tough

G-Form, the company known for dropping iPhones and iPads from the stratosphere to show off how tough its Xtreme cases are, is rolling out new cases next week at CES.

The Xtreme iPhone 5 ($39.99) and Samsung Galaxy S3 ($39.99) cases are already shipping, and G-Form has unveiled new cases for the iPad 3/4 ($89.95) and iPad Mini ($89.95), as well as the latest iPod Touch ($39.99) that should be available in the next month.

According to G-Form, the secret sauce behind its cases is its three-layer "technique," which combines its "… Read more

It's a Prizefight throwdown showdown! We're throwing two of the best point-and-shoot cameras that were made to outlast the elements. It's the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 versus the Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS!

Panasonic's TS4 brings a sleeker design that's still rugged with better image quality results. Olympus' TG-1 is chunkier, but it brings a larger feature set and is even crushproof.

Both of these bad boys are waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof; which do you think deserves to be crowned the Prizefight King of the Ring?

Cast your vote!

The new iPad -- or the iPad 3, as I incorrectly like to call it -- has been out for a while, but the new cases keep on coming.

If you've already seen an older version of this list, I apologize, but the good news is that it's been updated.

As most people know, Apple barely changed the design of the third-generation iPad and a lot of existing iPad 2 cases fit the iPad 3. While a few of those iPad 2 models are represented in this round of top cases and covers, I did my best to include plenty of new models, as many accessory makers have refreshed their lines in the last few months. … Read more

Think of Mophie's new Juice Pack Pro as an Otterbox case that's packing a 2,500 mAh battery that more than doubles the battery life of your iPhone 4 or 4S.

Mophie would probably argue that the Juice Pack Pro is actually tougher than an Otterbox case. It's touting its first ruggedized battery pack case as exceeding military specification MIL-STD 810G, which is pretty tough.

That said, the case is water-resistant but not totally waterproof (it can't go underwater). It has a built-in screen protector and comes with a rotating belt clip. According to Mophie, that … Read more

Otterbox has a teaser video out for a new iPhone 4/4S case that it says is the toughest case the company's ever made.

Set to ship June 24, the Armor Series case is dust proof, drop proof, waterproof, and apparently crush proof. No word on how much it will cost, but I'd been hoping Otterbox would have something new that offered increased protection while hopefully not adding any bulk.

Otterbox has been one of the big smartphone accessory success stories but it has faced increased competition from upstarts like Lifeproof that have put out more durable, slimmer … Read more

Otterbox has built a booming business out of its ultraprotective iPhone cases but today has a lot more competition -- and it's only getting fiercer.

Case in point: iSkin's just-announced Fuze case, which also comes in a special-edition model, the Fuze SE. What's nice about these is that they offer solid protection in a relatively low-profile case.

While they don't offer the same level of protection as the $80 Lifeproof case, which is waterproof and features an integrated screen cover, the overall concept and design are somewhat similar.

iSkin says the new Fuze cases took months … Read more

I first posted this roundup not long after the iPhone 4 hit stores and it's been through several updates, and now only includes cases that fit both the iPhone 4 and 4S and carry the "universal fit" tag.

Update, May 15, 2012: Added Griffin Survivor and Gumdrop Drop Tech Series.

As I've said before, how you choose to protect -- or not protect -- your iPhone is a matter of personal preference. But if some heavy-duty shielding is what you're looking for, this is the list for you.

While I tried to pick tough, protective cases that look good and don't make your iPhone too bulky, a few of the cases have more extreme designs that aren't necessarily intended for everyday use. I should also note that some of the more rugged cases can be a bit of a chore to remove and aren't friendly toward iPod docks and certain charging accessories due to how recessed the ports become when the case is on.

… Read more

For certain types of people, finding out that fantasy writer Neil Gaiman likes their work could be considered the cherry on top of a career. So for filmmaker Kevin Smith, seeing that Gaiman once tweeted "I suspect @ThatKevinSmith is what all gods and demons aspire to be" had to make for one terrific day.

@ThatKevinSmith, of course, is the man who made such cult hits as "Clerks," "Mallrats," and "Chasing Amy." More recently, he's moved on from wry humor to darker stuff like "Red State." And he's even … Read more

A group of hackers has released the source code for Symantec's PCAnywhere product.

The public release of the code yesterday came as no surprise as the hackers had been threatening such an action in a series of e-mail negotiations with what they thought were representatives of Symantec. The group, known as Yamatough but operating under the umbrella of Anonymous, had been demanding a $50,000 payoff from Symantec to keep the source code private.

Yamatough was actually negotiating with law enforcement officials posing as Symantec representatives in an attempt to draw out the group. But a "spokesperson" … Read more