The Mac Space Blog

MARWARE Sidewinder

The MARWARE Sidewinder is a cool transparent protective case for the 3rd generation iPod Nano. The polycarbonate case provides an exoskeleton-like layer to protect the nano from scratches, drops and impacts. The case also comes with protective film for the screen and the control wheel.

Features

The name Sidewinder name comes from the retractable arm which is for storing the headphone cabling.  When not in use the cable is wrapped around the Sidewinder.  When listening the Sidewinder arm slides into the back of the case.

Speaking of the case’s back, there’s an interchangeable clip system called “Multidapt” which allows the unit to be mounted on your belt, in your car, on your bike or many other locations.

The Sidewinder is a $25 insurance policy on a nano which could cost several hundred bucks.

In Action

I’m very happy with the Sidewinder.  It provides storage for the phone cables which no other case does.  My nano is extremely small and I like it to stay that way.  The Sidewinder doesn’t bulk up the unit so it stays small even though it is protected.

The Multidapt system is very convenient and allows me to mount my nano in many places.  I mount it on my belt, my car dashboard and my golf bag when I’m on the driving range practicing.

Conclusion

The MARWARE iPod Nano Sidewinder case is a great way to protect the unit without making it too big and eliminating the size factor.  The convenient cable storage keeps your phones handy with the iPod and tucks away when not needed.

More images

For more images of the MARWARE Sidewinder and other MARWARE products, click here to go to The Mac Space MARWARE gallery.

From the Apple web site:

The iPhone 2.1 software update contains many bug fixes and improvements. To get it, connect your iPhone to your computer using iTunes 8 and click Check for Update.

Update includes:

• Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls
• Significantly better battery life for most users
• Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
• Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
• Faster installation of 3rd party applications
• Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications

• Improved performance in text messaging
• Faster loading and searching of contacts
• Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
• Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
• Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
• Genius playlist creation

It is a colorful day in iPod land with the announcement of the new iPod Nanos.  Looks like some major upgrades to not only their color and shape, but the operating system too.

Golf Flyover is an application for the Apple iPhone which turns the phone into a golf GPS.  You can track your yardages on nearly 13000 courses on your iPhone.  In addition, you can view flyovers of the holes on the course.  This is so freakin’ cool.  If you’re playing a course you’ve never seen before you can do a flyover and see the terrain and hazards etc.  Finally, there’s a break reader which uses the accelerometer of the iPhone.  You simply put the phone on the putting green and it will show you the break.

I’ll be doing a full review of Golf Flyover soon.