Loop Mummy iPhone case review

Smartphone cases are a mixed bag nowadays — some are great, some are good, and some are just pretty awful. On top of the fact that cases are a hotly-debated item in the first place, it’s pretty difficult for case manufacturers to get the attention of smartphone users, and only a few have done it successfully. Loop Attachment has made a pretty unique silicone case called the Mummy, and it’s arrived just in time for Halloween. I ended up trying one out for myself to get a first impression and see how well it worked.

Personally, I don’t use a case on my phone since I’m not a huge fan of them to begin with. However, the Mummy case got my attention pretty quickly, and it’s one of the few cases that I was excited to actually try out. Obviously, right away you’ll notice the back of the case makes it look like the phone is wrapped with mummy wrappings (hence the name). The Apple logo and the “iPhone” are still visible, which is some clever design work to say the least. The mummy wrappings also serve another purpose besides just looking cool. You can stick credit cards, IDs, or cash in between the case and the phone, which also makes it a great makeshift wallet.
As with any silicone case, it can be a little difficult to slide your phone in and out of your pocket due to the rubbery texture, but the Mummy actually felt less rubbery, and it slid into my pocket a lot easier than most cases would. However, just like with any case, the Mummy does add a little bit of thickness to the iPhone, which gets rid of one of the features that makes the iPhone appealing in the first place. It can take time to get used to the size difference, but if you love the thinness of the iPhone, you’re probably not even using a case anyway.

 The button “extenders,” so to speak, for the volume and power buttons work surprisingly well; they don’t take any more effort to push than normal, which can’t be said with most other iPhone silicone cases sadly. The opening for the ring/silent switch just above the volume buttons is a bit off, but that’s only because the case is catered towards both the iPhone 4 and 4S, which have slightly different placements when it comes to that small switch — not a huge deal there.

did find it a bit of a nuisance trying to fit a credit card into the back of the case. Loop didn’t make it easy, since you kind of have to jimmy it in pretty good. There were even times where I was afraid I was going to scratch up the back of my iPhone with my credit card. Cash is even worse, since it’s more flimsy than a card. The trick is just to lift up the flaps and slide it in as best you can.
Overall, if you’re looking to get a minimalist and stylish silicone case for your iPhone, I’d probably tell you to get this one, despite the couple of very minor flaws. The case is well built, looks great, and has a one-of-a-kind unique Halloween theme that also works year-round.
Loop Attachment makes the Mummy case for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and the new iPhone 5 (pre-order only). The iPhone 5 version will be available early next month for a special introductory price of $20. The iPhone 4/4S version costs $25, or you can get a bundle of three Mummy cases for $60.

Why do we care about the iPad mini?

Not as big as the new iPad; not as small as the iPhone 5 or iPod touch; it’s Apple’s own “tweener” and by all rights and intents the iPad mini should be nothing more than a gap filler. Yet anticipation is high for the presumed 7.85-inch iOS tablet, and while spirits always tend to get, well, spirited in advance of an Apple event, sometimes the justification seems more inexplicable than others. Arguably, in the context of the tablet market – and post-PC computing as a whole – Microsoft’s Surface is far, far more important than the iPad mini.

Windows 8 is the centerpiece of Microsoft’s next-gen OS strategy – the hub of desktop and mobile computing, as well as pulling together Windows Phone 8 and Xbox gaming – and the company’s future as an industry heavyweight is dependent on it getting that right. That also means showing how Windows RT – as on the first Surface model – fits into that equation, something so far we’re yet to see summed up in a consistent, easily communicated message.
As Microsoft’s Surface chiefs pointed out, though, their tablet project approaches slates from a different direction to others already in the market. Windows RT may be a pared-back version of Windows 8, but it’s still Windows-from-the-desktop boiled down into tablet form. In contrast, iOS on the iPad and Android on tablets running Google’s OS both take their cue from phones scaled up. What will be really interesting – and deserves attention – is seeing how full apps translate to finger-use and whether the detachable keyboard accessories Microsoft is so proud of turn out to be essential rather than just eye-catching.
With some calculated timing, though, Apple knocked Surface from the top of the headline pile: the preorder news had its few minutes of attention, only to be swallowed up by the invite for Apple’s event next week. Yet in comparison with Surface – which, for Microsoft is pivotal – an iPad mini would simply be filling in a line-up gap for Apple. So why all the attention?

