Last week I took a look at a case from Speck Products for the Microsoft Zune, this week I’ve got one for the Apple iPod nano 4th generation.The case is called the PixelSkin, and it’s made out of silicone with a pixel pattern on it that not only makes it look rather cool but it ensures a good grip on your nano. So read on to learn more…

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All my friends and family can tell you how much I love my MacBook Pro. In fact, to their chagrin; it is always by my side. I try to take good care of it and keep the outside looking immaculate. Of course this is harder than it sounds. Recently I have kept the top of the machine protected from minor scratches by covering it with a GelaSkin. Unfortunately, this does not provide enough protection from more physical hazards.

Fortunately, Speck a company known for creating cases for various electronic products has sent Test Freaks a version of their SeeThru Hard Shell Case line. For today’s review, I will be looking at the Aqua version of the SeeThru for MacBook Pro (silver key version). This case comes in nine translucent colors. It is light weight so it will not increase the weight of the MacBook Pro and the colorful case accentuates the stylishness of the machine.

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Writing up a best iPhone/iPod Touch list is very difficult since there is a huge repository of apps on the iTunes Store. For this article, I took a sampling from a few dozen of my iPhone carrying compatriots. These are some of the apps that they recommend reside on your iPhone/iPod Touch.

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With its large touch screen, keeping the iPhone out of harms way is sometimes easier said than done. There is a fine line between keeping the aesthetic of the iPhone and providing protection. Today we will look at a product that attempts to do both; the Dual Skin Silicone Case (Apple iPhone 3G) which is made by Proporta, a British based company specializing in gadget accessories for the past twelve years.

The name of the case pretty much describes the product, as it is a two layer silicon case for the latest version of the Apple iPhone. Lets take a closer look at the Dual Skin Silicone Case (Apple iPhone 3G).

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Portable audio players or MP3 players are a hugely popular product, it seems everyone these days has one, and for good reason we like our music, be it for entertainment or just to get away from things like crowded buses. There are of course good and bad in all products, but it’s the time of year to let you know the best of 2008 according to how you the user and experts have ranked them. As for continuing trends this year, we got the ever popular Apple players occupying two spots, and a couple other surprises as well.

So we present you the Best of 2008 in audio players.

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There’s a plethora of products out there today to choose from when it comes to things we want or need, and we’ve compiled a list of things that we want and think should be on your holiday wish list this year.

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With the popularity of the Apple iPod comes an assortment of accessories of all shapes, sizes, colors and uses. Cases are probably one of the most popular of accessories and the most useful as they protect your investment.

Today I’ve got a short review for you, it’s a case for the Apple 4th Generation iPod nano, and it’s from a company called Proporta. Well it’s not really a case, more of a pouch that protects your iPod.  There’s not much at all to this case, it’s simplistic in it’s design, but yet it offers a lot of protection, and it’s inexpensive as well.

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When Apple switched from the EDGE network to the 3G version, iPhone 3G users gained wireless network speeds were sorely lacking in the past. However, this speed increase does come with a price: decreased battery life! Due to the power demands of the 3G chip, the newest iPhone has a much shorter battery life than its predecessor; especially when operating on the 3G network. One way to save battery life is to switch the iPhone’s settings to the EDGE network, but that is counter to why most people bought the phone.

Solutions to the battery issue involve carrying a charging cable and having access to either an electric outlet or a car charger. Of course, sometimes these options are feasible or possible. On the market, there are external battery packs, but none of these devices have not been certified by Apple, so there is always a chance, you may damage your iPhone using one of these products. That is, until now. Mophie has released the Juice Pack for the iPhone 3G which is the first Apple certified external battery solution.

The Juice Pack is a lithium polymer battery housed in a soft rubberized case. With a fully charged Juice Pack, one can significantly increase their standby, talk, internet use, audio and video playback times. In fact, Mophie uses an Apple designated connector which is only available through Apple certified vendors.

The Juice Pack features a pass through USB which allows the iPhone 3G to charge and sync via iTunes. In addition, the Juice Pack can be charged by itself or simultaneously with the iPhone 3G attached.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Juice Box is that it has Intelligent Power Distribution meaning the Smart Battery Technology will instruct the iPhone to always drain out the Juice Pack first. Thus, when the Juice Pack’s power is exhausted, detach the iPhone and the phone will be fully charged. Besides this, the Juice Pack had built in overcharge, short circuit and temperature protection.

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So, believe it or not I’ve never owned an iPod, you’d think being into technology as much as I am I’d have at least one, but nope, not until now. Since I’ve had the iPod, I’ve had quite a bit of time to play with it, and well, I’m not that impressed with it really, not sure I understand all of the hype around it, and why it’s so wildly popular. Mp3 players have been around for a long time, but now it seems ‘iPod’ has become a generic term for mp3 player, you mention mp3 players and people think of iPods instantly, it’s like there was never anything before the iPod…  I own two mp3 players that I don’t even use anymore, instead I use my ATT Tilt which can do everything the iPod or my mp3 players can do and much more…

Today I’ve got the 4th Generation  Apple iPod nano, the 8gb version, in the limited edition color Product Red. The iPod has taken over the mp3 player market leaving many companies struggling to compete with it, it was basically an instant success with the launch of the first version, and since then it has all been uphill for Apple and the iPod line of products. The new nano offers a large LCD viewing area, an accelerometer for games and navigation, along with of course being very portable and well made.

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OtterBox makes tough stuff. If you have an electronic device you want protected, then OtterBox is the place to go. They feature cases for iPods, Blackberrys, Motorola, Laptops, etc. Their cases range from waterproof to shock protection to environment impermeable.

When Apple released the iPhone 3G with the curved back, they made previous hard cases for the 1^st generation iPhone obsolete. To provide optimal protection for the new iPhone 3G, OtterBox has released the Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender.

Due to the large screen surface area, both versions of the iPhone are prone to catastrophe. Many cases protect the external housing, but due to the nature of the screen, leave that area exposed to danger. The Otterbox for iPhone 3G Defender is one of the few cases that provide full coverage protection for the iPhone. They took their original iPhone Defender case and updated it for the iPhone 3G.

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