One of the things I love about certain gadgets is how they invigorate the maker community to come up with cool replacement parts and such. Joe at IcyCell CustomEVOs is one such person who has come up with a cool crystal clear back cover for the HTC EVO.

The back cover is not just the original cover recast in a clear material. They have added a nice feature- a pair of ridges or rails along the sides of the back that help protect the back and even offer more protection for the camera. The holes for the LEDs, camera, kickstand, and speaker were perfectly aligned on my back, although a bit snug on the kickstand- nothing to worry about.

The enclosed instruction sheet mentions that it may be a snug fit and has suggestions to help, which are repeated on the site and even on a nice video, but I did not find I needed to worry about it. Went on easy, holds tight.

I'm using their photo- mine did not turn out as clearly. Notice the 'rails'.

Mine has a very slight gap around the earphone, and the upper ‘claw’ or hinge near the power button does not hold as tight as the others, but that is not a problem for me. His site shows a way to add a lanyard to the back (he sells the lanyards as well), and I might not want to do this with the weak hinge. (I have not received a reply yet when I asked about the gap and weak hinge a week ago.)

As colorful as the ‘innards’ of the EVO are, it is great to be able to show them off like this. It also makes it harder to overlook when y0u see all that red. The site also has the back in red, blue, and yellow, but why when the clear is so perfect?

Filed in categories: Android related, Reviews

Tagged: Android, battery cover, Custom, evo

CustomEVOS Clear HTC EVO Battery Cover Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 17, 2010 at 8:54 pm.

If you are looking for a case to protect your iPhone, chances are very good that you’ll have no problem finding one due to the abundance of choices on the market. But what if you want something just a little left of center, something no one else will have ever have? You go to IMakeMyCase.com and create your own custom cover with the help of artistic elements from some renowned artists. 

The IMakeMyCase site guides you through an easy and fun process of creating a one of a kind case for your iPhone, iPod Touch or BlackBerry device.

First you choose from 7 artists. Each artist comes with their own set of unique elements that you can use to build your case. For my review cover, I chose Matt W. Moore as the artist.

You start out with a White cover and from there the sky is the limit.

I changed the background and started stamping on some of the different elements. Each element can be resized, which makes for infinite possibilities. There is even an option to mirror, colorize, and kaleidoscope your design. You can spend as much or as little time as you want to create something cool and unique. Let’s see what I came up with…

First of all I should mention that this cover only protects the back half of the iPhone. Each cover does come with a screen protector if you choose to use it. The cover is made of Lexan, which is a hard but flexible plastic.

It snaps easily over the back side of the iPhone. Isn’t it pretty? Maybe I should give up my day job(s) and become an artist?

The design is fused into the plastic, so it will not scratch off – I tried it.

The cover has all the necessary cutouts for the mute and volume buttons.

Earphone jack, SIM slot, and power…

And dock connector.

The Case-Mate cover doesn’t add much bulk at all to your iPhone and won’t protect it from being run over by a truck or any other major trauma. It will protect the back shell from scuffs and scratches though and of course, it will be a cover that only YOU have.

The process to create the custom cover was fun and the final product turned out better than I expected. But I do think that the price is a bit steep at $40 for a thin cover – even if it is one of a kind.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Case, Custom, iPhone

Case-Mate Design Your Own Custom iPhone Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 27, 2010 at 12:23 pm.

Skinning your phone and other gadgets with custom vinyl decals is nothing new, but how would you like to be able to do the same thing with your car? Original Wraps Inc. (headed up by the original founder of SkinIt.com) is providing car owners the same capability with today’s launch of its vehicle graphics personalization technology. Ford Motor Co. and MINI USA are already on board. American Idol fans may have noticed the Ford Fiesta commercial spots on the show that have been featuring custom designs. Full press release after the jump.