In no small part, it’s because the biggest challenge Apple has to overcome with the iPad mini is… Apple itself. More accurately, it’s iconic founder Steve Jobs who has to be disproved, after he so vocally and memorably blasted smaller-than-iPad models back in 2010. Tablets that size, Jobs pointed out, don’t just offer a slightly reduced display area of 9.7-inch iPad, but a considerably smaller touchscreen to play with. Vendors would need to supply sandpaper, he joked, so that users could file down their fingers in order to tap on-screen graphics with any degree of accuracy.
Jobs was undoubtedly a master of misdirection – telling you today that Apple had no intention of entering a segment, then launching a product to do just that tomorrow – but with his near-deification since his passing last year, and his comments on tablets still getting broadly circulated, all eyes will be on how Apple itself has addressed those complaints. If the iPad mini really is just a smaller iPad (which you may recall is, according to some, just a larger iPhone) then there’s a legitimate question of whether Jobs was actually talking codswallop back in 2010. Just as the iPod nano does its touchscreen interface differently to the iPod touch, taking into account the smaller display size, so Apple needs to demonstrate that there really was a challenge to overcome, and prove that it alone has addressed it.
Looking more broadly, though, all eyes are on the iPad mini because of doubts in the small tablet segment as a whole. When Steve Jobs roundly dismissed 7-inch “tweeners” as unnecessary and useless in the market, that’s because at the time they were pretty much pointless. 7-inch as a form-factor has, so far failed, unless it’s been cheap as chips like Google’s Nexus 7. That, with the heft of Google branding and a strongly competitive price – two Android tablets for the price of one iPad – has made the Nexus 7 the exception not the rule so far.
Apple may have to compromise to make the iPad mini a success, and compromise is not something the company does all too often. Too ambitious, too whizz-bang, and the smaller iPad won’t be able to hit a competitive price point. Too humble, or built to too strict a budget, and it will lack the premium cachet the brand is known for. The smaller devices are, often the more complex they are to piece together – gathering the right blend of components for a tiny phone is more of a challenge than for a 10-inch tablet, where they may be a little extra wiggle room to play with.
The iPad mini lacks that room to wiggle, and the excitement around the product launch isn’t simply because lots of people want a smaller tablet (though some undoubtedly do) but because we want to see whether a firm with a track-record of convincing consumers it has solved the equation can do the same under arguably tougher constraints. The world may not need a “tweener” iPad, but if Apple decides that it range does, then it needs to demonstrate it can do it with more than just a bloated iPod touch or a shrunken new iPad.

Cube U9GT4 $130 Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Tablet Launches

Anyone looking for a budget Android tablet under $150 might be interested in the new Cube U9GT4 tablet that runs Google’s latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system straight from the box.
The Cube U9GT4 Android 4.1 tablet is powered by RK3066 1.6GHz Dual Core processor, supported by 1GB of RAM and has 8GB of internal memory, which is expandable via a microSD card slot.

 The Cube U9GT4 tablet is fitted with a 7 inch screen sporting a resolution of 1024 x 600 and is equipped with graphics provided by a Mali-400 graphics processor. However the Cube U9GT4 tablet is not fitted with GPS technology, unlike the Nexus 7 which is.

The Cube U9GT4 Android 4.1 tablet is now available to purchase for $130 with free shipping included.

MG Android 4.0 Handheld Game Console Arrives For $149

PlayMG has started selling its new Android handheld gaming console this week, in the form of the MG which is equipped with a 4 inch screen and 480 x 800 resolution screen and is designed to run Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system.
The MG Android 4.0 handheld gaming console is powered by a 1 GHz TCC8295 ARM Cortex-A5 single core processor, supported by 1GB of RAM and has 4GB of internal memory, which is expandable via a microSD card slot up to 64GB.

Other features of the new MG Android gaming console include a front facing camera fitted with a 1.3 megapixel sensor, as well as 802.11n WiFi connectivity, USB 2.0 port, gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass. Vire the video below for more information and a look at what the MG Android games console can offer.
PlayMG originally started to try and fund their new Android gaming system on Kickstarter looking four $950,000 worth of funding, but only managed to acquire $40,000 from pledges.

Structured BlackWhite Residence

Structured BlackWhite Residence was renovated by David Jameson Architect. The glazed house has an open design built around an “Acropolis”. The residence is made of contrasting black and white materials. The black framing of glazed walls and windows contrasts with the white base and interior walls.

According to the description the BlackWhite residence features four glass temples in modern sleek style that allow the surrounding views and natural light in. At night the glazed structures gleam with internal lights providing beautiful view of the residence itself.
BlackWhite residence bears a slight resemblance to another project by David Jameson Architect Barcode House with transparent walls and black framing.
The transparent walls and small windows are all around the house. Solid parts of the residence are located at the main level while glass temples are towering over it and landscape. The house is surrounded with natural sights with trees, lawns and greenery.

