iLounge

First Looks

Welcome to our new, continuously-updated First Looks - a collection of previews showing brand new iPod, iPhone and iPad accessories that we’re currently in the process of testing. Here’s what’s hot right now:

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Company: Taylor Technologies (Korea)

Website: www.Taylor.co.kr

Model: Play Hello iShoes

Price: $25

Compatible: iPhone 4

Taylor Technologies Play Hello iShoes for iPhone 4

Only three months after debuting the iPhone 3G/3GS version of Play Hello iShoes -- which was late and not quite up to snuff in protection -- Taylor Technologies has returned with Play Hello iShoes for iPhone 4 ($25), a superior sequel. This silicone rubber case once again uses sneakers as a launching point for six colorful iPhone protectors, each packaged with shoelaces that you string up for decoration, and a color-matched string manager. New this time are the inclusion of a screen protector, a sneaker "tongue" that adds more protection to the iPhone's back, and the removal of each package's second set of more unusually-colored laces, leaving each of the iShoes boxes with a single contrast-colored lace option. Overall, we'd call these a nice and more timely improvement over the prior-generation case, albeit at a modest price premium.

Company: Maclove

Website: www.Macloveworld.com

Model: Challenger, iShow, Shields

Price: $TBD

Compatible: iPhone 4

Maclove Challenger, iShow + Shields for iPhone 4

For every one iPhone accessory maker that makes great products, there are ten that do good or fair jobs, and then one that predictably churns out mall kiosk-quality junk. Take a guess which category Maclove's new series of iPhone 4 cases fall into: iShow Cilla is a TPU soft plastic clone of Apple's Bumper, iShow Sunrise adds back protection to Cilla, iShow Cronus is a shell with a video stand in the back, iShow Matrix is a slider-style case, and Challenger is a set of two plastic shells -- front and back snap-ons -- offered in clear Shine or silver-interiored Silver Light versions. Not so obvious from the photos is the consistently cheap feel of these cases, which all manage to feel flimsy and/or rough in ways that better competitors avoid. All of the cases come in different colors, and as was the case with its iPad products, each is bizarrely packaged with a pad of paper, this time in the shape of an iPhone 4. Sold separately, the company's film "Shields" somehow manage to have iPhone 4 imagery on the front, but there's iPhone 3GS screen film inside. If we were issuing ratings for this stuff, it would all be in the "D" category, and we're not planning to cover future Maclove products unless it gets its act together.

Company: SwitchEasy

Website: www.switcheasy.com

Model: Reptile

Price: $29

Compatible: iPhone 4

SwitchEasy Reptile for iPhone 4

Preserving the same name, price, and general features as the original version for iPhone 3G + 3GS, SwitchEasy's new Reptile for iPhone 4 ($29) is a faux crocodile skin plastic case available in four colors. You start by inserting your iPhone 4 into a semi-soft plastic shell that snaps together with a harder plastic front bezel frame, collectively providing top and side button coverage with holes for the ringer switch, Dock Connector port, headphone port, screen, microphones and speakers. The major challenge of the hard frame design is that it limits the size and flexibility of the top and bottom accessory ports, though SwitchEasy aids dock-style accessory compatibility by including two case-sized Universal Dock Adapters in separate black and white colors. One video stand, two headphone port covers, and two Dock Connector port covers are joined by screen film, an applicator card, and a cleaning cloth.

Company: ModulR

Website: www.Modulrcase.com

Model: Case + Cover, Slim Mount

Price: $59 + $19-$29

Compatible: iPad (2010)

ModulR Case + Cover, Quick Stand and Slim Mount for iPad

Almost like clockwork, shortly after the release of a new Apple portable product, a relatively young company appears on the scene with a modular case system designed to be paired with a variety of different attachments. Mophie did it with the first video-ready iPod and iPod nano back in 2006, companies such as Gizmac and Barefoot Innovations have done it with various iPhones, and now a company called ModulR is trying it with the iPad. The core of this company's "accessory system" is the ModulR Case + Cover ($59), a box with a stiff rubber frame and a hard plastic cover inside. Alone, the frame doesn't provide a lot of iPad protection, exposing the Apple logo (ugh), the face, and patches of the top and bottom, but slap the Cover on and all that's exposed is the Apple logo (ugh, again). Four pegs in the back of the case are designed to attach to a variety of different accessories, including Slim Mount ($29), a metal wall mounting bracket with included wall screws, and Quick Stand ($19), a metal stand designed primarily for landscape mode mounting. Both of the accessories are available in four colors; the case is sold only in "graphite." Other accessories not shown here include a "universal swing mount, a stylish shoulder strap, and simple headrest strap," all to be released later in 2010. We'll say this much: if the case-plus-stuff concept is going to fly on any Apple device, the iPad's the one, but the ModulR case is sorta iffy and the price tag is, too. With a cooler case at the center of this accessory system, we could see this concept really taking off.