Here's a brief history of cellphone cases. In the mid '90s, cases were bringing in a 45% profit margin for manufacturers, and were made of leather and worn either on a belt or hanging from a purse or wrist.

When clamshells became popular in the early to mid 2000s, cases became more-or-less obsolete, as the keys and screen were on the inside of the phone instead of the concrete-shock-absorbing outside. But iPhones and other touchscreen phones make the need for a case more relevant for people who tend to drop their phones.

I'm of two opinions on this. The first is that I have never dropped my phone, or dropped it so badly that it actually broke. But I do know a lot of people who do, so it's hard for me to say that cases aren't necessary for them. So while I may hate cases and think they cover up the nice industrial design of whatever your phone is with an ugly, rubberized finish, it's necessary for people who smear their hands in butter before they take a call. [Slate]

The previous design was a lot sleeker, and placed the controls on the side. But it didn't have those awesome nubs. A test run of those units were shipped to selected people in February, and early feedback, plus a "sleepless night", lead to the updated, bigger look.

You'll need to Jailbreak your iPhone, but the iControlPad is supported by some of the biggest iPhone devs (including ZodTTD's PSX and GBA emulators). If you're interested in placing a pre-order, sign up for the newsletter over at: [iControlPad]

If I'm going to be honest, I kind of expected more from this contest: There aren't many truly impressive drawings submitted as of now, and the current leader in votes is a virulent anti-Obama nutball creation that looks more like the bumper of an Alabama pick-up truck than an iPhone case. A drawing of Obama as Heath Ledger's Joker? What does that even mean? You can't be an anarchist and a socialist at the same time, they're completely conflicting ideologies. Take a political theory class, Cardboard iPhone Case Drawing Man!

Anyway, I think there are enough badass illustrators among the Giz readership that we could really bust out some impressive entries. I'd love to see what you guys can do—this contest is ripe for a Giz onslaught. Go forth, readers! [Case-Mate via CNET]

As you might suspect, the case is watertight, dust-proof and impact resistant. Plus, the foam interior can be shaped to snugly fit whatever gadget you are trying to protect. Also features a carrying handle, pressure release valve and padlock loops. HW models take the overkill one step further with a pull out handle and wheels. [Odyssey via Core77]

Hellboy, Buffy and a bunch of other Dark Horse IPs are now available in GelaSkin form (heck, there's even some Bettie Page thrown in there for good measure). iPhone skins go for $15 while 13 and 15-inch Macbook/general laptop skins cost $30.

You've likely seen the iconic art before, but that's alright. I could stare at Sarah Michelle Gellar's estranged cousin for days.
[Dark Horse via Lost at E Minor]

Made of grey wool, dark leather and herringbone-patterned elastic, it's the first sleeve I've seen that matches both my shoes and my belt, which obviously is my most important criterion for gadget accessories. Unfortunately it has the pricetag to match, coming in at 79 euros (about $116USD). Guess I'll have to stick with the neoprene. [Hard Graft]

There's a painstaking amount of detail inside the scene, including intricate housewares such as a vase, flowers, the newspaper, and a gumball machine (?!). Anyone with this much time on their hands must also spend hours thinking of the perfect way to get away with murder.

But I do love how the circuit board nearly blends in as wallpaper if you don't pay close attention. I'd like to see this turn into a trend...I think. [Modding.ru via Technabob]

Maximum PC's hands on of the case shows that Thermaltake either swapped out the glossy surface in the prototype for a matted one in the finished version, or discovered that photoshopping a glossy surface onto something before you actually build one is a bad idea.

But, the basic gist is the same, and it's one of the first unique chassis we've seen come along in quite some time. [Maximum PC]

The Price: $30

The Verdict: It does what it claims, which is hold two of your credit cards/ID cards simultaneously, but it's a pretty snug fit. The slight bending or bowing that your cards go through to fit into the slot shouldn't be enough to break it, but the two will scrape against each other because the space is so small. Which is good and bad.

On the one hand it's good, since it means your cards won't fly out of the slot when you're whipping out your phone. But it's also bad, since you'll have some slight difficulty in pushing out your cards. But it's not unusable, and it's not anything you can't overlook if your whole reason for getting this is that you don't want to carry a wallet on you.

