Crimson makes some colorful, sparkly cases, skins, and edgings for the iPhone, and I know this because while at Macworld 2012, I noticed a couple people sporting them around the antennas of their iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S’s. This is what drew me towards Crimson’s booth.

Crimson offers many options for adding personality and protection to your iPhone. Currently available is the Aluminum Frame Case and six different types of screen protectors. In the near future, Crimson will be offering skins for the backs and antennas of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Most of these skins are colorful and sparkly, but there will also be options that are more subtle and “manly”.

While visiting their booth, I picked up a purple skin for the back of my iPhone 4S and a purple Aluminum Frame case. I may be enjoying my sparkly skin, but I’ll admit to not being a huge fan of the case. The nubby corners are a turn off and add quite a bit of bulk to the overall size of my iPhone. If the corners were small and rounded, I may actually consider using it regularly.

• Variable – Amazon Store link

Japan’s Solid Alliance decided that the bar for “crazy earphones” just hadn’t been raised high enough and so they’ve released these adorable/idiotic plastic embellishments which make you look like you have various implements coming out of your ears. For those who may not have already seen the first set of earphones they consisted of: sushi, paws, banana and a large bolt. These 4 new earbuds consist of: an apple with an arrow through it, a knife which looks like it is stabbed through your head, a mushroom, and a little ear.

They’ll cost you ¥2000, or about $20 and have a 3.5mm adaptor so they will fit in your iPhone or iPod touch.

So, am I the only one who likes these earphones ? Would you ever buy Crazy Earphones for yourself… or a friend ?

I’ve become a big fan of snap-together hard cases for my iPhone. I’m sporting a form-fitting hard case with “soft-touch” on my iPhone 3G right now, and my original iPhone is protected by the Griffin Reflect Case available in TiPb Store for $24.95. If you still have the iPhone 2G and want an attractive yet functional case, read on for the full review!

Out Of The Box

The Griffin Reflect Case is packaged with a premium cleaning cloth and a static peel screen protector, some welcome additions and added value to your case purchase. Whenever I’m suiting up my iPhone with a new case, I like to thoroughly clean it first to reduce the chance of scratching, so the cleaning cloth is very handy. The screen protector is also a plus — although the iPhone’s glass screen is extremely scratch-resistant, I’ve found that the use of screen protectors have minimal impact on screen touch sensitivity, yet perform quite well in reducing finger smudges that are inevitable on the glass surface.

Form

As pictured above, you will see the front and back halves of the case and the plastic packaging containing the premium cleaning cloth and the static peel screen protector. The case is constructed of durable polycarbonate to protect your iPhone. The front half is reflective in a chrome-like fashion, adding both protection and style to the front of your iPhone. The back half has a matte black rubberized surface for better gripping, reducing the chance of your iPhone slipping from your hand like a bar of soap.

This Griffin Reflect Case offers full access to your iPhone’s multi-touch display, the dock connector on the bottom, as well as the speaker and microphone. The volume rocker, sound switch, headphone jack and power button are also fully accessible. On the front of the iPhone, the earpiece speaker and “home” button are exposed for easy access while the case protectively covers the rest of the phone, again without obstructing the screen in any way. There is also a cutout on the back for your iPhone’s camera lens.

Function

The two halves of the case snap together around your iPhone, encasing it in the polycarbonate protection while still offering accessibility to all controls, camera lens and screen. A benefit of this kind of case is that once the halves are snapped together, the case fits snug around the phone and allows no movement. My pet peeve about other cases, particularly rubber, is that softer cases can stretch over time and move ever-so-slightly against your phone, causing small scratches as dust and dirt get between the case and phone. The Griffin Reflect case is hard and inflexible, so once snapped into place, it won’t budge a millimeter.

A downside to hard cases is related to their installation – they snap together, leaving an almost imperceptible seam around the phone. This is not a problem until you accidentally drop your phone. Although your Griffin case will offer some protection from the immediate impact, it’s inevitable that the case will separate from your iPhone in the event of an extremely hard impact (like concrete, for instance) and your iPhone will be bare-naked and likely scratched and scuffed. For me, the assurance my case will not scratch my phone due to subtle case-slippage is worth the risk of what may happen if I drop my iPhone.

Added thickness is another downside to a case of this kind. The polycarbonate material is protective, but a little on the thick side. Your iPhone will appear less svelte, but it will be well-protected.

Conclusion

The Griffin Reflect Case for iPhone, available now for purchase at TiPb Store for $24.95, is literally a snap to put together around your iPhone 2G and offers great protection while still allowing full access to the screen, camera lens, headphone jack and other controls. The reflective, chrome-like front surface is attractive and the matte black rubberized surface on the back offers protection and a more secure grip. Although there is risk of case separation if you drop your iPhone on a hard surface, the protection benefits far outweigh this risk.

Pros:

• Hard polycarbonate material offering maximum protection
• Full access to screen, camera lens and all controls
• Rubberized back is “grippy”

Cons:

• Hard case can separate if dropped on hard surface
• Case adds thickness to iPhone

Rating: 4.5/5

This is a nice speaker dock system. It was designed by a team of folks that includes former Apple design guru Robert Brunner, who was around during the Newton years. It’s a nice-looking piece of kit. There’s no price yet, as this is a mockup or prototype of some sort. If they make it affordable it will sell like hotcakes. It’s apparently being unveiled at CES in a few weeks.