Original Wraps Inc. Brings First On-Demand Vehicle Customization to Auto Industry

With nationally secured partnerships including Ford and MINI USA, new graphics program enables OEMs to offer customers complete vehicle personalization

(Golden, Colorado – April 13, 2010) – Original Wraps Inc., the leading international provider of vehicle personalization and customization products, announces the launch of its vehicle graphics personalization technology providing drivers, auto manufacturers, car dealers, automotive retailers and wholesalers with a complete, on-demand vehicle customization program. Already offered by Ford Motor Company and MINI USA, with plans for other OEMs later this year, Original Wraps proprietary personalization technology enables OEMs to offer personalized vinyl graphic solutions to car owners and dealerships, with no up-front costs associated with adding the program.

Founded in 2006 by Skinit.com original founder, Tom Stemple, Original Wraps offers auto OEMs access to the creative development, manufacturing and distribution of high-end, vinyl graphic personalization products for any vehicle and most vehicle accessories, large or small, with no up-front costs. Printed on professional automotive grade 3M Scotchprint On-Demand vinyl and laminated for protection and fade prevention, Original Wraps products enable dealers to offer customers a way to truly personalize the look of their car, while not having the inventory, tooling and risk associated with traditional customization products. Implementing the on-demand customization services for dealers at point of sale, Original Wraps handles all manufacturing, warranties and shipping.

“In a drowning economy, auto manufacturers were looking for ways to offer customers a little something extra during the car-buying experience,” said Tom Stemple, CEO, Original Wraps. “With Original Wraps technology, OEMs are now able to offer complete on-demand vehicle personalization, without all of the up-front infrastructure costs. With partnerships in place with most of the major auto makers, we already own the marketplace and are the definitive name in custom auto graphics.”

“Ford knows that customers want a vehicle to be all their own,” said Jim Abraham, Licensed Accessory Manager, Ford Motor Company. “The fordcustomgraphics.com and fordcommercialgraphics.com Web sites complement our strong accessory portfolio and enable customers to put a personal stamp on their vehicle. The product is installed at a Ford dealer and backed by a warranty.”

Through partnerships with Ford and MINI USA, Original Wraps already powers vehicle customization programs Ford Commercial Graphics, Ford Custom Graphics, Fiesta Movement Graphics, and MINI Motoring Graphics, which all made recent announcements. Ford recently gave each of the top twelve “American Idol” contestants a unique opportunity to work with Ford designers and create their own customized 2011 Ford Fiesta graphics by Original Wraps, as showcased on the March 17th episode of American Idol on Fox.

MINI Motoring Graphics meanwhile recently re-launched their Web site, which now enables MINI Cooper owners to customize everything from A panels and interiors to full car wraps. The site offers users a catalog of products including stripes, panel stripes, sun roof graphics and full roof graphics, which can be personalized using graphic designs provided on the Web site, or by uploading their own creation.

Original Wraps’ vehicle customization program is currently available for all OEMs. Graphic materials are designed to be replaceable, without leaving a residue, and last up to three years. For more information about Original Wraps technology and products, please call 720.746.1600 or visit www.OriginalWraps.com.

About Original Wraps, Inc.
Original Wraps Inc. is the leading international provider of vehicle personalization and customization technology. Their technology provides auto manufacturers, car dealers, automotive retailers and wholesalers with a complete program offering a comprehensive selection of vehicle personalization products. Original Wraps’ products are manufactured utilizing professional automotive grade vinyl, which is custom printed through a 6-color process with one of thousands of unique or licensed designs. The “wrap” is then coated with a scratchproof finish and custom cut, creating a product that fits a specific vehicle perfectly – providing a long lasting stylized automotive makeover. With Original Wraps products, consumers can personalize their vehicle through thousands of vehicle dealers, private labeled distributor Web sites – as well as through the company’s online partners and wholesalers. For more information on Original Wraps, visit www.originalwraps.com.

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Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car, Custom, Skins, Spotlight Gadgets

Skin your iPhone and now your car with Original Wraps originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 14, 2010 at 9:45 am.

Do you remember plastering puffy vinyl stickers all over your stuff when you were a kid? It looks like you can now do the same thing with your iPhone. DomeSkins are 3D skins for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod nano and iPod Classic. They are available in a wide assortment of styles and not only allow you to customize your device, but protect it from scratches.

