CES 2013

Tablets and smartphones are becoming constant companions – even more so now that there are so many apps and automation systems available that allow you to control your TV or multiroom audio system using an iOS or Android device. But not every place where you might use a smart device is as “environmentally friendly” as your living room. LifeProof’s nüüd case is designed to protect an iPad in just about any situation you can think of. It’s waterproof. (You can fully submerge it underwater down to two meters or 6.6 feet, whichever comes first.) It’s dirt-proof (and totally sealed from minute dust particles to IP-68 standards). It’s snow-proof (also to IP-68 standards). And it’s shockingly shock-proof. (LifeProof says it’s designed to military drop survivability specs of 4 feet – or 1.2 meters.) Although they didn’t truck in a mountain of snow or build a dirt bike track at CES, they did bring a large tank full of water in which they regularly submerged a nüüd-clad iPad. When out of the water, the fully enclosed casing allows easy access to the charging and headphone ports. When under water, the access ports seal up tight and keep iPad warm and dry. (Well, not necessarily warm, but most certainly dry.) The nüüd case also includes a special “Sound Enhancement System” that channels the iPad’s audio through the case cavity in order to improve the sound quality. Pricing for the nüüd case starts at $99.99 for the iPad 2/3/4. In addition to LifeProof cases for a variety of iPhone and the iPod touch Gen4, the company also offers a bright orange LifeJacket ($59.99) that prevents the iPad/nüüd combo from sinking when dropped in the pool, lake, or stream.