iLounge

Company: Gizmac

Website: www.Gizmac.com

Model: Titan Clear

Price: $25

Compatible: iPod nano (aluminum)

Gizmac Titan Clear for the iPod Nano 2nd Generation

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By Christina Easton

Contributing Editor
Published: Monday, April 9, 2007
Category: Cases - iPod nano

Pros: Well-made clear case that comes with a wide variety of wearable attachments for portability. An improvement over the company’s previous designs. Reasonably priced considering all the pack-ins.

Cons: Attachments are functional, but lack good looks.

It’s unusual for us to award a “highly recommended” rating to a case based on pricing and versatility these days, but Gizmac’s Titan Clear for the second-generation iPod nano ($25) merits that award. Though its surprisingly robust set of packed-in attachments isn’t as stylish as we’d prefer, its aggressive pricing, ease of use, and neutral case design are hard to fault.

Made to maximize portability of your iPod, Titan Clear safely houses your nano inside a clear, polycarbonate enclosure, using a two-piece, snap-closed design without a hinge. Its thickness is thin to medium by comparison with other clear cases we’ve seen for the nano, and doesn’t detract much from the nano’s normal profile or looks. It includes full screen protection, almost complete body protection, and a film insert for the Click Wheel. Like most other clear cases we’ve seen, this one can be slightly nicked and scratched, absorbing damage that would otherwise impact the nano itself.

A small opening is left at the top for access to the Hold switch, while the Dock Connector and headphone port are exposed and accessible at all times. Users will have no problems with larger accessories such as headphone jacks or Dock Connectors of any size or type. The case also allows you to dock the nano without an issue while inside.

Titan Clear’s predecessor was Titan Gear, a do-it-yourself array of attachments that included sizer plates that sat inside mounts, which were then attached to an armband or lanyard. Clear and Gear both include the attachments, but differ in their approaches to mounting: a set of two small holes on each side of the Clear case allow the add-on attachments to easily fit into place.

Gizmac’s array is hard to match in current iPod nano cases. You get an adjustable elastic armband, a rotating belt clip, a gray fabric lanyard, and a clip with an additional carabineer hook. These add on accessories work very well with Titan Clear, but generally lack for good looks, and would be a step above disposable but for the strength of the plastic they’re built from. With the exception of the arm band, which feels nearly the rival of a DLO Action Jacket in design and build quality, the other accessories do their jobs but don’t make a great cosmetic impression.

Need they? That’s up to you: for the $25 asking price, Titan Clear is a solid standalone case, and pushed into excellent territory because it can be worn or carried any way you like. While better molding and attention to feel would have really helped the add-on accessories, none are offensive as-is, and the case lets your nano shine through enough that most people won’t notice or care about what’s on its back. Though we think the Titan Clear’s successors could benefit from cosmetic tweaks – the primary reason this case falls short of a flat A - Titan Clear offers an impressive collection of features for the $25 price, and deserves our high recommendation.