Our only complaint would be that there's only room for two cards, and very little room for cash. Technically you're not supposed to even put cash into the slot, but if you fold up a couple bills, it'll still squeeze into the limited amount of space given.

Those of you who carry money clips will be familiar with only having your ID, one or two credit cards and some cash in your pocket. With this, you'll cut down the need to even have a money clip in addition to your phone, the convenience of which is probably worth $30 to you.

It does what it claims and holds two cards snugly

Slightly hard to remove the cards once they're inside

Not a lot of room for cash

The Crave is only available in navy blue, however besides the 16-inch backpack form you can get it in a 15.6-inch slipcase and a smaller netbook size. The backpack is $50 which isn't so bad considering it could double as a travel pillow.

The other two lines of notebook cases seem pretty standard and by standard I mean boring. There is a typical mix of leather and canvas business looking bags. However, the Phobos netbook case which apparently is a "throw back to acid-washed jeans" seems interesting though I haven't seen a picture.

Those two are probably the most interesting since the rest are all business all the time. Those interested can hit the link for the full release. In the meantime, I'll be remembering how good those college class naps were. [Targus]

Priced at $27 and available now, we know you've seen Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa a million times by now. But this time it's different. It's on your DSi (or DS, or PSP). And no one else with a print or reinterpretation of Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa can take that away from you. Unless they steal your DSi (or DS, or PSP). Then they'll have a piece of your art collection and your portable console. And there's no coming back from that. [WaSaBi via TinyCartridge via GoNintendo]

According to the product page, d30 cases can offer up to "150% more protection than other cases." Of course, that protection doesn't extend to the screen, which is probably your number one concern. [Tech 21 and Recombu via CrunchGear]

The guys over at Instructables.com provide step-by-step instructions on how to make an iPhone or gadget case out of your old pair of Levi's or Wranglers (the ladies out there may even want to recycle an dated designer pair). The ten step process seems simple enough—get a pair of jeans, cut the fabric, find a sewing machine (or someone who knows how to sew), and sew away.

You can even add buttons to keep your enclosed gadget more secure. The best parts of the how-to: the suggestion to get a thimble ("its like a little metal thing you put on your finger") and step 8 which requires you model the case. [Instructables]

"Love your Kindle but miss the feel of holding a real book?" asks Busted Typewriter, the manufacturer behind this rather obvious Kindle holder (which itself is a copy of "Buying In:The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are" by author Rob Walker).

The company also sells iPhone and calculator holders (yes, also hollowed out books), which had me wondering whether gadget shame was what was really at work here, or that Busted Typewriter simply hates books.

Either way, these holders will protect your gear with the spilt blood ink of literary works like "Spa Food" for about $25. [Product Page via Book Patrol via BBG]

The Japan Texture line of cases are all handcrafted and have referential nods to significant moments and concepts in Japanese history and culture. That's wonderful. But no moment in any nation's history on an iPhone case is worth a $1000 friggin' dollars. Except maybe when James Brown sung Living in Rocky. [Softbank via Crunchgear]

In one of the more interesting pull down notices we've seen in a while, the Portuguese retailer said:

Yesterday a new set of products for iPod in our catalog, we have been asked to remove them. It was then clarified that we were not allowed to publish it. We have immediately accepted to remove that information, and would like to express our sincere apologies to our costumers. We are expecting to make those products available in September.

September eh?

A rumored September keynote (when iPods tend to be announced), apparent iTunes 9 details emerging, mounting case leaks? New iPods are a comin', and it's looking more and more like they'll have cameras. And the tablet? Not until 2010 apparently. Probability Thing-o-Meter back to 70 percent!

New: JIVO TPA Case Blue for iPod Touch 3G

New: JIVO TPA Case Blue for iPod nano 5G

One of more than a dozen case shots that Cult of Mac obtained:

[Obrigado fanático das maçãs for the store tip!]

