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If you’re on the go and don’t want to put up with an iPhone-based synthesizer, or perhaps you’re an ultralight musician, the Pocket Piano from Critter & Guitari just might be your fix. A handmade pocket synthesizer that packs a vibrato synth, harmonic sweeper, two-octave arpeggiator, octave cascade, mono FM synth, and FM arpeggiator is housed in a sturdy aluminum and hardwood case with built in speaker and a 1/4” output jack. Round wooden keys give it a unique and tactile playing experience. Describing it in words isn’t exactly doing it justice, so I highly advise watching this accompanying video to see and hear some of crazy noise making abilities of this miniature machine.
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Do you ever wish for a little extra something when using your phone’s camera? I sure do. This handy little lens boosts your photography on the iPhone 4 or 4S by providing fisheye, wide-angle and macro lenses all in one small package. It connects to the phone in seconds, and you simply flip it over to switch lenses. For those of us that insist on using our smart phones for every conceivable photo, it’ll be added to our wish lists pronto.
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This looks like a tiny little thing that could possibly improve your iPad/tablet experience. These thin silicone-rubber rails adhere to the back of your device to keep it from slipping or scratching. While I’ve not used or seen these in person, it looks to be a smart idea with minimal impact to your device (and wallet).

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Need or want a stylus? This one seems to be a good choice. It has a smooth silicon rubber tip 7.0mm in diameter and a black loop cap that can be hooked onto a lanyard (if that’s what you want to do) or screwed onto the back to lengthen the stylus. There’s no screeching across the screen while writing, and the tip offers control and accuracy. For notes or drawings, it looks like it’d be a great companion to your device.
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Grove, best known for their beautifully crafted iPhone cases, recently released a new product to cozy-up our Macbooks. The Bamboo Backs are thin self-adhering bamboo veneers that stick to your laptop lid. Nothing particularly ground breaking or innovative in that regard, but what really does it for me is the custom cutouts that uses Apple’s glowing logo to create an extra accent piece. Check out their gallery for currently available cut-out graphics, or for a minimum order of ten, you can customize your own. Designed and made of sustainable bamboo in Portland Oregon.
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Building upon their original speaker design, Koostik expands their product offering to those looking for a slightly less expensive and smaller footprint speaker. The Mini Koo measures at just 3.5”³ x 5”³ x 1.5”³, making it a good size for bedside tunes and to follow you on your travels. It makes use of natural passive amplification through its “trumpet horn” speaker port, and requires no power to operate. Available in solid walnut and cherry, finished with an orange oil & beeswax. (more…)

Looking for a different sort of portable speaker? Dominic Odbert (aka Mr. Simo) takes old suitcases and transforms them into portable music speakers. Every BoomCase is constructed in California by hand and is made to produce the best sound possible. The BoomCase will last 9+ hours on a single charge (charger included) and can also be plugged in if you prefer. Pretty fun, aren’t they? A few are shown below, but see more of the selection at Decurate.
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This new little gadget allows secure remote access to your entire hard drive. How so, you ask? Well, it doesn’t actually store data, it just gives you a secure connection between two computers. Intriguing, isn’t it, especially considering the interest in cloud storage and whatnot… You’d need the physical iTwin with you to access your data, and there’s an option to require a password, of course. And, if you should lose it, no worries, you can remotely disable it. Take a look at the video below and iTwin for additional info.

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I think I like these cases from CollaCubed. Disguising that you’re on your phone could be beneficial in some situations, for sure. Available in 5 different styles.

Designed by Daniela Gilsanz.
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Here’s an iPad sleeve that looks like a postcard from a special someone. Not that you need to pretend, of course, but it has a certain look that brings to mind an earlier era gone by (when people actually had to use handwriting to communicate). The leather-like paper is made from natural cellulose fiber and is water-resistant. A soft felt interior keeps your iPad safe.

Size: 28 x 22 cm.
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Talk about a bare bones cell phone, this puppy has no email, camera, texting, or ringtones. There’s no contract either, you just need a SIM card. Stripped to the essential ‘make a phone call’ feature, you can go anywhere and know you have global roaming (exception is South Korea and Japan’s 3G networks). Aaand, it has approximately 6 hours of talking time (and 3 week standby) before charging is needed. Lo-tech, indeed. Created by John Doe Amsterdam.

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The Instagram-addicted among you will be more than happy to hear this: for $12 you can get a special little book filled with your photos. Printed on cardstock with a glossy photo-finish, the photos are just about the same size as they appear on your iPhone, so you’ll be able to carry it around and show off your snaps. Each order comes with 2 books (and each book has 50 photos in it).

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Here’s yet another option to consider in your battle against messy cords. The tennis sized ball can hide (or “swallow”) up to 5 feet of cable, cutting down on all that extraneous cordage that most of us have behind/around our desks and media centers. Designed by Søren Refsgaard and manufactured by Bald & Bang.

Available in red, orange, pink, grey, blue, black, yellow, green, and white.

Amateur or pro, this wooden tripod would no doubt become an heirloom in any photographer’s toolkit. Built in the same way for over 100 years in Germany by Berlebach, the tripod is made of sustainably harvested ash wood and extends from 2 to 6 feet. An aluminum core keeps it light at 6.20 lbs, meaning you can tote it around semi-comfortably at events or short hikes. Also, did you know that wood absorbs vibration naturally? So, less worries about shaky pics.
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Do you need yet another gadget for your iPhone? Maybe. This little guy makes your iPhone mountable on a tripod as well as giving you various viewing angles. It’s made from recyclable rubberized plastic and is small enough to fit in your pocket. Might make a good gift for a fellow photo-taking-iPhone-fan, perhaps?
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