7 Coolest Pet Furniture Items

Pet furniture has evolved very much from simple pet beds to whole complex structures. Plain design turned modern and stylish as well as fun and creative. There are great number of designs that give a pet its own space as well as can function as other things as well. multifunctional pieces are also creative and interesting. Here the 8 coolest pet furniture items we found:

 PEi pod has created a fun colorful cat/dog house with bed that comes in fun egg shape with a yolk yellow cushion. Varying in colors pEi Pod is a comfy and fun way to give your pet some space to rest and sleep and hide.

 Traditional dog house will unlikely draw as much attention as this ultra-modern dog mansion by Best Friend’s Home. Its geometric forms, transparent front wall and roof drain system make it a downsized modern house for your pet.

 Hepper by Jed Crystal Studio is a futuristic take on elevated pet house. Look ready to take off to space this stylish eye-drawing cat or dog retreat comes in various color to match your interior. It also comes in a floor version.

 Cat cocoon by One Form Design is a cool sculptural cat house that has a nice surface for scratching. Designed as a snail shell the cat cocoon provides personal space for the pet as well as easily solves the problem of scratching.

If you wanted to go green Kokon Kennel by Pousse Creative is a way. It’s a cat or dog house topped with a planter. The design is simple but interesting with geometric entrance. Just be sure to plant animal-safe plants.You can also grow special grass for your kitty in these plant pots.

 Giona Aquarium by Alessandra Baldereschi has a cool whale shape. The aquarium reinterprets the classic sphere bowl adding an element of fun and surprise.

This cool APA birdhouse was designed by designer Luis Porem. A nice cone-shape birdhouse has an entrance with an overhang and a branch perch.

Giant pandas at Beijing Zoo

A pair of giant pandas playing in their enclosure at Beijing Zoo, June 5, 2012. Currently about 1,600 giant pandas living in the wild and endangered species.

More than a friend

The little sick girl continues to live by his best friend – a dog named Mr. Gibbs, who wears her oxygen cylinders at the back. Mr. Gibbs specially trained by him to help three-year-old Alida Nobloh that almost all the time to breathe oxygen through a tube

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: October 15, 2012

Welcome back to Monday everyone – we’ve got a heaping helping of news to recap, so let’s dive right in. Today we found out that Apple’s manufacturing partnership with Samsung may not last much longer, and that the Google Nexus 7 might just be the best-selling Android tablet ever (which, given its immense popularity, doesn’t surprise us in the least). One Walmart store has its shelves fully stocked with copies of Windows 8, and this afternoon, we have reason to believe that a new, slimmer iMac may be in the pipeline.

By now, you’ve probably heard plenty of iPad Mini rumors, but today we found out that Apple may reveal a new Mac Mini alongside the bite-sized tablet. Today we saw some pictures that appear to have been snapped by the camera on the yet-unannounced Nexus 4, and Apple has managed to bring former Amazon executive William Stasior on to oversee the continuing development of Siri. Android 4.1.2 was sent out to eager Galaxy Nexus owners today, and just in case you missed Felix Baumgartner’s death-defying jump over the weekend, you can see the highlights again today – complete with terrifying shots from his helmet cam.

LG delivered its Jelly Bean update schedule for a few of its devices today, and speaking of LG, AT&T announced that the Optimus G goes up for pre-order tomorrow with a price tag of $200. We heard that Windows 8 is getting an underwhelming response from vendors today, and Nintendo dropped the price of the original Wii down to just $130 in anticipation of the holiday rush. A new study is claiming that file sharers actually buy more music than people who don’t partake in that rather controversial activity, and Microsoft released a brand new Windows 8 ad today.

Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition players found out that they’re in for a treat tomorrow, while Notch was busy showing off new footage from his upcoming game 0x10c and Microsoft was handing out Xbox Live bans to Halo 4 pirates. Activision announced today that Call of Duty Elite will be free with Black Ops II, and we were told that the Wii U gamepad boasts a latency of only 1/60 of a second. Google is in trouble in Europe over privacy concerns again, and we got to take a look at a new robotic wheelchair that can actually walk up stairs. How cool is that?

Finally tonight, we have quite a few original articles for you to have a look at. Chris Burns puts the Optimus G through its gaming paces with Wild Blood, and we pit Xbox Music, Spotify, iTunes, and Google Music against one another to see the strengths and weaknesses of all four. We’ve got a new review of the Huawei Ascend D1 quad XL by Chris Burns, and a review of the Motorola Electrify 2 by your humble wrapper-upper. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night folks!