Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

The biggest risk my laptop has ever faced while out blogging in the field was greasy fingerprints from a tradeshow box lunch. Thankfully it just barely survived that daunting ordeal, but I guess there are bloggers out there who take things to more extremes than I do. Why else would you need a padded, double-sealed laptop sleeve that not only protects it from bumps and scrapes, but is also waterproof? I do really like the ‘Mandarin’ orange color scheme, and the sleeve is available in 15 & 17-inch sizes, but the only time my laptop is ever in any risk of falling in the drink is when I’m standing too close to a fountain in Vegas.

[ Haglöfs Laptop Drybags ] VIA [ Stilsucht ]

By Chris Scott Barr

First Buckyballs, then a Mophie Juice Pack Air, now another contest!? That’s right, we know exactly what you guys love. Yes, you love reading about all of the latest gadgets and gizmos, but we know you love winning free stuff. So what’s on the plate for this week? A pair of cases from NZXT.

We’ve got both the Beta EVO and M59 chassis up for grabs. All you need to do is leave a comment telling us why you need to upgrade your PC case. You might be wondering why we left out the awesome Lexa S from the contest. Our friends over at GamerFront are having their own giveaway, with that as the prize. By all means, head over to their contest page and get signed up!

As David mentioned before, we’re going to be changing up the way we give away some of our prizes here at OhGizmo. This contest won’t be following the new rules just yet, but in the future we’re going to try to reward people that are more active commenters in general.

[ NZXT ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

To round out our trio of NZXT cases, I present the Lexa S Mid Tower Chassis. This is the higher-end of NZXT’s case offerings. As such, it bears a premium price over the other two that we’ve reviewed in the last week. Do the extra features justify the extra cost? Read on to find out.

Features

You’re going to see most of the features that were on the Beta EVO and M59 cases here. Bottom-mounted PSU, pre-cut holes for cable management and holes for a liquid cooling system are all present. The SSD bracket and smoke colored window from the M59 are also found here. Not everything is the same, as you’ll find an extra pair of fans, as well as individual controls for the intake and exhaust fans. They also included rubber inserts for the cable management holes. These help keep the cables exactly where you want them, and are certainly appreciated.

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This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

Last week I showed you the M59 chasis from NZXT and promised reviews on a couple of their other new cases. Well you can stop holding your breath, as today I’ll be reviewing the Beta EVO Mid Tower Chassis. This is one of their sub-$50 cases, which makes it more of a budget offering. When you start getting into that price range, many cases tend to be lacking in both features and quality. Lets see if that’s the case here.

Features

Being the budget case that it is, it’s not surprising to see a general lack of extra features. You’ll find punched-out holes for cable management, as well as one beneath the CPU (just as the M59 had) and holes for accommodating a liquid cooling setup. You’ll also find room for 6 fans (only one is included) and a screwless installation solution for your optical and hard drives.

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This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

No one can accuse NZXT of slacking off when it comes to releasing new PC cases. We’ve got three of their latest offerings in our office, and we’ll be bringing you full reviews on each over the next week or so. First up is their M56 Classic Series ATX Mid Tower chassis.

NZXT has always found a good balance between price and performance. The M56 falls into what I’d consider the mid-range of cases in terms of pricing. But the real question is whether or not the hardware is worth the price. Read on for my full review.

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By Chris Scott Barr

I’m all about having a kick-ass case for my gaming rig. I like having something to show off that not only look cool, but is easy to work with in terms of upgrades. I’ve owned and reviewed quite a few different cases over the years, and I have to say, this new Level 10 from Thermaltake tops them all.

The case was designed by BWM Designworks USA, where they were obviously thinking outside the box. Or rather, they were thinking about what’s usually located inside the box. Instead of having a big rectangle for a case, they chose to outline each component, putting it in its own compartment. Each compartment features its own cooling system, ensuring that you’ll never have to worry about overheating. You’ve got room for six hot-swappable SATA drives and three optical drives. My only concern is that you might not have enough room for some of the longer video cards. Oh, and that little $700 price tag might also be an issue for some.

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By Andrew Liszewski

It might have been caught in the rain a couple of times, but I’m generally pretty good at protecting my iPhone from most liquid hazards. So there’s no chance I would ever take it near a pool, lake or ocean. But supposedly this waterproof case from Sanwa would make it safe for one to do so. Not only does it provide access to the touchscreen while the iPhone is safe inside, but there’s also a clear window allowing the camera to still be used, and a waterproof adapter for connecting a pair of headphones without liquids getting into the case. It’ll only set you back about $34, but before I took the plunge (ha! get it?) I think I’d like to see someone else give it a go first.

[ Sanwa Waterproof iPhone Case ] VIA [ DVICE ]

By David Ponce

Within 24 hours of the 5G iPod nano announcement, the design community at Quirky had come up with a pretty cool case for it.

This case maintains a slim profile while adding a ton of functionality. We’re talking: hard plastic exterior, cord wrap, shock-resistant silicone core, as well as full body and screen protection.

Oh, but that’s only half of it. This case comes packed with a hand steadying video grip that transforms into vertical and horizontal kickstands.

That’s a lot of simple, ingenious features for a little $15. It’s currently on pre-order, with 35 out of the needed 300 pre-orders filled. Once that number is reached, you can expect to receive the product within 6 weeks.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Crunchgear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The recession hit everybody pretty hard, and if you’re like us, you barely managed to scrape together enough money from between the couch cushions to replace your aging iPhone 3G with the 3GS. So where are you supposed to find the cash to buy a case in order to protect your investment? Well thankfully Case-Mate has come to the rescue with their specially designed iPhone 3G/3GS Recession Case.

Constructed from only the finest machine mass-produced cardboard (100% recycled) the case won’t protect your phone from liquids, fire or drops from extreme heights (7+ inches) but according to the Case-Mate site it will make you awesome and should last forever as long as you don’t destroy it. You can order one from the Case-Mate website for just $0.99, or opt for the ‘Bailout Bundle’ which is 10 Recession Cases for just $7.99.

[ Case-Mate iPhone Recession Case ] VIA [ Gear Diary ]