* Update 4/24/09* I apologize for the word that I used in the original title of this post (I’ve since replaced that word with ‘puff’). I was unaware that the meaning was a derogatory term for gay. It was absolutely not intended. -julie

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged: Custom, Skins, Spotlight Gadgets

DomeSkins add a little puff to your iPhone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 23, 2009 at 10:05 pm.

A Coveroo replaces the back cover of your mobile phone or MP3 player with the artwork or text of your choice using a high quality laser engraving process. Prices range from $19.95 up to $49.95. This is an easy way to customize a phone for those of us that don’t like to use a case – like me

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Custom, Spotlight Gadgets

Spotlight Gadget – Coveroo Laser Engraved Phone Covers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 4, 2009 at 2:40 pm.

iPhone cases come in all manner of shapes, sizes, materials and colors. If you can’t find a case to suit your own personal style, then you probably need to get a style Other than Vaja though, there aren’t too many case manufacturers that go out of their way to give you choices when it comes to how your case is made. Now the folks at Element Case are offering iPhone owners some interesting options with their new CNC-machined and injection-molded cases.

Their Liquid cases fit the original iPhone and iPhone 3G, while the Alloy case will only fit the original iPhone. They sent me two of their Liquid cases and an extra lid.

The Liquid cases are made of an injection molded clear high impact polymer. Pictured here is a Pink case that isn’t normally available. They just had some left over from another order and offered to send me a sample in that color. The Liquid cases are available in Black, Grey or White.

There are 8 parts to the Liquid and Allow cases. The bottom shell, anodized aluminum back plate, top frame, magnetic flip lid and four hex screws. An extra screw and an Allen wrench are also included.

Whenever you need to ‘install’ or remove the iPhone from the case, you’ll need to have that Allen wrench handy.

There is a screw in each corner that holds the frame to the top of the case, which secures the iphone in place.

There is a cutout on the Left side that gives you access to the volume switch and mute button. I don’t have any problems pressing the volume switch, but I do have a little trouble with the mute switch.

On the top edge, there’s a cutout for the earphone jack and wake button. You will notice that access to the SIM card slot is blocked. If you need to remove the SIM while your iPhone is in this case, you’ll have to get out that handy dandy Allen wrench.

The cutout on the bottom exposes the speakers and docking connector. Connecting a charge / sync cable to the iPhone works fine, but you can almost definitely count out using any type of dock.

I like that the plastic frame doesn’t get in the way of the touchscreen because it’s completely flush with the top. The frame itself is pretty thin and I could see it being a weak point to this case. The long edges do flex a bit when squeezed.

A unique feature of these cases is the magnetic flip lid. It has a strong magnet on each corner and can be placed both on the face of the case or the back, while you’re using the phone.

I can’t quite put my finger on what the design / style of the Element Case reminds me of. Definitely more for the younger crowd and than for Joe CEO.

You can choose from 3 colors for the bottom half of the case, and then 6 colors for the flip lid (Red, Clear, Grey, Blue, Yellow, Green). But to further customize your Liquid or Allow case, you can choose a from several designs to be etched on the flip lid and back of the case.

There are a ton of different designs to choose from, but if you want a truly customized case, you can have them etch your own design. They will charge you $25 to setup the vector graphics for each surface, but once that’s done, anyone could order the design. For example, if anyone wants an Element Case with the gadgeteer logo, you won’t have to pony up for the $25. Also, if you happen to be a vector art guru, you can submit your own template that they can use and also skip the $25. Talk to the folks at Element Case if you want to go that route.

The etched graphics on the metal plate on the back of the case turned out better than the graphics on the flip lid. But they both look pretty cool.

So here’s the thing, these cases do look kinda jazzy (if you’re a teenage boy), but for me, they add too much bulk to the otherwise sleek iPhone. Two extra 0unces to be specific. The weight doesn’t really bother me, but the extra chunkiness and square edges do. It doesn’t feel quite as comfy in my hand. I also don’t enjoy having to remove the flip lid when I need to use the touch screen or make a call.

The Element Case for the iPhone is an interesting idea and I can see the appeal of the customization options, but for now, I prefer to continue to use my own iPhone au natural (the phone, not me…).

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related

Tagged: Case, Custom

Element Case iPhone Custom Case Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 19, 2009 at 8:48 pm.