Tribal ReGrind from Incipio

The Incipio Tribal Regrind
Available from www.myincipio.com
$24.99 USD

This precision molded case is made from at least 20% reclaimed plastics that were previously incarnated as other Incipio products. The use of recycled materials gives this case it's unique appearance and colorway. And this case is 100% recyclable.

I am stoked on Incipio for being dedicated to the eco-accessory niche enough to develop multiple products to market. This case is certainly more functional than their organic canvas sleeve which I previously reviewed. I have to say, however, that I am not loving the "tribal" pattern on this one. It just seems a bit much to me. I'm just not a tribal patterns kind of girl, I guess. But I know plenty of folks who would really dig this effect, so props to Incipio of capturing that part of the demographic.

All in all, I give the Incipio Tribal Regrind an E for Evolution. Keep on recycling these bad boys till you come up with a winner.

functional & technically vegan

Here is a product that some vegans, who also like the look of leather, may find appealing.

The Marware EcoVue is described as "a fitted eco-friendly jacket [that] provides open-faced access to your iphone 3g. Made from corn starch polymers with a lining of recycled polyester. This case gives you the look and feel of leather without the guilt. "

I will go ahead and give the Marware EcoVue points for the open face design which allows for touch screen access while the phone remains inside the sleeve. This was a severely lacking feature in the Incipio EcoCanvas Case I reviewed a few days ago.

But seriously... An iPhone case made from likely GMO corn and old man's pants no one wanted from the thrift store? Heated up and spun into textile that looks like leather? Really?
I pray for the children near the factory in Malaysia where this unholy amalgam is born.
No way this is a clean emissions process. No effing way.

So I am just going to stop my rant right there.

Obviously, this eco iPhone accessory is not my cup of tea.

If you own this one and you love it. Please let me know.
Until I hear from you, faux-leather-loving-iPhone-toting-vegan,
I am going to give this piece a stern look and a roll of my eyes, for trying to co-opt
the "eco" label without considering consumer awareness of real sustainablity.

Speaking of which: what is the status of consumer awareness of sustainability issues (on this blog?)

What do you think readers?
Is this product awesomely sustainable because it reuses old fibers and plant based polymers?
or
Is it the product of a super polluting process that causes more harm to the planet as a result of its existence?

Please weigh in in the comments.

Solar Charger for iPhone and iTouch from Novothink

This is truly an awesome new development for sustainability and mobile devices.
A company called Novothink has announced it's release of a revolutionary new product that will allow iPhone and iPod users the ability to power their devices on the go using solar power.
The product is called the SURGE.
The Surge works like a case for your device with a solar panel on the back.
It is sleek and ergonomic and comes with an app that allows users to assess their solar energy needs in real time.
The design, I expect, will be very appealing to iPhone users and will come in a variety of candy colors. I have included images from the Novothink site here as a preview, but head on over to the Novothink site to get all the details and BUY ONE!
The price is totally reasonable at $69.95.
Personally, I love this product and I can't wait to get on for myself.

Eco Friendly iPhone Case by incipio

This is actually the first case I purchased for my iPhone 3G.

Incipio Eco iPhone Case

I made my purchase strictly on the basis that the fabrics are sustainable (hemp and organic cotton, I believe). At the time I was determined to avoid consuming a bunch plastic just to keep my new gadget happy. The silicon cases seemed smart, but I wanted to stick by my principles and avoid the plastic appeal. So I bought this undeniably "crunchy-looking" case and went on about my business. Well, it wasn't too long before my eco-friendly buyers remorse set in. In a matter of a few days, this case had proven to be more trouble than it was helpful.

First of all, this case functions like a sleeve for your device, which does not allow you to operate your phone AND benefit from the sleeve's protective properties at the same time. Every time you wish to use your iPhone, you must remove it completely from this snug fitting hemp sleeve.

Which brings up another point. This case fits TIGHT. I know that tension is the basis for most of the protective properties, but DANG. I really did not like struggling for up to thirty seconds each time to get this case off whenever my phone would ring. And who wants to potentially miss a call because of fumbling with their iPhone case? This was ultimately the reason I ditched this case: low functionality.

In this instance, green points for eco-fabric are not enough for me to recommend this case.
Please comment if you have a different take on it.

iPhone Case Roundup: iPhone shells

MacWorld.com is a great resource for all the latest Mac related products.
The following review includes an entry on an eco-friendly iPhone case that received high marks from the reviewer. The eco-shell looks sleek and hip and is reported to be super functional.
Score one for the green team!

Here is an excerpt from that review by Dan Frakes:
(click the link at the end of the excerpt for the entire article including images)

******************************************************************************************

Agent 18’s $30 Eco iPhone Shield (), available in matte black, is split into top and bottom pieces; you slide these sections over the top and bottom of your iPhone, respectively, and they click together in the middle. The case is a snug fit, but still comes off easily when you want it to. Like all Agent 18 iPod and iPhone cases, the bottom of the Eco Shield is flush with the bottom of the iPhone, letting you use bottom-mounted dock-connector accessories; Agent 18 also includes a dock insert, sized specifically for an Eco Shield-encased iPhone, for Apple’s Universal dock design, allowing you to use your iPhone with dock-cradle accessories without having to remove the case.

What’s unique about the Eco Shield—and what gives the case its name—is that Agent 18 has made it out of “eco-friendly material with minimum carbon impact”—read: recycled plastic—and packaged it using a reasonably-small amount of fully-recyclable plastic and paper. As someone who sees a heartbreaking amount of waste when it comes to the production and packaging of iPod accessories, I applaud Agent 18 for these efforts.

One minor drawback of the Eco Shield is that because the case fits snugly and has no lining, you need to be careful, before putting the case on your iPhone, that both the phone and the interior of the case are clean. Harder pieces of dirt or dust can scuff your iPhone while you’re sliding it in and out of the case.

(Note that the Eco Shield has a small notch on the top and one on each side near the bottom. It appears these three notches provide places for a holster or belt clip to attach; however, Agent 18 doesn’t currently sell such an accessory.)

******************************************************************************************

Read the rest of the article and view images of Agent 18:
iPhone Case Roundup: iPhone shells

Posted using ShareThis

Handmade iPhone Docks

Horray for handmade iPhone /iPod docks.
These are so genius. Perfect for the postmodern hippie home-like mine!
www.etsy.com/woodtech