't hear visitors' questions about the product because she really was listening to her iPod. The demo put me in mind of girl models at car shows in Vegas. It's a tried and true advertising practice that seems to work just as well here as anywhere else--particularly given the ratio of men to women here at MacWorld. (You can guess which way that plays.)

But getting back to the SportWrap -- it sells for $29.95 and looks like a solid case for the sports-minded. It's got a neoprene body, an adjustable velcro strap to fit your upper arm or forearm, and a moisture barrier to keep your iPod dry during a hard workout. It's compatible with 30GB and 60GB video iPods, as well as older generation iPods. XtremeMac also makes a SportWrap for the iPod nano.

Amid the sea of black, white, and gray high-tech neoprene at the MacWorld Expo I was relieved to see a splash of color and fabric at the Rebe booth. Designer Debra Weiss was showing off her tempting lines of bags for carrying your iPod and laptop in style. You can put your iPod in the outside pocket of the small Maude bag, stick your phone, cards, and other essentials inside the zippered section, and sling it over your shoulder. The Maude is available for $66 at the Rebe site. I also liked the padded, fabric laptop sleeves in a sea of color combinations for $78. The sleeves come in 12", 14", 15", and 17" widths. All the bags are hand-sewn and very tasty.

About a year ago, designer C. Ronson created some iPod hoodies after seeing the iPod socks that Apple began selling, but the idea never seemed to take off. Now, a UK firm has resurrected the idea and is selling a stylish gray hoodies for your iPod and iPod mini. Now your iPod can look like Eminem while playing Eminem.