The focus here seems to be on airflow, with support for up to six 120mm fans and one optional 140mm fan up top, plus a meshed front panel so air doesn't get all stagnant and hot inside the case. It'll fit giant video cards and allows for a 180-degree turned HDD for easier wire management. If you're a gamer building a rig on the cheap, it's worth a look for sure. More features below. [NZXT]

* Fits ATX Standard Motherboards and Power Supplies
* Fits large 10.5" performance graphic cards
* Expanded cooling directly cools video cards and CPU
* Support for up to 6 120mm fans with the option of dual 140mm at the top
* Screwless installation for hard drives and external 5.25" drives
* Black Internal finish for sleek look
* Meshed front panel allows for better airflow than traditional cases
* Superior wire management with bottom mounted :: PSU and CPU punchout for heatsink removable
* Removable PSU filter
* 180 degree Turned HDD for a cleaner internal finish and better wire management
* External Dual radiator support
* Top mounted USB/Audio for convenient usage

I can see a few potential problems here, like poor heat dissipation, iPhone scratching, excessive weight and general discomfort during use and carrying, but if you're the kind of person who sees the Exovault and thinks "awesome," you probably don't care. Cases ground out from the lesser metals are available for $95 each, while the titanium version sells for a sky-high $300. [Exovault via BoingBoing Gadgets]

How, you ask? Consider the shape of the NES controller, and think about which netbook best resembles it—yep, the Sony Vaio P. Crank out one of these covers for that oblong netbook, and all 10 Vaio P owners might be ordering one. Hell, I'd consider buying a Vaio P just to have one of those covers. Actually, not really. That was a lie. Sorry. [Flickr via In Blog We Trust]

The TapStick is a case that moves the awkward headphone-based controls onto the front of the gadget where they belong, which in turn frees up the headphone jack to use any pair of 'phones you choose, not just the ones Apple packages in. In effect, while these features make the shuffle easier to use, they also remove everything that separates it from previous-gen shuffles.

The TapStick also costs $29, nearly half the price of the $79 shuffle itself, and for that combined $110 you've got yourself a player with no screen, incredibly basic controls, the worst sound quality in the iPod family, and you've lost the slick look of the uncased shuffle. You could double your memory and get a far more feature-packed player in the 8GB iPod nano for only $40 more! This might just be a lipstick-on-a-pig situation. [CNET]

If you have a last generation iPod shuffle (you know, the version that doesn't judge your taste in music), then one Etsy seller will provide you with a coordinating handmade bacon case for just $19. Just keep in mind, as tasty as that case might look, you should never attempt to swallow your iPod shuffle.
[Etsy via Walyou]

As you can see, the clip in on the back of the case is the heart of the iCooly. It can be rotated and positioned for carrying or standing horizontally/vertically on a flat surface. The case comes in a variety of colors and can be purchased now for around $33. [Maximobileshop via Likecool via Geeky Gadgets]

Priced at $85 on Etsy (along with a few similar wooden products), the case features one of those slide-off lids that you see in tourist shop jewelry containers around the world*.

* I realize that this product description will make sense to only a handful of people reading this post, but whatever, it's what came to mind. [Etsy via bbGadgets]

Vaja's cases are always of stellar quality and fully customizable, and the three new Vaio P cases are no exception. They'll let you keep the case on while the Vaio's in use, and come in 30 different colors and styles of plush leather. I'd expect a tag upwards of $100. [Vaja]

It could happen on a deserted island, or it could happen on a particularly long wait in the subway. Either way, it's only a matter of time before, in a moment of extreme hunger, you eye your MP3 player for snacking. As your teeth penetrate the tasteless silicon shell, you'll find the aluminum center to be ever so harder on tooth enamel than nougat—a point to which your dentist will concur.

Plus you'll still be hungry. [SwitchEasy]

The "Acrylic Cowboy," which seems like kind of a self-aggrandizing name for a slab of plastic, includes space for a small motherboard (ATX and Micro ATX only), power supply, hard drive, and optical drive. It's available for only 7,500 yen, which is about $75.50 USD, and the seller warns that all included parts are in Japanese (so if you're not up on your Japanese lessons, good luck). It doesn't warn that geeks who balance their Big Gulps of Mountain Dew on their desks should maybe look for a case that's, you know, enclosed, but that's probably because they're aiming for the Japanese market. [The Raw Feed]

Here are the two sides of the argument. On the one hand, we feel that unboxings convey no real information (who cares about people taking things out of boxes), and a gallery with closeups shows off the product much better than watching a doofus try and open some plastic bags.

On the other hand, unboxings are supposed to be emotional and experiential, showing off what it's like to open up a Kindle 2 or a MacBook Pro for the first time. It's not supposed to be like a regular post, instead, letting readers into our living rooms in order to "feel" a product they otherwise wouldn't buy.

How do you feel?

The Mophie Juicepack Air is slated to be the sveltest iPhone battery boosting case yet. (Exactly how thin that means, we are honestly not sure.) Packed with a 1200 mAH lithium polymer battery, the Juicepack Air can function as a regular iPhone case, or it can be switched out of "standby" to add 4.5 hours of talk/surf time to the handset.

Priced at $80 and available this Spring, it might be alright, but now we're really craving a Capri Sun. That'll put the price up to $82.50 at least. [Mophie]

Constructed primarily of blue anodized aluminum, the Lian-Li PC-888 was designed to mimic the shape a sail, but it also exploits the power of wind (not liquid) to keep the interior cool...a feat considering that the case can store 11 different 5.25" drives with removable dust filters. Whatever Lian-Li may say, this thing is not a hardcore gaming rig. It's a server or RAID cabinet disguised in electric blue.

Only 500 PC-888s will be produced and they're expected to cost up to $500 apiece. That's pricey, but there's not exactly a cheap equivalent on the market. I mean, this case's closest analog is probably Dubai's Burj Al Arab. [bit-tech via DVICE]

I could say a lot of things in response to this unequivocally ridiculous item. I could live up my male stereotype, chastising the ladies at geeksugar who would fawn over some patterned scrap of leather just because there's a zipper and designer attached. I could approach the bag from a standpoint of logic, questioning why someone would pay more just to hold a netbook than they paid for that netbook in the first place. But I'm not going to do any of those things. It's not worth my or your time or effort. Instead, I'll just say—

Fuck you, Goyard. Fuck. You. [geeksugar via bbGadgets]

Their "iPhone nano cases" page has a form which says "sign up for the upcoming release of our iPhone nano cases" but I'm just not buying it, sorry.

I know that XSKN claims to have one coming and I know they leaked the iPhone 3G case before, but I can't believe Apple will happily give a completely new product away like this.

An update to an old one—like the iPhone 3G—yes. But a completely new one? It never happened, and it has the same chances of happening as a remake of the Star Wars prequels by Woody Allen. Or the iPhone Pro, for that matter.

In any case, this form is the last drop that has overflowed that small glass of whisky that I call patience. Time for the iron bar. [Vaja—thanks tipsters, but please stop unless you have an actual picture of an iPhone nano]

The final version will be black, but contain the same layout and button count as the image above. No details on when it's heading to production, but it is, so we're excited. [Zodttd via Engadget]

iDeals China claims that it is, and offers plenty of specs to back it up. They say that the new iPhone nano will be the same height as the current iPod nano and include "3 sensors, camera, [and a] mirror screen but no 3G." They also say that production of the iPhone nano will begin on December 20th, when we can expect to see all sorts of shots on the web.

Of course, there are a slew of reasons why these claims could be completely nuts. For one, it actually seems less likely for the manufacturer that leaked the last iPhone to leak the next iPhone. Does Apple really need third party cases ready at launch so badly that they're willing to forgo any level of secrecy and hand over device mockups (along with full specs?) to a company that historically cannot be trusted? No way. A factory-to-factory dialogue is all we could imagine.

And then there's the absurdity of the iPhone nano itself. On one hand, it could be an entry-level iPhone that allows Apple to corner the same market they did with their original nano (and shuffle, for that matter). But on the other, an iPhone nano would be comically small—almost like holding a Bluetooth headset to your face.

Needless to say, the entire Giz staff is highly skeptical of such a rumor—most of us don't believe it. But we wanted you to know what's going on in the world of iPhone rumors leading up to Macworld next month. Consider yourself armed and geek-dangerous. [idealschina via PMPToday]

[More Thing via Technabob]